putting bug repellants on wood pile

[iceman]

everyone says no like most say no to burning pine.....
but what does ant dust...or some other stuff do to wood that hurts its output or your stove.....
if your wood sits for 6 months or more won't it rinse away or eventually break down.... most stuff says it will work for like 4 months so if you burn later than that whats the problem...... just thinking about all the bugs in my pile today

 

[begreen]

Use borax. Keep the chemicals for your plastics factory .

 

[Highbeam]

I sprayed 2 gallons of mixed bug killer (diazanon substitute) all over everything last week to kill anything that may be small. Including my woodpile. Why on earth would it hurt anything? If I would spray it on my porch and around my home's foundation then I can't see a problem with the splits.

 

[savageactor7]

For over 30 years I've burned ash,elm, maple, poplar, and willow plus some larger sized scrub brush +4" diameter species unk. And even though when I split it and there's ants and bugs in there by the time it seasons and I bring it in the house for the winter...I've never had a bug problem.

We stack 5 days worth of wood in our indoor wood holder, 5ft from the fire, and there's never been a bug problem.

Now I'm not say'en there not in there...somewhere...they may be hibernating I dunno, but they don't come out on the carpet/floor etc. I still have wood put up since early may and there's no bugs.

I'm no great thinker or expert on bugs but in my experience here in CNY bugs are not a problem with dried seasoned split wood brought into the house to burn...your mileage may vary in different locations.

I'm thinking you'll be OK without spraying the wood pile. You'll see all kinds of neat things in wood piles like ferrets and possums...they're kind of cool to check out...you'd really enjoy it I don't know if I'd want to spray the wood pile after seeing them.

 

[termv]

You could use diatomaceous earth to mechanically kill bugs. Get food grade DE because the stuff for pool filters etc... has chemicals in it. I use the stuff all over the property and even on my German Shepherd's beds and sometimes on her if I suspect she picked up a flea. I sprinkle it on the carpet a day before I run the vacuum in the summer when fleas are at their worst and I still havent had any. Spread around the base of apple trees it keeps ants and other bugs from climbing up to the fruit. As with any powder don't breathe the stuff and use a tiny bit when putting on carpets as it can burn the motor of the vacuum because the bag can't filter all of it. The stuff really dries out skin. Also, if you can't see it, apply more because it is a mechanical killer.

 

[iceman]

You could use diatomaceous earth to mechanically kill bugs. Get food grade DE because the stuff for pool filters etc... has chemicals in it. I use the stuff all over the property and even on my German Shepherd's beds and sometimes on her if I suspect she picked up a flea. I sprinkle it on the carpet a day before I run the vacuum in the summer when fleas are at their worst and I still havent had any. Spread around the base of apple trees it keeps ants and other bugs from climbing up to the fruit. As with any powder don't breathe the stuff and use a tiny bit when putting on carpets as it can burn the motor of the vacuum because the bag can't filter all of it. The stuff really dries out skin. Also, if you can't see it, apply more because it is a mechanical killer.

where do you get food grade from?

 

[dsil]

Go ahead, keep spraying poison everywhere...Hey everyone, where did all the bees go?? Why aren't there many birds around my yard anymore?

 

[termv]

You can buy it online at http://www.earthworkshealth.com they also carry the duster if you are planning on coating the pile. I usually just put a ring around the pile to confine the bugs in it and burn them when they are hibernating in the wood(if they stay in the wood and not the ground).
You might also try local grain mills. Some use it on stored grain to keep bugs out.

 

[jebatty]

Few bugs can live in a sterile environment, and dry wood is essentially sterile. Some, like spiders, might be on the surface to catch errant travelers. Bugs, especially borers, like the cambium layer of fresh cut wood, that's the alive layer in the tree stem right under the bark. But once that dries, which splitting speeds, they die too.

Our wood box holds 3-5 days of wood during winter. We fill it and never have a bug problem in the living room, where the wood box is. We only burn wood seasoned 2-3 full summers.

 

[lugoismad]

I spray malathion on my wood pile. As I stacked it, every few layers I'd put down a light mist. Then I sprayed around the perimeter.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Few bugs can live in a sterile environment, and dry wood is essentially sterile.

"Sanitary" may be more accurate than "sterile". I know- I'm picky- but I used to do lots of home brewing and I had to take a biological safety course once.

I'm with Savage- they generally don't cause issues when it's dry.

Diatomaceaous earth is a "non chemical" method that's harmless and pretty effective as well.

 

[carbon neutral]

I have thought about using chemicals on my wood pile but then I thought about what happens to those chemicals when they are heated up in the fire? Are the gases that are produced safe? Some of those gases are going into the house and the air my children will be breathing. Because I don't know what the chemicals will do in a fire I have never used them on my wood. I agree that the wood when dried has very few bugs in it, wood that is left on the ground will be loaded with them. Cut, split, stack on pallets, and cover your wood as soon as possible after you cut down a tree and the problem of bugs will be minimized.

 

[LONDONDERRY]

everyone says no like most say no to burning pine.....
but what does ant dust...or some other stuff do to wood that hurts its output or your stove.....
if your wood sits for 6 months or more won't it rinse away or eventually break down.... most stuff says it will work for like 4 months so if you burn later than that whats the problem...... just thinking about all the bugs in my pile today

Let me ask you a question first. Would you burn pressure treated wood to heat you home?

The question to ask is not if I should place insect repellants on firewood or not. The question to ask is how hazardous is it to burn chemically treated wood? For your sake and possibly your families, I would consult with the MSDS data sheets of the products you buy. I would not rely on anyone telling me regardless if they work at the store you buy them or anyone on this forum saying ..."ya go for it" unless you read the MSDS or call the manufacture beforehand.


Regards
Frank

 

[Highbeam]

Treated wood is injected with lots and lots of heavy duty toxic chemicals. A dusting of residential strength bug spray on cords of wood is a drop in the bucket. Look at it this way, when spraying for bugs around your home or on your fruit trees has some of the mist ever landed on you? Did you drop dead? People have a lot of chemical phobias and there is a time to get real. You know, used motor oil is known to cause cancer. Have you ever gotten any on your hands? eek!.

I would void my stove warranty for burning treated wood in it. So no.

The bug problem on my woodpile is when the wood is first put up and drying. All the little bugs and such like the green wood. After it is seasoned and stored, the bugs go away all by themselves so no more spray is required.

I am very interested in the DE though. What types of chemicals are added to the common DE from a pool store that might matter?

 

[termv]

it is treated with chemicals but thats all i know. since food grade is so cheap and i have dogs which may eat the higher grass around the piles where i put the de, i dont take the chance.

 

[N/A N/A]

I think with the new stuff thats out now, the EPA has such a tight rope on it that the half life of these chemicals is very short. This is all speculation as I am no chemist, but I bet it decomposes rather quickly the same as most soaps that are used in the home do. So if you spray your wood pile now, the chemicals will have decomposed and changed by the time winter comes. I have battled carpenter ants all my life as they seam to be plentiful and aggressive in my area. I get them in my home every year. All my family and just about everybody I know in this area has this yearly issue. I can remember a time, not all that long ago, that you could buy chemicals that would kill everything (including you) that would come into contact with it. The stuff was nasty but worked very well. Those days are long gone. The stuff out now barley works at all. And after it dries your dog can eat it with no problems. The government keeps close tabs on this stuff and as a matter of fact these companies can only produce a certain type of chemical for a few years then by law it must be changed. Thats why the good chemicals like diazanon can not be found anymore.

 

[LONDONDERRY]

Treated wood is injected with lots and lots of heavy duty toxic chemicals. A dusting of residential strength bug spray on cords of wood is a drop in the bucket. Look at it this way, when spraying for bugs around your home or on your fruit trees has some of the mist ever landed on you? Did you drop dead? People have a lot of chemical phobias and there is a time to get real. You know, used motor oil is known to cause cancer. Have you ever gotten any on your hands? eek!.

I would void my stove warranty for burning treated wood in it. So no.

The bug problem on my woodpile is when the wood is first put up and drying. All the little bugs and such like the green wood. After it is seasoned and stored, the bugs go away all by themselves so no more spray is required.

I am very interested in the DE though. What types of chemicals are added to the common DE from a pool store that might matter?

Treated wood, as well as, new or used motor oil in its current state will not harm you if handled properly However, burning either product causes health issues. Properly applying borax (sodium borate) dust to a firewood pile to ward off insect will not harm you. However, buring it is a different story. In very rare instances will anyone drop dead of being exposed to low concentrations of certain hazardous materials. However, long term exposure, which happens when you treat cords of wood will pose a health issue.


Frank

 

[Adios Pantalones]

it is treated with chemicals but thats all i know. since food grade is so cheap and i have dogs which may eat the higher grass around the piles where i put the de, i dont take the chance.

"food grade" diatomaceous earth doesn't mean that it's not treated with chemicals, as it's not treated any way. It means that it contains lower amounts of crystaline silica- which is an inhalation hazard. That could cause silicosis. Outside application in a few spots... probably not a worry in anyone's lifetime anyway.

The "food grade" stuff is often added to animal feed directly to control pests in dry food (grains), as well as internal parasites- in addition to a bunch of other uses.

There is also "industrial grade", which contains more crystaline silica. Pool filter material, for instance, is "calcined"- which converts the silica to crystaline silica. Since it's going to sit in a filter and not be an inhalation hazard- it's not an issue.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I should add- the pool stuff is not really effective against bugs after calcining, so go for the other stuff.

 

[Wet1]

So what is the proper method of using borax for ant/termite control (both around the house and wood pile)?

 

[LONDONDERRY]

So what is the proper method of using borax for ant/termite control (both around the house and wood pile)?

I don't have it in front of me so I could not tell you, I would suggest reviewing the MSDS sheet. I'm not looking for an argument with you, but using all of these repellants with the manufacture's intent is fine. However it would be ill advised to suggest to someone that its okay to burn these products without doing some research and consult with either the MSDS or manufacture of these products. Maybe I'm wrong about everything and you can burn all the insectides you want with out any health hazards.
There have been lots of incidences with misusing chemical products, after someone said its okay to use it this or that away.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Diatomaceous earth is "non chemical". Burn as much as you want, it's not going to create a hazard.

For borax- I have mixed it 50/50 with confectioner's sugar and left it in bottle caps around the house where I've seen ants. They'll bring it back to the nest. Boric acid is available at the hardware store, and is more potent.

 

[Wet1]

Good info, thanks guys.


LONDONDERRY, I have no interest in dumping a bunch of chemicals on my wood before burning it. But, if I can throw a little boric acid around the house and wood pile and kill remove termites and carpenter ants, I'll certainly give it a try for the preservation of my house.

 

[billb3]

Only time I've had termites ina pile is when I had unsplit rounds on the ground.
They weren't in the whole pile, just the round on the ground.
So, I have no ground contact.
Any infested wood gets disposed of while cutting or splitting. It never goes in the pile.

I've never had any kind of carpenter ants in a pile in the Winter.
All manner of ants searching and hunting during the other three seasons.
I have seen some cup a nest in sheets of plywood for the Winter, but they came from a stump feet away.


I've had some grub type bugs fall out from under the bark while handling.
The ash pan shovel picks them up and throws them in the stove. Never had one crawl back out.
Anything else pretty much dies.

What I want is a way to keep these darned japanese lady bugs out of the house all Winter.
They don't harm anything, but they sure can be annoying just watching them walking around on the wall or ceiling.

I usually scoop them up and toss them outside.
Or crush 'em, they're an introduced invasive species here any way.

 

[RedRanger]

When I bring my 2.0cu.ft tote of firewood into the house I have never seen termites or ants. But almost always, there is a spider or two in there. Cats soon make quick work of them. Spiders don`t bother me at all, they are our friends,always busy killing and eating the ants,crawlies, termites,etc.

Spiders around and in the woodpile are a good thing ;-P