How to Get Rid of Bugs in Firewood?

Bugs must definitely be in firewood except you devise means to eliminate them. They see firewood as a convenient breeding space for them. Getting rid of bugs in firewood is as easy as you can think if you follow the steps that will be made available in this article. If bugs are found in our firewood, it causes devastating effects and nuisance in our environment. Eliminating them is the best measure to take, the environment must not be conducive for them.

Why do you always see bugs in firewood?

Bugs love residing in firewood a lot, it provides good shelter for them, it also provides food, and it\’s relatively secluded, many bugs will utilize the opportunity and establish a colony in the woodpile.

Characteristics of firewood that makes bugs live in them

There are many characteristics that firewood offers to bugs. Bugs see firewood as an enabling environment to carry out their activities. Below are some of the characteristics of firewood offered to bugs that make it appealing for them:

• Firewood provides an enabling environment and different routes for bugs to live
• Woodpiles attract bugs and others too
• Wood shields the bugs from sun, rain and natural predators too, it hides and prevents the bugs from being exposed.
• Woodpiles are undisturbed by humans
• Woodpiles offers a secluded, dark sheltered area for pest to stay
• Firewood is resistant to wind
• Wood-eating bugs like termites get cellulose from firewood

With all these appealing characteristics, you can see that firewood is a very good habitat for bugs to reside in. On the other hand, woodpiles could house a variety of bugs that may find their way into your home. You must be very careful in order to know when these bugs want to enter your home, it could be a serious situation, always be sensitive to know when they are about entering your home.

Even if you have natural wood from the outdoor tree or artificial woodpiles you built, they are all susceptible to pests, and they are potential carriers of these bugs. Getting rid of these bugs is the best option in order to prevent further infestation into your home.

What kind of bugs/pests live in wood?

There are specific bugs that live in different woods. You will get to know the type of bugs we see in firewoods. The common bugs that live in firewood are listed below:

1. Powderpost beetle

These are beetles that eat up wood in common household flooring. Small holes are chewed by the bugs and they leave sawdust as they bore through the lumber. They create holes that are used by adult beetles when they come out as an adult and leave the wood. There are some powderpost beetles that eat only hardwood. They feast on the wood and leave it. Some of them eat softwood while some specialize in hardwood.

2. Carpenter bees

Unpainted softwood is eaten by carpenter bees. Their appearance is just like a large, black bee that emits a large buzzing sound and is active in spring to early summer. The males don\’t sting, they are harmless but the females can sting humans and pets if threatened. These bees feast on a special type of woods which are typically lines, cedar, cypress, or redwood. They build their nest in fascia boards, patios, and window eaves.

These bees are known as wood borers and will possibly do damage in the long run. Painting your home could help protect your house from carpenter bees, the paint act as a repellant. You should also be conscious of previously infested areas, the bees return to them to wreak more havoc.

3. Bark Beetles

These are other types of wood borers that create holes in wood, which aid exit as an adult. As their name implies, they are often found in tree bark and they can damage the wood. The major target of the beetles is damaged trees and they are difficult to control for those who live in an area where these beetles are found at the bark of the trees. Some of the beetles eat nuts, depending on the species.

4. Longhorned beetles

The long-horned beetle is another type of beetle that is commonly found in woods, they lay their eggs on tree barks and eat fresh firewood. The newly emerged larvae are wood borers, they eat and burrow through firewood. They are harmless to humans and are common pests. They still have some long-horned beetles that will destroy household lumber. The beetles die through the burning of the firewood.

5. Wood wasp

These wasps wreak havoc by drilling a hole into the wood, they are species of wasp that carry out such tasks. They complete their life cycle in conifer trees and they are known as horntail wasps. They always infest wood that is unhealthy. From summer to fall, they are active depending on the species. They could be destructive to woody trees and other pine trees.

6. Wood-boring yellow jacket

They are called consume wood, when you move your woodpile around, you may notice it. Some of them may escape and fly out but these bugs prefer unfinished woods and you will see finger-sized holes into the wood. They stay close to the surface and are often ground dwellers. Another important thing about them is that they could be beneficial to your garden. Practicing some basics could get rid of them from your compound.

7. Carpenter ants

These ants eat their way through hollow trees and homes. Carpenter ants are destructive and will eventually eat your home\’s roof, walls, and floor structure. Their main target is wood that is already damaged. These ants are disastrous as they build extensive tunnel networks and will damage the structure of your home over time. They usually carve out tunnels which is the main source of damage to household infrastructure.

How do you keep bugs out of firewood?

Many people always enjoy a fireplace or burning wood in their homes for warmth and comfort it brings especially in the cold of winter. You know that the firewood brought into the house is not always good enough because it carries all sorts of household pests. The control of these pests in the firewood is correctly storing them outdoor and checking them thoroughly before bringing them back.

Don\’t allow staying warm this winter to disturb your peace by bringing bugs into your house, use these tips below to keep bugs out of your wood.

Do this –

• Keep your firewood far from your home: Pest like mice and ants and other insects can make their nest in wood piles and they can easily and quickly gain access to your home, that is, if the pile is nearby. The farther you can relocate the wood from your house, the fewer bugs you will have to deal with.

Many bugs don\’t operate far from their colony, so moving the woodpile farther from your home will definitely help.

• Keep your firewood off the ground: It is always easy for pest to access firewood placed on the ground, it often makes the bottom later less likely to be used. The wood can be placed on concrete blocks, firewood grates or bricks in order to prevent it from directly touching the ground.

• Your firewood should always be dry: Dry wood is less attractive to pest, dry wood is not always convenient for pest, so they look for another environment. Maintaining free flow of air beneath the pile helps reduce moisture problems which attracts pest, and placing a tarp over your wood pile is another way of preventing rain or snow from adding moisture.

• Always practice \”First in/First\” out rule: Here the oldest wood are used first, the pile should be restack periodically if it makes it easier to access the older logs.

With this pests are kept at a minimum while the infestation is eliminated. It will also help checkmate anyone from carrying infested firewood into your home.

• Your firewood should be inspected before bringing it inside: You should cultivate the habit of looking into your logs for obvious signs of pest infestation which can save you a lot of trouble later on. This is kind of a precautionary measure, before bringing wood into your house, you should inspect every log, shake them, look them over, ensure that there is no any sign of pest infestation, always get rid of pest that are in the surface or that just emerge.

• Burn firewood immediately when brought indoors: Few insects are always active outdoor, that is during the cold winter months, rather they will overwinter in sheltered spots, such as within firewood piles. If the wood is brought inside and not burnt immediately, it gives room for the insects to crawl out from the wood into the warmth of your home.

• Rotate the woodpile: When you restock, rotate the wood so the older logs are on top and the newer logs are on the bottom. Getting rid of the bugs is easier with the rotation method and will also make checking the wood for pest more easier.

• Keep the firewood organized: Don\’t let the pile get messy and all over the place. The woodpile should be clean, tidy and secured from bugs. Don\’t also let it become exposed to the elements, keeping it near your house will be detrimental to you, so don\’t try it.

The perfect pile should be at least 30ft from your home on a supporting bricklayer, and regularly rotated and checked for bugs monthly as the case may be.

• Always check your firewood: Regular firewood check is necessary, always look for bugs, whenever you rotate, and restock before use. This will let you see if there are bugs present.

Always check for nests, droppings, or invisible bugs on the wood, before any wood is brought to your home always check for signs of pest problem. You can do the following to check for bugs in firewood:

a) Visually examine each log

b) Shake the log for pest

c) Check for rodent droppings

d) Check cracks within each wood piece for bugs

e) See any visible pest on the log

f) Shake wood pieces together to loosen and disturb bugs present

Don\’t do this –

• Spray your firewood with pesticides: This can\’t kill pest that had burrowed into the wood, rather they release harmful chemicals in your home when the wood is burned. Always remember this point of not spraying pesticides on your firewood, it will be detrimental to you and your pet.

• Buy your firewood non-locally: When you buy your firewood locally, there is every possibility of reducing the chance of introducing invasive species to new area.

• Never store firewood indoors: Don\’t ever try to store firewood indoors, weather in the home, basement or garage. Insects could creep in your home and they can emerge to take up residence within the structure, the firewood pile can harbour the insects. It’s not advisable to pile firewood in indoors.

How to naturally get rid of bugs in wood

If you have bugs in your wood, there are natural processes you can use to get rid of them. Try a few of the processes and see how it works, there is no ultimate solution, if one method does not work, then try a combination of methods for effective results. Some of these methods are designed to kill bugs in wood while some are also designed for keeping pests out. The methods are:

• Freeze the wood: You can freeze the affected wood piece to kill off most of the bugs present in it. Wrap the log with a cloth to keep it from breaking into pieces and then place the entire log into a freezer. It should be kept there for at least 3 days, a commercial freezer is recommended to carry out the task, cooler with ice.

Please don\’t use your personal fridge as the bugs may likely contaminate your food.

• Heating the wood: This method kills bugs by overheating them in the sun. The log that has bug should be wrapped up with cloth, place the entire log in the sun on a sunny day. The log will become very hot in due time and kill the bug in it.

You need to make sure you cover the entire log so the bugs won\’t escape the man-made greenhouse you created.

If you can diligently follow these steps, definitely getting rid of these bugs in your firewood can\’t be a problem.