You have purchased and stacked firewood with or without any support, like a boss. What’s next? Just sit back and wait for the winter. What about termite invasion? Have you considered it? When termites are a real threat to houses in Sydney, how your firewood can be immune to termites? Termites always eat wood from inside. The stack of hollow pieces of wood can pose a hazard to kids playing around it. And, after feeding on your firewood in Sydney, these tiny pests will invade your house as well.
So, you have to take it seriously and prevent termite invasion at any cost. Actually, there is hardly any cost involved if you are following some precautionary measures.
What are the signs of termites in firewood?
Termites living in the soil reach a source of food by constructing mud tunnels. You can see these tunnels outside on the surface of the wood. Sometimes, these tunnels are within the logs. However, the main colony is always in the soil and the queen will be there in the main colony. Apart from these tunnels, you can look for other signs as well such as clicking sounds made by termites when disturbed, flying termites, white ants, papery or hollow sound when you strike at one of the logs, and termite droppings.
You are buying firewood in Sydney to keep chill of the cold at bay and at the same time, keep your energy bills down. However, when termites have fed on the entire stack of firewood, you will have to invest in an electric heater which will increase your energy bills.
So, you will have to place your firewood correctly and prevent termites invasion. Here are some tips for you.
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First of all, take a precautionary measure to protect the exterior of your house from this invasion. Always keep firewood outside and away from your house. By doing so, you can almost eliminate the invasion in your house. If firewood is stacked close to your house, termite, insects and even rodents can easily enter your house. They just need a hole, crack or any other opening. There should be a gap of 20 to 30 feet between the exterior of your house and firewood.
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Make sure that the firewood is not touching the ground. Keeping the firewood up off the ground will make it hard for termite or any other insect to access it.
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Always keep your firewood covered. This will keep the firewood dry. Dry firewood burns easily. Apart from that, this will also protect your firewood from pest attack. Moist and decaying wood often attract termites and carpenter ants. So, keep it covered with a durable cover. If you are not resources-deprived, you can build a special shed that will keep the firewood dry and also protect from pest attack.
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When you are bringing firewood inside the house, bring it enough you need to burn. Don’t bring a large stack inside your house. This will give termites and other pests an opportunity to start roaming in the entire house. Your wooden furniture is next after the firewood is completely destroyed by termites. So, avoid keeping plenty of firewood throughout the property.
- After noticing the signs of pest attack, the first thing you would like to do is treating firewood with pesticides. However, this is the worst thing you can do. Pests will burrow further in the firewood. Instead of being effective, application of pesticides will make it worst. And, when you are burning firewood treated with pesticides, this will release harmful chemicals into your house.
- So, be proactive when you buy firewood in Sydney. Keep it off the ground and keep it covered.
