Is it safe to store wood with minor carpenter ant infestation on concrete near house?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.

erice

Member
Oct 6, 2008
21
Spokane, WA
I cut down a dead black locust. Near the base of the tree there were come carpenter ants in loose damp bark. I have a concrete 'deck' with a concrete wall, under the upper deck. Would it be OK to stack the wood against the concrete wall at least 4 feet from any wood if I carefully remove the punky wood?
 
i would not. Also 10ft away from house is recommended minimum long term stacking. That said, many of us bring smaller stacks of seasoned bug free wood that will be burned this season close to the house.

Usually those ants are only in a small section of locust logs. I'd pull those pieces out and split them very small so the ants have no more home. keep those away from everything else and get them next week when the ants are completely gone
 
I often get wood with carpenter ants. I split and tossed the wood
onto the lawn. The chickens and other birds get a free meal.
A day or two later they are then put into my stacks which are in
the loft of my drive shed. it is all wood and over 100 years old
never in 45 years has any ant damage
Just my nickels worth!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful
Carpenter ants don't attack good wood, they are opportunists. Finding them in your house is a sign you have trouble, they don't create trouble. That said, wood contains many other troublesome pests, both seen and often unseen.

Split and stack in a shed, as far from house is possible. Three years from now, when it's dry and any infestation abandoned, then it's time to move it to the house for burning. Don't ever be stacking fresh-split wood near your house, if you can at all avoid it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: spuldup
If there's any possibility of a wildfire (and yes they go into suburban and urban areas as seen in Santa Rosa and Denver and Lahaina) then storing wood near the house during fire season is a terrible idea.