Can Firewood Cause a Termite Infestation?
Australian winters can get pretty cold. And if you have a fireplace in your home, you get to save on heating costs. But have you ever considered that you are putting your property at risk of a pest infestation? A lot of Australian homeowners consider termite infestations to be a threat that they do not have to deal with. But this is not accurate. Not only do termites infest the timber outdoors, but they can also easily make their way into your home if you do not have measures in place to prevent this. Read on if you are worried about termites making their way into your residence via the fireplace.
How do termites breed on your property?
If you have a fireplace, it is likely that you also keep a stock of timber logs to feed the fire. This measure may seem apt during the winter, but it can also pose a range of risks when it comes to termites. First, termites thrive on timber. So when you have a stack of timber logs waiting to be fed into your fireplace, you are inadvertently attracting termites to come feed on this wood. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before the entire colony starts to forage in your logs of wood.
Second, once the termites have identified your timber logs as a source of nutrition, they will inevitably begin to scour for more food around your property. All timber structures and wood accessories on your residence will become at risk of a termite infestation. Hence, not only do you lose the wood intended for your fireplace, but you have to contend with a whole lot more timber damage.
Nevertheless, this does not mean you cannot enjoy a log fire when the temperatures drop. Rather than placing your timber directly on the floor, you should store it above ground. Furthermore, any excess wood that you may have should be stored in an airtight space that cannot be accessed by the termites.
Can you burn your timber even with a potential infestation?
After reading this and checking on your wood, you may be wondering if the timber is still safe for indoor fireplace use with signs of a termite infestation. The answer is yes. As long as the wood is brought in immediately without lingering in any rooms, termites that are inside the timber will be burned by the fire. Thus, they will be unable to form a colony inside your home and reproduce. Regardless, as long as you think there could be termites in your stored timber, it is imperative to seek termite inspection and control services.