Firewood and tarps and bugs

[dodge man]

I burn around a cord of wood a year and usually have a chord drying. I store it on a large concrete area that used to be a kennel.

Is it a good idea to tarp it? I can see where that would help keep the rain off but also keep the sun off and hold moisture in.

I get bugs in the wood. Sometimes terminates but always powder post beatles and roaches. Is a good idea to spray for them or is it a waste of time or even a bad idea burning the wood with residual on it?

 

[MossRoad]

I keep mine covered on top and over the edge a bit, but open to the air. As for bugs, spray it and especially around the bottom and the pad. You don't want to be bringing bugs into the house. I find it pretty effective to spray the ground before I build my pile, then around then edge of the pile once or twice a year.

 

[/pine]

A metal roofing lid and skirt at the top is all I use...a tarp is like an ant magnet IMO...

 

[RNeumann]

I keep mine covered on top and over the edge a bit, but open to the air. As for bugs, spray it and especially around the bottom and the pad. You don't want to be bringing bugs into the house. I find it pretty effective to spray the ground before I build my pile, then around then edge of the pile once or twice a year.

Yep this is the best. A full tarping just creates mold. Second the bug spray too!

 

[Einthewoods]

I keep mine covered on top and over the edge a bit, but open to the air. As for bugs, spray it and especially around the bottom and the pad. You don't want to be bringing bugs into the house. I find it pretty effective to spray the ground before I build my pile, then around then edge of the pile once or twice a year.

I tarp mine the same with half filled milk jugs hanging from the tarp to keep it snug.

I've never noticed a problem with bugs. There certainly are some (spiders mainly), but nothing I have worried about. Snakes though....different situation. They love the heat under the tarp and I think love even more watching me jump five feet in the air when I notice my hand next to them moving logs. Dang snakes.

This past summer I was stacking split wood in my woodshed and found out the hard way that wasps had built a nest in the previous years stack. Ouch. Lit me up pretty good. My wife quickly checked the home insurance as she saw me prepping for war with them. The might have won the first battle but they had no chance in the war.

 

[jbrumberg]

I got tired of replacing expensive tarps covering the top of my woodpile and tried replacing the tarps with cheaper 4mil translucent plastic and found that the 4mil plastic really breaks down far faster than the tarps and is just as difficult to get rid of. I have my wood on treated 2"X10"X8' boards resting on cinderblocks. I do not have problems with bugs. I have lots of snakes and mice living in the pile.

I am going the metal roofing route this Spring.

 

[tcreeley]

I leave it uncovered for a year - open to sun, rain, snow. In September of the burning year I cover it to keep rain and snow off. The sides and ends are open and with the wind - the added rain moisture is gone by the time it hits the stove. The only bugs that I worry about are carpenter ants. I rarely get them and if I see the traces- that piece goes straight into the stove or stays outside until it does. Carpenter ants will come already in the firewood.
As for bugs and critters - I don't get any.

I'll use the same tarp year after year - then I put it into the dumpster, I get the tarps at discount places. Usually use them for something else first. I'll nail the tarp to the firewood sometimes - maybe 4,5 nails per 20'. I use scrap nailing gun nails that bend over easily. I twist them out before throwing the wood into the stove to keep them out of the ashes and away from any tires that may travel over the ashes down the road,

 

[CareForLand]

I would go with the metal roofing route if you can. Maybe also think about moving it to another covered space on your property if you have one. I like to leave my wood in this open metal barn type structure I have and do not like using any chemical bug sprays on it. What are the best natural bug sprays to use if you have to deal with that problem?

 

[dragoneggs]

I have always been fortunate in that I had covered area off the basement or used reclaimed metal roofing for a crude shed. I like dry ground under and all around and still used 2x4s to elevate for best circulation. Spiders coming in for the ride has always been my biggest bane. No real issues with mice as they seem to scurry away before I pull the wood, but a couple times will pulling wood, I have jumped a foot in the air when a bat came flying at my face. Apparently they are heavy sleepers. :laughing: First time it happened I thought I was being attacked by an UFO and ran like a little girl. :ashamed:

 

[4570Man]

It wouldn’t be a lot of money to build a metal roof over 2 cords. A roof is way easier to deal with and is better.