Protect Your Firewood from Home Invading Pests

A subterranean termite found in Central TN - The Bug Man

As we head into winter, many of us look forward to getting cozy in front of a warm fireplace. Unfortunately, if you want to stay prepared to keep warm in the winter, you also have to stay prepared against inevitable pest problems that will develop without proper precautions. We have helped many people around Central TN get rid of pest problems in their house, in the process discovering that their firewood is the source of the problem. The Bug Man is here to teach you how to avoid pest problems caused by poor firewood management—read on to learn!

What Pests Infest Firewood?

Having insects in your firewood isn’t always a big deal. Boxelder bugs, earwigs, moths, some spiders, and more pests will do no more than become an annoyance when they decide to look for shelter in our woodpiles. However, there are a few insects that we have to be on the lookout for, those being:

These insects pose varying degrees of danger to your home. Of course, bees and wasps always come with the threat of stings, and even anaphylaxis in some. However, the first three pests listed can all cause damage to wooden structures, with termites being able to cause thousands of dollars in damage.

How to Keep Pests Out of Your Woodpile

In order to avoid a termite infestation or an outbreak of many other kinds of pests, there are a few precautions you must take. Here are The Bug Man’s best pieces of advice for woodpile pest prevention:

  1. Store firewood away from your house: The further away from your home you stash your firewood, the lesser the chance of a pest infestation. Many people lean their woodpiles against the outside of their home, only to find out that that has caused a pest infestation.
  2. Keep firewood covered and off of the ground: Since insects like termites and carpenter ants live in the soil, keeping your woodpile on the ground leaves destructive pests easy access to your home. Drape a tarp over your pile and keep it elevated however possible.
  3. Choose older wood first and burn it quickly: Older wood is more likely to be hosting pests, but if you take your wood straight to the fire, you shouldn’t have insects making their way out.

Need Pest Control Help this Winter?

If you suspect that your woodpile is causing pests to invade your home, talk to your local pest control program about your issues. The Bug Man’s team is trained to carry out exhaustive property inspections, leaving no stone (or log) unturned in the pursuit of pests. Don’t let pests take over your home this winter—contact us for a free quote today!

The Buzz on Bees and Other Sting Things

The Buzz on Bees

“Killer” bees. Yellowjackets. Wasps. Nests. Allergies. Pain. Do you feel the fear? Honeybee, carpenter bee, bumble bee… How do I tell them apart?“Killer” bees. Yellowjackets. Wasps. Nests. Allergies. Pain. Do you feel the fear?

With warmer weather comes more bug activity, including bees and wasps. In this season, there are many different kinds of stinging insects flying around your home, car and work place. But you may not be able to tell those insects apart–especially if you swat at them fiercely or run away.

Through this blog, we’ll try to teach you a few memorable points about a few of the stinging insects active in your neighborhood. However, this explanation will not be exhaustive. If you’re seeing insect activity, please call us. We’ll come out and identify–as well as try to remove–the wasp nest or beehive from your property.

Carpenter Bee

Though carpenter bees don’t pose a public health threat. They do have the potential to damage wood through the building of their nests. Sounds a lot like termites, huh?

Painting and staining the wood on your house may help prevent carpenter bees because they prefer to nest in untreated wood. However, they will occasionally make themselves at home even in treated wood. If you discover carpenter bees, we will assist you in treating them, and recommend having the holes filled or repaired.

Bumble Bee (not to be confused with Honeybees)

These bees have quite a fuzzy appearance. However, don’t let their apparent softness fool you, because bumble bees can sting more than once. In defending their nest, bumble bees will chase any threatening thing (that means you) a considerable distance.

Dealing with bumble bees can prove tricky because they defend their homes so aggressively and can sting multiple times. Please don’t try to take care of a bumble bee nest on your own. For your own safety, let us help you.

Honeybee

These little buzzers only sting once. That’s good news if you ever come in contact (literally) with one. Unfortunately, a honeybee sting is one of the most painful stings. Like bumble bees, honeybees chase invaders of their nest for a relatively long distance.

Taking care of a honeybee nest is the same as taking care of a bumble bee nest. Consider the safety that comes from a professional pest management company and spare yourself the stinging.  If we find a honeybee nest, we recommend contacting a beekeeper to have them relocate the hive.

Though they can harm you, both the honeybee and bumble bee are beneficial because they help in the process of pollination.

“Killer” Bees

By the way, don’t worry, because “killer” bees aren’t active in Tennessee. However, if you visit Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada or Texas, you would find them there. The name “killer” bee is applied because they attack as a group, which causes more damage to humans. If someone is highly allergic to bee stings and gets attacked multiple times by this species of bee, the person may die of an allergic reaction, if left untreated.

Yellowjacket

Wrapping up today’s little list of sting things is the yellowjacket. Getting stung by a yellowjacket can cause an allergic reaction. Over 500,000 people are sent to the emergency room every year because of stinging pests like these.

Yellowjackets often hang out at BBQs and picnics near the sugary beverages and meaty meals, or by trash cans and recycling bins. Remember to properly dispose of your meats and sweets. Overall, proper trash disposal is very helpful in pest control.

If you suspect yellowjacket activity, call a pest professional.

Those are your bug basics for today. Thanks for reading!