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Firewood naturally attracts various insects including termites, carpenter ants, beetles, and spiders that either lived in the tree or colonize the wood during storage. While you can’t completely eliminate bugs from outdoor wood storage, proper practices minimize infestations and prevent insects from migrating into your home.
Distance from your house provides the most effective protection. Store firewood at least 20-30 feet from your home’s foundation. This discourages insects living in the woodpile from discovering your house as potential habitat. Never stack firewood against your home’s exterior walls, even if it seems convenient—this creates a direct highway for pests to find entry points.
Elevate wood off the ground using pallets, firewood racks, or landscape timbers. Ground contact creates ideal conditions for carpenter ants, termites, and other wood-boring insects. Elevation also improves airflow, reducing moisture that attracts bugs and promotes rot.
Bark harbors many insects and their eggs. As wood seasons, bark naturally loosens and can be removed. While you don’t need to actively debark all your firewood, removing loose bark before bringing wood indoors reduces the bug population you’re carrying into your home.
Only bring indoors what you’ll burn within a day or two. Keep a small indoor wood holder near your fireplace or stove, but limit quantities to minimize any insects that might emerge in the warm indoor environment. Never stockpile large amounts of firewood inside.
Inspect wood before bringing it inside. Look for visible insects, holes, or sawdust trails indicating active infestations. Knock pieces together outside to dislodge hiding bugs. Give wood a quick brush-off before carrying it through your door.
Kiln-dried firewood offers the cleanest option for indoor storage, as the heat treatment kills insects and larvae. While more expensive, it’s worth considering if you’re particularly concerned about pests or need to store wood inside.