Winter Woodpile Termite Prevention Tips

If you heat your house with wood, by taking a few simple precautions this winter, you can prevent termites from finding their way from your woodpile to your house.

Store Your Wood Away From Your House

The easiest way to keep termites from migrating from your woodpile to your house is to store your wood away from your house. Stacking your wood up right next to your house invites termites to make the short journey from your yummy woodpile to all that yummy wood that makes up your house.

Store your wood 30 to 50 feet away from your home. This distance will ensure that any insects or pests that your woodpile attracts do not also become attracted to your house.

Set Up A Log Rack

The best way to store your wood is on a log rack. You can purchase log racks at your local home improvement store, or you can also build one yourself. If you are interested in building your own log rack, you can follow the step-by-step instructions found here.

Keep Your Log Rack Free Of Termites

Setting up your log rack 30 to 50 feet away from your home is a good way to protect your house from termites. You can also protect your log rack from termites by following the steps below:

• Dig A Trench

Dig a trench at least 6 inches wide and between 4 to 6 inches deep around your log rack. Treat the trench with a termite treatment to create a barrier between your wood and any interested termites. You can purchase a variety of termite treatments at your local home improvement store. This will create a natural barrier between your woodpile and the termites that would like to turn it into their next  home.

• Elevate Your Wood

Make sure the log rack you purchase or build leaves a few inches of breathing room between your wood and the ground. Ideally, it should elevate your wood between 4 to 8 inches off the ground.

This room will allow the wood on your wood rack to dry out. Termites are more attracted to wet wood than to dry wood. They thrive in moist wood environments. Allowing your wood to dry out by keeping it off the ground will make it a little less appealing to termites.

Make Sure The Wood You Cut And Store Is Termite Free

Finally, make sure that the wood you cut is termite free. If the wood is infested with live termites, you will see little clear insects throughout the wood. Termites make paths through the wood that they eat. If you see lots of honeycombs inside of the wood you are chopping, don't risk infecting the rest of your woodpile or house with termites. Just move on to another tree.

Don't invite termites into your house through your woodpile. Be sure to store your wood for your stove or fireplace away from your house. Keep it safe from termites by elevating your wood off the ground with a log rack and dig a small trench around your log rack and treat it with pesticides. These simple steps will keep termites from making their home in your woodpile and traveling into your house. For more termite control tips, check out websites like http://cavanaughspest.com.