I keep some firewood on hand for the patio fire pit. Some of it is pretty old, and there's some new wood on the pile from last fall's tree-cutting. While restacking some of the old wood last week, I noticed a variety of insects in the pile.

I wonder now -- should I spray the pile and/or the area around it with some insecticide periodically?

Do you "treat" your woodpile with anything to keep the wee-beasties from calling it home?

If it were very close to the house, I would. Otherwise, the extent of my actions is to use round-up if I see any poison ivy starting.

I go through 4-6 face cords every season, so my woodpiles usually never sit long enough to develop major issues with pests. I store many face cords (30-40) on a friend's land a few miles out from me and some of those may sit for a few years but being away from any buildings I don't worry about pests there. Anything I discover while moving the firewood is scraped off, and I will throw rotten and/or infested wood back into the woods. If I had firewood close to the house for a long time I'd be tempted to lay down ant and other bug killer, but I would not spray the wood. Removing bark on firewood logs may also limit pests as it minimizes places for them to nest/rest/hide, etc.

I don’t spray my woodpile. I guess I could if I had a hornets nest or such.

It’s usually used during cold months, bugs not much a factor.

I do rotate, use old wood 1st. One doesn’t really want it to punky or on the way to rotten.

My folks kept the wood pile too close to the house. Mice lived in it during the summer. Once winter came, they were close enough to the house to exploit a hole near the foundation to get in the walls.

Getting rid of mice is not fun.

We moved the wood pile further from the house.

I’d want to rack the wood a foot or so off the ground. The occasional opportunity to shake hands with a copperhead doesn’t interest me so I’d also use a hookaroon to take take the wood off the pile. Such is life here in copperhead city. Keeping a mouse catching bucket nearby would be helpful too.

I keep my wood on a covered rack. Didn't stop me from having a resident rat, though. Had a pest control company come out and put down some bait traps. The rat got chased out of the rack when I had the patio pressure washed and sealed. He was jacked up...he was just sitting in the grass stupified. I scooped him into a bucket with a lid and that got thrown in the trash. No more rat.....

quote:

Originally posted by Sportshooter:
I’d want to rack the wood a foot or so off the ground. The occasional opportunity to shake hands with a copperhead...

Oh, golly no! I want no part of finding a snake (or any other critter) in the woodpile. I did build the rack such that the cut wood is a foot or so off the ground. I figure wood on the ground is more subject to quick rot.

I've probably got more wood here than the "patio campfires" will consume in 4-5 years. I definitely don't want it to be a magnet for slimeys or crawleys.

Edit: And no sting-eys, either!