For those of you with fireplaces or wood-burning stoves, winter is the time to cozy up inside with a nice warm fire. It might sound like a really good idea to bring a large load of firewood inside. Or, maybe keep some against the house, so you don’t have to go far in the frigid air. We’re here to tell you it’s a bad idea.
Leaving firewood inside of your home for long periods gives pests that have been living or feeding on that wood the opportunity to roam around your house. Some of the most common pests that may catch a ride on your firewood are beetles, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, and most concerning, termites and carpenter ants. Normally, most of these insects go dormant once the cold weather of late fall hits. But once they are exposed to the warmth of your home, they think it’s spring and wake up again.
If there is a termite nest outside of the home, with the queen, and the termite workers are inadvertently brought inside, they can’t establish a new colony in the house. But if the wood is stacked against the foundation of your home, that can facilitate their access to your foundation. This can quickly become a costly issue.
Carpenter ants don’t eat wood. They hollow out nests in the wood and when they warm up, they can move out of the wood to other areas of your house. The good news is that while this is annoying, the odds of them establishing a nest in your house are slim. Only wood that is higher than normal in moisture content is susceptible to carpenter ant damage.
As for the rest of the typical pests in firewood, they pose the same threat as they do in the spring. They are annoying and an infestation can be costly if not taken care of quickly.
Here are our top 5 tips to keep these pests from hitching a ride on your firewood into your home:
- Keep your firewood at least 20 feet from your home.
- Use tarps to keep your firewood dry.
- Make sure to store the wood up off the ground.
- Before bringing pieces inside, give them a quick inspection. Look them over and shake them to knock loose any stragglers.
- Burn firewood immediately when brought indoors.
Of course, if the damage is already done and you need extermination, give us a call today! At Romans Pest Management, we know that people tend to wait until they have exhausted all options before resorting to a professional. We get it! But, like most other professionals, we’ll be the first to say, don’t wait! Instead of wasting time and money on over-the-counter products that are ineffective or wrong for the job, just give us a call to get it done right the first time. We’ll come out and do a FREE no-pressure inspection. If you’re not happy with the estimated amount, we’ll leave, no harm done.
Conveniently located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, Romans Pest Management serves the whole Tri-State area, including Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana. Give us a call today for your free inspection and a quote on an affordable treatment plan.