Earlier this month our friends over at Triangle Pest Control wrote an article with some great tips on how to keep your home and firewod pest free. We thought since we are right in the middle of firewood season here in North Carolina it would be a great time to share these simple steps with all of you!
Use local, dry firewood
Aside from benefiting the Charlotte economy, shopping local for firewood also decreases your chances of carrying home a non-native insect. Here at Mark’s Firewood we only sell the best seasoned hardwoods that have been dried for at least six months. We also dry our firewood in stacks that are raised off the ground. Our seasoning process ensures the firewood has a very low moisture conent which doesn’t promote the growth of mold or the damp enviroment most pest thrive in.
Store the firewood outdoors
One of the easiest way to reduce your family’s exposure to pests and the dangerous pathogens they carry is through prevention. By stacking firewood several feet away from your home, wood-boring pests won’t stand a chance of finding their way indoors. It’s also a good idea to elevate the firewood to allow for airflow. This reduces the moisture that attracts bugs in the first place. You can use inexpensive concrete blocks, or invest in a more attractive firewood rack.
Burn the oldest wood first
We always encourage our customers to burn the oldest wood first. This will automatically re-organize your firewood stack, making it a less desirable breeding zone. By practicing the first in/first out method, you will effectively eliminate the chances of a problematic infestation. However, prior to bringing any firewood inside, we recommend giving it a good shake. Even though you plan to throw the wood immediately into the fire, there could be a few stragglers that choose to detach themselves rather than being engulfed in flames.
By practicing these three preventative measures, you and your family are likely to have a happy holiday, with pests far from your mind.
We would like to thank Triangle Pest Control for the great pest control tips!
If you would like more information about their services, give them a call today.
