There’s nothing more welcoming than a roaring fire – especially now that winter temperatures are upon us, bringing cooler nights and chilly homes. Having a pile of cut firewood ready by the hearth makes a picture worthy scene – but are you sure your firewood isn’t harboring insects that are just waiting for an opportunity to venture around your home?
Calgary Pest Control Experts – One Man and a Lady Bug – advise paying attention to where your firewood is coming from and how it is stored. Insects and Pests are resilient creatures; and for many that means surviving in firewood while it is transported to your home, feeding on the cut wood and burrowing in to the cut logs – only to emerge in the comfort of a warm home. Firewood is host to numerous insects; some less worrisome than others – but the most common pest to live in firewood are Beetles. The Ash Bark Beetle, Pine Beetle, Carpenter Beetle, Termites and Wasps all find refuge and sustenance in healthy trees. Living just under the bark or deeper in the tree’s structure; these pests remain in the wood after the tree has been cut – and can be transported in to a residence unknowingly.
One Man and a Lady Bug is one of Calgary’s leading Pest Control and Extermination services that has many years of experience managing and preventing pest infestations in homes, businesses and landscapes, and offer tips on preventing firewood pests from entering the home. The most important step is to know where you firewood is coming from. This means buying local from a reputable company that harvests trees in your area. The recommendation is to purchase firewood locally so to avoid introducing uncommon pests that may be capable of creating a new infestation. If you’re tempted to haul home some firewood from some distant province – don’t – as you may be bringing home some uninvited guests.
Store your firewood away from your home or business so that any pests hiding in the wood can’t make an easy hop from bark to basement. And always keep firewood dry – as many pests can’t survive in wood that lacks moisture – so keep firewood piles out of damp garages and away from healthy trees in your yard. And if you’re an avid firewood harvester – remember to avoid cutting trees in peak pest season, April to October, but harvest in the winter months when pest activity is minimal.
