How to Keep Pests From Firewood (4 Easy Steps)

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Shop for Sylo Insecticide here!
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Want to skip ahead?
Introduction: 0:00
How to Prevent Infestation: 0:31
Treating Infested Firewood: 2:45
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Poorly maintained firewood can turn the dream of a warm fireplace into a homeowner’s nightmare. Wood-infesting insects like termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and powderpost beetles can take over piles of seemingly untouched firewood.
The best thing you can do for your firewood, and the rest of your home, is to take measures that will keep it from pests in the first place. Insects like termites or wood boring beetles can see a pile of firewood as an all-you-can-eat buffet, while other pests like rats or mice will see it as a potential nesting site.
Protecting your firewood starts by selecting the proper spot to store it in. Firewood can be a host to many insects and even rodents. If an infestation were to occur, it’s best to keep the firewood as far away from your home as possible. If firewood is kept close to the house, then infestations have the potential to spread indoors. We recommend you pick a spot that’s 20-30ft away from the edge of your home’s foundation. If possible, avoid keeping your firewood against a fence or wall. Keeping your firewood stacked against a wall would hinder air circulation, and the vertical surface can provide insects with access.
The next step is to elevate the location where your firewood will be stored. You want to keep the wood off the ground where pests have easy access. Many households purchase firewood racks for easy and stylish storage, but you can also use materials as simple as palettes to stack your firewood on top of. Even assembling a platform of cinder blocks or bricks can help immensely as you’re trying to keep insects and rodents away from your wood.
Next, you’ll need to get a tarp big enough to cover your firewood. If you’re storing freshly cut firewood, just use enough material to drape over the top and several inches down each side. If you’re storing seasoned firewood that’s ready to be burned, then you can use a tarp to cover all sides.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Can I use pesticides to treat pests inside my firewood,” the general answer is ‘No.’ Do not spray your firewood with pesticides, unless you’re using a product that’s specifically labeled to be applied to firewood that’s ready to burn. If you burn firewood that’s been treated with pesticides, you may release harmful toxins into the air.
To stop most wood-infesting pests from infesting your firewood, use a product like Sylo Insecticide. Sylo Insecticide is an emulsifiable concentrate that’s labeled to treat and repel many pests, including wood-infesting insects like termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, and wood infesting beetles, including powderpost beetles.
If your sole concern is carpenter ants, then we also recommend you use a product like Ficam Insect Bait. Ficam is a ready-to-use granular insecticide that’s weather- and moisture-resistant, making it effective for long-lasting outdoor control.
If you’re looking for non-chemical ways to deal with infested wood, there are several things you can do.
The first is to freeze your firewood. By keeping your firewood below freezing temperatures for at least 3 days, you’ll kill the insects inside the wood. Another method is to heat your firewood just hot enough to kill most insects. On a warm, brightly sunny day, wrap infested wood with a cloth, then seal it in a layer of plastic wrap. Leave the wrapped wood outside, and wait several hours. When the wood has been kept over 140 degrees Fahrenheit for a few hours, then any insects that may be inside the wood would have died. Alternatively, you can also use an oven to ‘bake’ the wood.
If you’re dealing with rodents in the area, we recommend you lay Easy Set Snap Traps along the perimeters of any structures. Easy Set Snap Traps offer secure placement with a quick and efficient kill.
Finally, just because firewood is infested doesn’t mean it can’t be used. You can still burn it outdoors in an open fire pit, or have it mulched. Either process will kill any insects or eggs that may be inside. You don’t have to throw it out, but it’s recommended you do something with it as soon as possible to prevent any infestations from spreading to other pieces or your home.
Click the link to learn more about preventing pests from firewood and shop the professional-grade products featured in this video:
bit.ly/prevent-firewood-pests
Thanks for watching!
#diypestcontrol #solutionspestandlawn #homesteading

[@standardaussie]

Underrated video!
This video has at least the equivalent amount of information that 1.1/2 hours of videos on this subject have and more.
If you come across this, please give it a like.
I don't know the poster, this just needs to be found easier. 👍

[@mikefixx7177]

So I am going to put 2 cords of firewood in my kitchen stove, you got to be kidding

[@OriginalHuchang]

Thank you so much for the information and ideas. This was excellently done.

[@jonfon3452]

Just keeping firewood on a cinder block or a pallet will not prevent termites. You need termite shields on top of blocks

[@colin1235421]

I am hoping to store seasoned wood in sealed plastic containers on my garage floor. I believe I must just make sure the container and wood is not wet before i put it into the container.

[@scentsei8201]

Amazing advices you have here. I have just one question, does it not make condensation if you use a tarp on top? Is it not better to use some kind of elevated piece of thin metal or even plywood to prevent rain on top ? Elevated i mean so there is some space between the Wood and the top, for best airflow.

[@Hi-levels]

Ihave 2.5 tones of oak firewood at home. It's cut already but half is 2 months old others 1 year old. Some has ants.. I ordered Bayer ant trap powder and should i do the borax trap in a bottle? Also i used lime stone dust (extinguished) near my wood stock Place at home. Most of the wood is in terrace fully closed my plastic nylon. How to kill that ant?
Should i buy diatomatic soil

[@farrodread1]

Great information...thank you.

[@solutionspestandlawn]

Glad it was helpful, thanks for watching!

[@coiledsteel8344]

Often in Forrests under Stress, Assume ALL Wood IS Infested Already!

[@885Blackjack]

Thanks for the video. I have access to a lot of Shagbark Hickory. It tends to get really chewed up by all kinds of things outside. I've honestly had the best luck with it in the garage, but I really have to inspect it first. I treat the garage floor first, and that seems to work for me. I don't make my piles very big, because its green and needs to breathe, and I remove as much of the Shagbark as I can. If I spot frass in the garage, which I have, I flat out remove those pieces after identifying all infected ones. Which is easy, you'll see the holes, although some are very tiny and look like pin holes. You can also split pieces for a better look. Discard infected pieces if you're keeping it in the garage. There's always more free wood on Facebook from people cutting trees down in their front and back yards. At least there is in Iowa.

[@Commander_Chief]

Brilliant