I'm the guy who built a wooden mezzanine inside my 30x50 steel shop building a couple years ago. Now I'm preparing to have a 32x60 open pole barn built at my place of business. It will be used as an "accessory building" shelter to store some of the wares I sell. I was just made aware that carpenter bees could damage the 2x6 purlins used to support/attach the metal roofing. How much of a concern should this be and would it be better to use metal purlins instead? Thoughts? Thanks
Pole Barn Purlins
- Thread starter 3Dsigns
- Start date
jack stand
Well-known member
If that's a concern, what about all of your other wood? I'm not trying to be snarkey but the wood trusses are right there also.
Bee's are hard to keep out but using the proper foam closure strips and a well built soffit and eaves should be a good place to start.
Bee's are hard to keep out but using the proper foam closure strips and a well built soffit and eaves should be a good place to start.
Youngandfree
Well-known member
You're going to need metal poles too.
bluedog225
Well-known member
I didn’t know carpenter bees did that much damage. But I’m probably just ignorant.
no harm in searching what controls them. maybe boracare? Easy enough to apply pre build.
no harm in searching what controls them. maybe boracare? Easy enough to apply pre build.
bluedog225
Well-known member
Nope on the boracare.
dcg9381
Well-known member
There are carpenter ants, termites, all that fun stuff...
I wouldn't switch to steel "because bees". There are various ways to keep bugs from making homes on wood, not that I like lethal options for bees.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The Carpenter Bees are invasive Basterds and are not easy to control. They can cause damage, but usually not structurally compromising damage. They are truly annoying though, I don't think they provide the same benefits to the environment as other bees do. I wouldn't worry about the purlins in the OP. If you concern is that great, it's time to look at all metal. Posts, trusses, purlins - sounds like a red iron building at that point.
This one has steel trusses and 8'' PT posts
racecougar
Well-known member
By "open" do you mean open ceiling (no ceiling) or open walls (one or more sides permanently open) or ...? If the building can be closed, then pursue the appropriate closure strips and flashing for the exterior siding you utilize.
Carpenter bees are native to North America. They can be pests, but they're native pests. They actually are important pollinators.
Youngandfree
Well-known member
Me too. At my old house, they started boring into fascia board on my shed. I ran a piece of weedeater string into a hole to see how deep it went. I pulled it out and measured 9-10" of string that went in. I've had some bore i to bottom of my current deck.
Old farmer prevention is take a brown paper lunch bag. Fill it with balled up plastic shopping bags or paper. Twist and tie it closed. Make it look like a paper wasp nest. Hang it up and it keeps the carpenter bees from setting up shop.
Youngandfree
Well-known member
They can bore into those posts too.
Bennylava
Well-known member
Got a link to that thread? I would love to see this mezzanine.