3 Tips for a Cozy, Pest-Free Fire

Published on December 20, 2011

Effective and eco-friendly Portland pest control includes practices you may not be used to, like keeping your woodpile in an area away from your home or extending residential pest control practices past the doors of your home. Because unwanted insects can easily enter your home via your firewood, it’s important to take pest management into your own hands so you can stay cozy throughout the winter months without introducing an infestation into your house.

Here are three tips for enjoying a safe and pest-free fire this winter:

1. Bring in firewood only as needed.  

It’s tough to resist the temptation to bring in extra firewood, especially when nature is at its worst. However, this makes for poor pest management, as firewood might contain pests that are dormant in the cold winter weather. As soon as you bring your firewood inside, the warmth of your home can trick pests into thinking it’s springtime –time to wake up and eat.

2. Burn the oldest logs first.  

As wood dries, it becomes more susceptible to infestations because most pests avoid fresh, moist wood. An easy residential pest control practice is to rotate your woodpile so it’s simple to access the oldest logs first.

3. Avoid the temptation to spray pesticides.

Contrary to popular belief, effective pest management rarely includes the use of toxic pesticides. If you happen to find an infestation in your woodpile, don’t spray it. The chemicals in the pesticides may cause a toxic chemical reaction when you burn the wood. Instead, call a Portland pest control company to help you safely evict the unwanted invaders.

[ Photo by: Jo Bourne, on Flickr, via CC License ]