Nothing is better in the winter than having a roaring fire to cuddle up next too and thawing out your frozen hands and feet. However, with a wood burning fireplace, one has a stack of firewood on their property. Unfortunately, firewood stacks house a number of different pests that can later invade your home as well. Today, Effective Pest Services will share how to prevent pests from making your firewood their home this winter. In turn, you can enjoy a roaring as well as a pest free home.
How Do You Protect Firewood from Pests?
Pre-treat firewood – Firewood is often cut before winter and most often in the summer time. When you cut or buy firewood, pre-treat the wood by having the wood in a sunny place covered with a tarp. Allow the wood to be heated which helps kill off a number of pests come winter.
Store firewood away from the house – Never store or stack your firewood against a building or home. It is natural for pests to be drawn to firewood stacks for the shelter or food it can provide. If the firewood is stored next to a home or building, it increases the chance of invading pests.
Stack firewood off of the ground – Never stack fire directly on the ground. It makes it easy for termites and other pests to climb onto the wood, especially wood feeding pests like carpenter ants or termites. Use brick, concrete blocks, firewood racks or grates to store firewood.
Don’t store the firewood underneath trees – You should attempt to store the firewood away from trees, especially pine trees. There are a number of bore beetles or other wood destroying pests that will go from the trees to the firewood, which you later bring into your home. This is never a good idea.
Never store or stack firewood indoors – You may think the fastest place to store your firewood is indoors such as inside a garage or basement. Even with your best efforts, firewood stacks simply draws in pests. If you provide a harbor like a firewood stack, you will get pests in your home. Additionally, you can never truly know if the firewood you’re bringing into your home doesn’t have pests inside of it all ready.
Burn the oldest wood first – It is important to practice FIFO or firewood in/firewood out, which is another way of saying to use the oldest firewood first. By using the oldest firewood first you help prevent an infestation from building up. The longer a piece of wood sits the more likely pests will invade and live inside it.
Avoid bringing pests into your home – Before you bring wood into your home, make sure to shake off dirt and any surface pest that may be on the wood. You may even want to use a handheld brush and give the piece of wood a quick brush off before you bring it inside your home. Never bring in extra wood either. Only bring into your home the wood you’re planning on burning.
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To help keep pests out of your home and be safe from pests all year round, contact Effective Pest Services. We will help protect your home from invading pests!
