Two Suggestions To Keep Pests From Your Summer Firewood Pile
Winter is almost over, so the last thing you want to think about is keeping warm in a year's time. However, now is the perfect time to buy firewood because not only will you get it at a discount price from suppliers who want to get rid of their stock, but it also has a whole year to dry out ready for burning next winter. As you haven't invested in a bulk firewood delivery before, it is critical that you prepare a suitable storage spot before your bulk firewood arrives. If you don't, your firewood pile will become the target of a range of different pests. Use these suggestions to prepare your firewood storage area now.
Away from buildings
While a firewood pile stored close to the home means you don't have to travel far in the cold during winter, it also means any pests which take up residence in the firewood are much closer to your home.
Termites, for example, love to tunnel into the dead wood and make colonies. When the firewood is stacked up against your house, this gives termites easy access to move from the firewood and into your door or window frames. Keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres between the firewood pile and your house to keep the termites at bay.
Off the ground
Firewood must be stored off the ground if you are serious about keeping pests out of it. There are plenty of firewood racks you can purchase so the logs can be neatly stacked, and you can find them at your local hardware store. Choose a firewood rack that has a cover so you can keep the rain off it. Not only does wet wood attract pests like ants and termites, but it also does not burn well.
If you don't want to buy a firewood rack, you can make one yourself using old bricks and a piece of plywood. Place two bricks side-by-side on the ground, and then stack another two on top. Measure the width of the piece of plywood you want to use, and arrange the same four brick configuration this distance away from the first set of bricks. Lay the plywood down and stack the firewood on top.
Don't invite pests into your home this summer. Instead, forward plan where you will stack your firewood pile so you can be pest-free over summer and cosy warm the minute the temperatures plummet next winter.