Termites in firewood

[ctpres]

Any ideas on elemination or prevention? Pile is off ground on concrete blocks. Don't like idea of taking termite infested wood in house. Would like to keep this winters wood rather than burn it outside. Was thinking I could wrap pile in clear plastic and let it heat up in sun-maybe get to hot for them?

 

[roxynoodle]

Any wood I find questionable I leave outside and away from my house til the moment I'm going to throw it on the fire. I am not willing to use a pesticide as I don't want that burning in my house either.

 

[kmdigital]

Yeh, excavate a few inches of dirt under and around the area of your wood pile, get some Termidor and spray the ground and then replace the dirt again. This will kill them for up to 5 years.

 

[EddieWalker]

They need a way to get from the ground to the wood. They will not travel out in the open. With your wood pile elevated, that means they have made tubes, (also called tunnels) from the earth to the wood. Look around closely for any dirt that is built up along the legs or whatever you have supporting the wood. The tubes are there, you just have to find them.

Eliminate the tubes and treat the soil.

Eddie

 

[dirt clod]

What if you set the concrete blocks in buckets with oil,kerosene,water or what ever you have. I think the little critters have to be able to go to the ground to live. around here bait shops do this to keep ants from getting into there cricket boxes.

 

[turnkey4099]

Other than having the occasional termite loose in the house, there is no danger of them establishing themselve. The nest is in the ground nearby and the queens don't travel. Same with carpenter ants.

I, too, when I have infested wood (only once) burned it a chunk or two at a time - off the pile, into the stove.

Harry K

 

[patrick_g]

Before you decide what to do you might want to ID the critter. There are more than one kind of termite in the US.

You got some good mud tunnel advice. This is true but only applies to subterranean termites. Dry wood termites don't make tunnels.

There is more than one kind of termite. Termites are not the only wood destroying critters.

If you don't want to spray the wood then burn it, you can do as was suggested and take it straight to the fire and not store it inside.

Dry-wood termites need no significant moisture source, and mated pairs can fly into buildings and start up a nest in dry wood. You would have to wrap up the wood pile with visqueen or something to exclude dry-wood termites if you won't spray.

Again, know thy enemy! ID the critter before you decide how to deal with him.

Pat

 

[Egon]

Cover the wood pile with plastic and stick a hoze from the exhaust of a gasoline under it.

 

[scott_vt]

Other than having the occasional termite loose in the house, there is no danger of them establishing themselve. The nest is in the ground nearby and the queens don't travel. Same with carpenter ants.

I, too, when I have infested wood (only once) burned it a chunk or two at a time - off the pile, into the stove.

Harry K

Mornin Harry,
I have at times brought in a piece of wood that had some critters in it, and have always found that the critters stay with the wood! And then its into the stove, by the time they figure out whats goin on its too late

 

[ctpres]

Thanks for all the help and info. Will be building a Holz Hausen wood pile this weekend. Supposed to dry wood faster and takes up less space. 2+ cords in 7ft dia circle. Even has a "ready to burn" indicator. Details and pic's next week.