Minimizing pests from Firewood

[FrugalFirewoodDad]

Through the course of scrounging it stands to reason that a fair portion of the wood scrounged will have been downed at least in part due to pests of one form or another.

Once its split and stacked, do any of you do anything to the wood (or surrounding area where you processed it) to minimize spreading unwanted bugs/pests etc?

Thinking mostly EAB or other invasives, but also carpenter ants/termites etc.

Not asking how to remediate an infestation... asking if you post treat your wood or area?


I am thinking a bag of that ant bait stuff cant hurt, and maybe some DE

 

[cookies]

I treat the area under and around my piles with a specific insecticide. Termites, ants, beetles and carpenter bees will destroy entire piles in a matter of weeks here. Rats will contaminate entire piles with their feces too so its a good idea to keep them out as well.

 

[ericm979]

I see a lot of bugs in some of the wood I split. The worst parts don't go into firewood but undoubtably there's still some left in in the good splits. I find that they're gone by the time I burn the wood. Dry wood is not hospitable to many insects. Some of the wood species like bay get some powder on the outside which I think is from some sort of beetle but other than knocking the powder off the splits before I bring them into the house its not been an issue.

It may be different in places with a different climate. Here it rains like crazy for 5 months then no rain for 7.

 

[esean]

I've been living in the eastern U.S. deciduous forest and stacking and burning wood 30+ yrs. I've NEVER seen bugs devour any stacked firewood or cause any problems whatsoever. Borers get into hickory and the frass makes it a little messy, but that's it. Carpenter ants, termites, etc. are everywhere in the forest - no point in treating the woodpile when the bugs are throughout the surrounding area. Invasive insects ARE a concern - that's why firewood should be cut and used locally and not transported very far.

 

[david newbie]

I sometimes worry about buggy wood as I cut a lot of dead wood. we stack our wood right by the house, probably not so smart but convenient. As the weather warms up I see lots of lizards in our piles and I'm really hoping they are keeping the bugs under control

 

[fields_mj]

I burn in an indoor (add on style) wood furnace located in my basement. I spray the surrounding area (walls and overhead floor joists) with an insecticide using a small 1/2 gal sprayer. I believe I use Bifen but I'd have to double check.

 

[cahaak]

I get plenty of bugs in the wood I split, especially ants. What I do is pick up a box or two of borax at Walmart and after I split, when I stack I sprinkle a little bit on the rows as I stack. One box can do about three cords for me. The borax will kill all of the bugs and if your stacked piles are covered, it will stay there. Mice, different issue, can't do much if they want to next in there other than encourage my cat to be aggressive. I've found the borax to be very effective and pretty cheap for this application.

 

[user 188535]

Through the course of scrounging it stands to reason that a fair portion of the wood scrounged will have been downed at least in part due to pests of one form or another.

Once its split and stacked, do any of you do anything to the wood (or surrounding area where you processed it) to minimize spreading unwanted bugs/pests etc?

Thinking mostly EAB or other invasives, but also carpenter ants/termites etc.

Not asking how to remediate an infestation... asking if you post treat your wood or area?


I am thinking a bag of that ant bait stuff cant hurt, and maybe some DE

Me personally, I use a mixture of a garlic bug repellent as well as rodent repellent. On each of my pallet racks I also keep an individual bait station for bugs. I also think it's very important to keep wood cleaned off after splitting.

 

[U&A]

Iv never had enough trouble to need to worry about pest but it will all be area/location dependent. I take the wood in the house a good 8-24 hours before I need it in the wood stove to let it warm up. some bugs (usually ants) are awake by then but never wander away from their home ( the log they reside in).

just a note. PLEASE be cautions with insecticides and herbicides around wood that you are burning and handling. Wind drift is real and you WILL come in contact with it and it will be burning and exiting your chimney. I know a guy that sprays all his wood with insecticide and stores it in his basement full time. no way in heck should that ever be done IMO. not worth the risk. just remember. all the insecticides are systemic meaning when they are inhaled or get on your skin they ARE in your body for the full life expectancy of the insecticide.

please be carful.