Dealing with Pests in Firewood: Tips for a Pest-Free Winter
Winter is here, and for many of us in the Northeast, that means curling up and getting cozy by the fireplace or wood stove to enjoy the warmth and ambiance of the fire. Firewood is an essential resource for millions of Americans who rely on it as a primary or supplemental heating fuel. Today, rising energy costs have driven market growth in the firewood industry, with more people turning to wood as their preferred heat source.
Whether this is your first winter using wood heating or you’re a seasoned pro, it’s critical to understand one of the most often overlooked aspects of heating with wood. The firewood neatly stacked near your home can provide insects and rodents with a way into your home. Pest invasions can occur after they hitch a ride on firewood and take up shelter inside to wreak havoc on your indoor spaces.
Fortunately, pest control for firewood is possible by taking the right steps. Catseye Pest Control is leveraging its decades of experience to provide you with some of the best tips for firewood pest control. Check out these strategies to help keep your home warm and safe from firewood-invading pests all season long.
Dealing with Pests in Firewood
Pests and firewood can go hand in hand. The invading insects and rodents that take shelter in firewood don’t only infest interior spaces; they can also affect the environment at large. Pests that burrow into trees can spread across regions by hitching rides on untreated firewood. To avoid spreading invasive species to other areas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends sourcing firewood where you burn it and opting for heat-treated wood when possible to help protect trees and shrubs.
Protecting your slice of the great outdoors isn’t the only priority when it comes to your firewood. Not only can mice or rats sneak in along with your firewood, but many insects can attack fresh-cut logs or be found inside firewood. Examples of firewood pests include carpenter ants, spiders, powderpost beetles, earwigs, centipedes, and stink bugs — just to name a few.
Let’s take a look at eight tips to help keep your firewood (and your home) safe and pest-free.
Inspect and Source Firewood Carefully
In addition to using local firewood, it’s important to obtain it from reputable sources. If you cut your firewood on your own, place newly cut wood in sunny areas and cover it to kill insects. Cutting wood in fall can also help reduce the risk of an infestation of insects that emerge in spring or summer. Finally, before you bring firewood into your home, be sure to carefully inspect each piece. Knock two logs together, shake them, and look for any insects clinging to the outside.
Store Firewood Off the Ground
How and where you store your firewood can make a huge difference. When wood is stored on the ground, ants and termites can easily infest it and leave you vulnerable to potentially destructive carpenter ants or in need of professional termite control. Using a firewood holder or another support system to keep the wood off the ground will help keep the wood dry and reduce the likelihood that soil-dwelling pests will infest it.
Keep Firewood Dry
Termites, carpenter ants, and other moisture-loving insects will see damp firewood as a neon “welcome” sign. Elevating it off the ground helps, but it’s important to also cover it to keep it dry. The result will be improved pest deterrence, and the wood will burn more efficiently. Cover it with a waterproof, polyethylene cover to let heat and light into the pile to aid in drying. Additionally, using a vapor barrier on the ground beneath your storage structure can also help block moisture coming from the ground.
Rotate Your Stock
Use the “first in, first out,” method to ensure you’re always using older wood first. Aging wood is more vulnerable. If you continually use what’s on top of the pile and add new wood to the top, the wood at the bottom can become infested without you knowing it. If needed, rotate the pile periodically to avoid letting any wood remain at the bottom for longer than a year.
Store Firewood Away from Your Home
Keeping the wood pile next to your home may seem like a convenient option. Obviously, it is, but it also makes it all too convenient for rodents and insects to find their way from your firewood storage into your home. Maintain a distance of at least three feet between the pile and your home and other structures. That way, if you do have an infestation, it will be easier to control without pests getting inside.
Use Insect-Repellent Products
Don’t spray the wood itself with insect repellents. The vapor can be harmful when you use the wood in a fire. Instead, treat the soil in your storage area and use insect baits or rodent monitoring devices around the wood pile.
Regular Cleaning and Maintenance
In addition to conducting routine inspections of the firewood, it’s helpful to keep the area clean and tidy to avoid inviting unwanted guests. Remove any infested wood promptly and keep the surrounding area free of debris. Keeping the location tidy and well-maintained reduces the chance of pests deciding to make it their new home.
Monitor and Be Vigilant
As with any other pest prevention strategy, vigilance is the name of the game. Keeping your eyes carefully peeled for the presence of pests or signs of an infestation can help you gain control faster. It can also mean the difference between an outdoor issue and an indoor infestation.
Contact Catseye for Professional Pest Control
When winter pest control tips fail, we’re here to help you regain peace of mind. Catseye has decades of expertise and a proven track record throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. For help in winter, spring, summer, and fall, contact the experts at Catseye to schedule a free inspection.
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