There is nothing more relaxing than a big roaring fire in the fireplace on a chilly evening. The look, the smell, and the warmth make us lay back and relax. But do you ever consider what you are bringing into your home or next to your home when you stack that firewood?
Those logs are hiding some winter nappers like carpenter ants and termites. Keep reading for some termite control advice from your local pest control specialists.
Insects Use Your Firewood Stacks As A Home
There are insects and arthropods that may be hanging out in your firewood. Termites, Carpenter Ants, and Beetles are pests that could be living in your firewood. Most insects that are in that wood are no risk to humans or the things inside of your home, but keeping that wood stacked up next to your house could be a danger to your home.
Why? Insects in firewood are either feeding on your firewood, nesting in the wood, or spending their winter beneath the bark.It is best to keep your wood pile at least 30 feet from your home to keep those unwanted pests away from your structure.
You do not want to invite wood lovers, like termites and carpenter ants, to the wood construction of your house. Those are the two insects to be most concerned about in your firewood.
Carpenter Ants
These hard-working ants love moist wood. They hollow out the wood to build nests. Carpenter Ants can be very destructive. They hollow along with the grain of the wood, creating long, smooth hollows. Bringing logs from the outdoors for fire will not be a danger to the inside of your home unless you bring the logs in and allow them to stay indoors for several days before using them. That will allow the ants to warm up and move out of the logs.
Keep your logs outdoors until you plan to use them. If you stack your wood up next to your house or close to it, when warmer weather comes, those ants will be inclined to move to the wood near your home.
Termites
Termite nests containing the queen are based in the ground, but the workers will tunnel on the wood. Mud tunnels may be visible on your wood. When you bring those logs into your home, it is unlikely those termites will move to anything within your home.
If you stack that wood up against your home, those termites will be eager to move onto the wood of your home like they have been invited to dinner. Keeping the wood away from the base of your home will keep the termites controlled and where they belong.
Wood Piles Can Be Home To Pests Other Than Insects
Wood piles can also be a winter home for snakes, mice, pillbugs, beetles, centipedes and millipedes. This is another reason to keep your wood pile at a distance. Why give access to your home to these pests? As the weather warms, they can become more active, finding a way inside.
The best place to stack your wood is about 30 feet from the door you will use. Wood needs good airflow to keep it dry, so stacking on a rack and off of the ground is best. You also can use old pallets or concrete blocks as your base. No one wants to run 30 feet to the wood pile in inclement weather, so keeping some logs stacked near the door is ok as long as it will be used within a few days. If you won’t use it for 2 weeks or more, keep it in the wood pile. Enjoy your winter fires, and relax knowing that you are keeping those pests where they belong.
Have A Termite Or Carpenter Ant Problem? Buzz Kill Pest Control Can Help!
Are you having trouble with carpenter ants and termites in your home? Whether they’re just in your wood piles or already making their way into your home, Buzz Kill Pest Control can help!
As premier ant and termite control specialists in Fort Worth, contact us today to take your home back!