You, like so many other log home owners, enjoy using a fireplace during the winter to create warmth or an attractive atmosphere. And every log home owner that uses a fireplace probably has noticed insects in their firewood piles. There is no need to fret!
Most firewood pests are harmless to people or animals (and are just very annoying), such as cockroaches, centipedes, ground beetles, pill bugs, and sowbugs. These insects like to hide in cracks of firewood or beneath the bark. Within days after the firewood is brought inside, they can become active and scatter in your home.
However, there are a few pests to watch out for, such as Black Widow spiders. It is possible that wood boring beetle infestations can begin by coming out of stored firewood.
The best way to control firewood pests is to properly store and manage the firewood. Store your firewood pile off the ground and keep it at least two feet away from the side of your home. This will allow the firewood to dry and air to circulate throughout the woodpile.
Burn the oldest wood first; the older the wood, the greater the chance that insects may get into it. When you are ready to bring some firewood inside, only bring in what you will burn that day! Knock the logs together to shake any insects that may be clinging to the wood.
Don’t allow pests to warm up and emerge within your home by storing firewood by the fireplace, in the garage, or in the basement. Also, do NOT spray your firewood with pesticides! Harmful vapors could result from burning pesticide-treated wood!
To manage firewood pests properly, it is a matter of keeping them outdoors instead of within your home. The shorter the time that firewood is inside, the lower the chance there will be for these pests to emerge and scatter.
(Information provided by PermaChink Systems, Inc.)
