If you use a wood burning fireplace, and store firewood on your property, take a few minutes to read this article, as it could save you a lot of trouble and money down the road.
In our state, Georgia, the main species of termite that we encounter is the Eastern Subterranean Termite. These termites have massive underground colonies. They continuously travel around (underground) in search of new food, which in their case is wood, or any other cellulose product. Any piece of wood, whether it be a dead tree, part of a house, a wooden privacy fence, or a piece of firewood, that is in direct or close contact with the ground is MUCH more likely to become invaded by termites than those that are not touching the ground.
Most firewood piles that I have seen at customers homes are in very close proximity to the home, if not right up against it. This season’s firewood can already contain termites upon being delivered to your home. Firewood that is not used up, and sits for an extended period of time, can become moist, soft, and start to decompose. All of these are conducive conditions that can and will greatly increase the chances that your firewood will become invaded by termites.
So what should you do?
- Buy only enough firewood to last one season. Any firewood left over should be burned or disposed of.
- Keep the firewood away from your home. If the firewood does become invaded by termites, you’ll run less of a chance that they (the termites) will find your home.
- Keep the firewood elevated off of the ground. The higher off the ground, the less likely the termites will find it, and the harder they will have to work to get into it. A good alternative to keeping wood on the ground is to keep it on a metal wood rack, or even stacked on pallets, which are elevated off of the ground by cinder blocks.
- Keep firewood covered up. Covering the wood up with a tarp will keep it from getting wet and retaining moisture.
Not only will following these steps keep termites away, but also other insects, rodents, snakes, etc.