When you’re storing firewood for your fire pit this summer, preventing an insect infestation should be one of your top priorities. After all, there’s nothing more off-putting than starting to pull pieces of wood off your stack of firewood, only to find that the pile is crawling with ants or damaged by termites. The situation can get even worse if you store your firewood indoors, since the insects in your firewood can quickly spread to other parts of your home. Therefore, it is essential to do everything you can to prevent a summer insect infestation. Read on for more information about firewood insect infestations, as well as a few tips on how to keep one from ruining your summer.
Wood Damage from Insect Infestations
There are several types of insects that commonly damage wood: subterranean termites, drywood termites, carpenter ants, and powderpost beetles. In the Atlanta area, termites tend to be the most common, since they prefer warm, wet climates, but powderpost beetles are also a significant threat. No matter what, you don’t want any of these insects to infest your firewood. These insects will eat away at the wood from the inside out, rendering it impossible to stack and much harder to burn. Insects also cause cosmetic damage, which is a problem if you’re trying to give your home or yard a rustic aesthetic by displaying your firewood.
It’s also important to recognize that the insects won’t necessarily stay in your firewood. They don’t discriminate between wood sources, so any wooden item or structure in their general area is in danger. For example, if you’re storing your firewood near the wooden siding of your home, there’s a chance that the insects infesting your firewood pile will soon start eating away at your house as well. If you’re storing your firewood pile in your home, you might end up with damage to your wooden furniture or flooring. Insects can also damage structural components of your home, like wooden posts or beams.
As a result, the problem of an insect infestation goes far beyond the disgust you feel when you find your firewood crawling with insects. An insect infestation can end up being a major financial hit. Obviously, you lose whatever money you spent on the firewood itself, but you also have to pay for an exterminator, as well as repairs to your property. There’s also a chance that the insects will end up damaging a priceless item--something that all the money in the world will never bring back.
Top Three Tips for Preventing an Insect Infestation
Obviously, an insect infestation is a sure-fire way to take the fun out of your summer fire pit experience. In order to avoid the hassle and expense of an insect infestation, here are three helpful tips:
1.Start with kiln-dried firewood.
The best way to ensure that you won’t end up with an insect infestation is to choose firewood for sale, which is guaranteed to be free from insects upon delivery from Cutting Edge Firewood. The same can’t be said for most store-bought firewood. It’s also a good idea to avoid trying to season your own firewood, since it’s common to end up with an insect infestation during the seasoning process. Not only does kiln-dried firewood arrive at your door without any insects, but it’s also more likely to stay that way than the other firewood options. Insects are naturally drawn to moist wood, and the kiln-drying process is significantly more effective for removing all traces of water.
2.Store your firewood on a firewood rack.
Once you get your firewood to your home or yard, the best way to keep insects out of it is to prevent it from collecting moisture. Therefore, if you’re storing your firewood outside, you don’t want it to have direct contact with the ground. At the same time, you also have to worry about summer rain: It can drench your firewood in a matter of minutes, but it will leave behind water droplets that linger for days. A firewood rack is the optimal solution because it keeps your firewood off the ground while also ensuring that it is well-covered and protected from the elements. Plus, a rack keeps your firewood conveniently organized, and it will be a visually appealing addition to your yard.
3. Choose a small firewood box if you’re going away for the summer.
At Cutting Edge Firewood, we encourage you to light your fire pit as often as possible, but if you’re planning to be off on vacation all summer, your fireside gatherings will inevitably be less frequent this season. Therefore, instead of buying firewood in bulk and storing it in your basement or yard--tempting insects to strike--you may want to choose a firewood for sale for each of your summer fires. With only 2.45 cubic feet of wood, plus kindling and fire starters, you’ll end up using the whole box in one evening, so you won’t have to worry as much about an insect infestation while you’re away from your home.
Cutting Edge Firewood is committed to ensuring you have the best possible experience this season. Visit our order page to get your supplies now!