Ants in the woodpile?

[Investmentdude]

I live in Maryland. I am repositioning my woodpile and have noticed a few well developed ant colonies in the woodpile. I mainly have seen small dark ants and did see some ground dwelling red ants. Do I need to worry about them or do something? No carpenter ants. My question is, what bugs in the woodpile do I need to worry about? Cheers!

 

[ericm979]

So far the only bugs I have had in my wood piles have been box elder bugs. Last winter they decided to camp out in a couple of the IBC totes I use for wood. I just have to be careful to knock them all off each piece before I bring wood into the house.

I recently have had good results getting rid of a nest of red ants in a nest by lightly sprinkling diotomaceus earth around the nest. The diatom particles are sharp hard silica that cut up the ants. It's probably not a good thing to breathe though.

 

[DonTee]

I get powder post beetles in my firewood. They especially like the ash. From what I’ve read they come and go before the wood is ready to burn.

Ants are a problem when the wood is wet too, but then they go away when it dries.

I think as long as you dry and store your wood outside the house the bugs aren’t an issue.

I know a guy that gets his wood green in the summer and puts it all in his basement. Then he runs a few big dehumidifiers on high for a few months. I could see bugs being an issue in that situation.

My dad stores his firewood against his barn wall. I’ve always thought that was a bad idea as well.

 

[Simonkenton]

I got a load of hickory. A year later that woodpile was covered with fine powder sawdust. Some kind of bark beetle. I couldn't let that wood sit inside prior to burning, a hassle to use, had tp leave it outside on the porch and burn it one stick at a time.. The wood, the bark, and the poor beetles burned up just fine though.
Since then, I don't mess with hickory any more.

 

[EbS-P]

In have had hornets hibernate in my stacks. Bring it in they warm up and start living life again.

 

[BigJ273]

Buy some pest killer and a sprayer. Spray it down once a month on the ground around the piles. Ants will go away once the moisture dries out of the wood. They want the moisture

 

[cahaak]

When you stack your wood, lightly sprinkle it with borax every few layers. Assuming that you keep your wood covered, this will completely take care of all of the insects as the borax kills them, but no issues burning it. A box of borax is less than $6 at walmart and enough for about 3 cords of wood. You just need a light dusting on the wood, you don't have to go crazy with it.

 

[fbelec]

When you stack your wood, lightly sprinkle it with borax every few layers. Assuming that you keep your wood covered, this will completely take care of all of the insects as the borax kills them, but no issues burning it. A box of borax is less than $6 at walmart and enough for about 3 cords of wood. You just need a light dusting on the wood, you don't have to go crazy with it.

thank you. been trying to figure out what to put on the stack. and the are always under the bark

 

[Woodsplitter67]

No need to really do anything. If your wood is covered and dries any ant will go away. .. powder post Beatles are a non issue.. Id be really apprehensive about spraying or putting stuff in the stacks and then putting it in the stove

 

[stoveliker]

If you have a cat stove, don't spray anything that contains more than C,N,H,O

Borax contains boron and sodium. I don't know if it is known what that does to a cat.