Now that the fall season is officially here, many people will start to gather firewood for their wood burning stove or fireplace. But, along with gathering firewood can come gathering pests so it is important to follow these tips for keeping your firewood pile free from invaders:
- Typically, firewood will be stacked in rows in order to have easy access during the cold weather. Make sure these rows are situated away from your home, garage, or shop. When you stack firewood piles against the side of a building, the pests that are inside of the pile will easily migrate to the siding of your home and possibly into the framing. Wood-boring insects are not particular about the wood that they nest in!
- When you stack the firewood, avoid stacking it directly on the bare ground. Instead, stack the firewood on grates, bricks, or concrete blocks. This will help the wood to avoid absorbing moisture from the ground, which can attract insects.
- Do not stack firewood up against trees. The insects and beetles that living in the bark of the trees will eventually migrate into the woodpile, and then you will bring them into the house.
- Do not stack firewood indoors. Whether it be inside of the home, garage, or shop stacking firewood indoors is a dangerous practice. When the wood is brought indoors, any pests that are currently living in it will emerge and take up residence. Also, indoor woodpiles are the perfect place for rodents and poisonous spiders to live.
- Only store as much wood as you need inside near the fireplace. In other words, if you are going to be out for the day, you don’t need to have an entire stack of firewood piled up next to the fireplace. Burn wood as you need it to ensure that insects and other pests do not have a chance to migrate from the wood into your home.
Having a fireplace for warmth during the fall season can be very cozy and comforting. It is an inexpensive way to keep your home toasty. But, it also comes with some cons and migrating pests is one of them. Follow these simple tips to keep your home warm AND pest-free.
