Swing Set VS Bees, Beetles, and Bugs

You are comparing the cost of wood swing sets against vinyl swing sets and wonder if the additional investment for vinyl playsets is worth it. You get it; a vinyl swing set gives you greater longevity, no splinters, and virtually no maintenance, but still…

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a carpenter bee buzzing out to your patio where your ongoing war with them has resulted in a battlefield of scarred posts and empty insecticide cans. You toss your phone down in disgust and stomp to spray, fill in cracks with steel wool, stain, paint, and invent imaginative, colorful phrases to describe those [insert colorful phrase] bees. And then you see termite signs.

Wooden swing sets and playhouses don’t mix with carpenter bees, termites, or other burrowing insects. Once these insects find your wood playset, keeping them at bay and preventing them from causing damage can be challenging.

Vinyl swing sets, however, withstand these nasty creatures. The pressure-treated wood is encased in naturally insect-resistant vinyl sleeves, making our vinyl swing sets virtually impervious to burrowing insects.

As we go forward on this topic, understand I am not referencing wasps that show up and build a nest. That happens on every type of swing set. I am strictly speaking about insects that bore or chew into the wood and the damage caused by that activity.

Wood Swing Sets: An Uphill Battle

For a wood swing set, the first appearance of a carpenter bee, wood wasp, certain beetles, or ant can launch a war of containment. If you don’t try to eliminate or at least discourage these insects from feasting on your swing set, their boreholes and damage can weaken critical structures on your swing set and either drastically reduce its life span or make it unsafe to play on.

Those experienced with these insects know how hard it can be to deal with them. Common treatments you can find online for wood swing sets are:

Regular Staining and Painting: Certain paints, varnishes, and stains deter carpenter bees and other insects, but you must keep up with this every few years. When the Chiefs are playing the Ravens, who has time to fiddle around with their swing set?

Chemical Treatments: No one wants to use insecticides or chemical treatments on a swing set, but sometimes, they are the only effective option. Be sure to follow all the guidelines for your chosen treatment method.

Natural Treatments: There is an abundance of natural solutions online, but alas, we all know that sometimes these have more hope than substance. However, they are certainly worth a try.

Upkeep Around the Set: Clearing out natural habitat can help keep the insect population down.

Catching it Early: The sooner you catch the insects at work, the better your chances of keeping the damage minimal.

Get a Vinyl Swing Set: While this choice requires a larger initial investment, it can save you time and effort and, in the worst-case scenario, the cost of replacing a ruined wood swing set.

The Vinyl Swing Set Difference

The stark difference between wood swing sets and vinyl playsets regarding burrowing insect control is evident from how little I have to write about it.

Because our vinyl swing sets and playhouses have that protective vinyl sleeve, you don’t have to do anything. We are so confident that our swing set resists insects that we guarantee our pressure-treated wood against insect damage for life.

That is it. Set it and forget it. If you have intense termite or carpenter bee pressure, it won’t hurt to look over the set occasionally to ensure your children haven’t knocked a vinyl post or end cap off in their play and exposed any wood, but that is all you need to do.

(If a cap is missing due to Billy getting a little wild with his play, call the office, and we can hook you up with replacements.)

Conclusion

Vinyl swing sets’ superior insect resistance makes them a better investment than a wood swing set. The time, effort, frustration, and money you save from fighting back hordes of bees, beetles, bugs, and other creepy crawlies can be spent on the things you love: playing outside with your family.

King Swings crafts vinyl swing sets and playhouses, which our in-house crews deliver and install to your home. Every set is made to order and lovingly assembled by our Amish craftsmen by hand. We back our work with a hefty warranty, and our 100s of five-star reviews testify to our superior customer service.

Browse our standard designs, check out custom sets on our Instagram, and give us a call when you are ready to bring the playground home!