critters in your wood pile

[basswidow]

I have been pleased with the wood I scrounged, split, and stacked earlier this spring. Despite all the rain, it's bleached out gray and looks like drift wood. I'm thinking I'll have some great firewood for this season (5 cords) - compared to last years bought wood that was still fairly green. Plus - it didn't cost me a dime!

I got to looking at my wood closer (i've yet to get a meter) and I noticed that only the wood showing has bleached out - and I started turning over all the top pieces to see how they were looking (like flipping pancakes). Turned one flat piece over - only to have a nice snake right by my hand! I'm sure it was harmless - but a surprize. I swung the log at it and it jumped off the top of the stack - right at me, and then slithered under the pallets below. So I guess I'll need to be careful when I move the stack closer to the house and cover it this fall. Not sure what kind of snake it was. You all be careful. I've got a bunch of ground hogs too - that have gone under the pallets and turned the whole row into a condo. And chipmunks.

I have so many sources for wood and not enough time to get it all. I have begun gathering for the following year. I am gonna get about 6 more pickup loads full and start splitting again. Most is cherry , ash, maple. Cherry seems to be the most abundant. It's everywhere. A new housing developement down the road from me is clearing lots like crazy. I get all I can with their blessing. That one site is gonna heat my home for 2 or more years. Another guy cleared a bunch of trees for a bill board site and that wood's been cut and is laying on the ground since early spring. I hope to get all of that too.

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, lots of snakes in my wood. Find them sunning on top and find their molted skin when I take down the pile. Also find all kinds of mouse and squirrel nesting material.

 

[basswidow]

That looks just like the one I put my hand on.

I never thought about yellow jackets either, I bet I've got some bee's in mine too. Didn't think it would be hazardous - other then the wear and tear on my back. Around the first few weeks of september, I guess I'll move the pile up on the front porch, back porch, and garage to get it closer to the stove and out of the weather.

I really enjoy the cutting, splitting, and burning. But the part that sucks the most is all the lifting and moving. Even with wheels, it's still work.

 

[skinnykid]

I have the Chipmunk projects goin on in my wood pile. Was watching 2 of them right before I clicked onto this site.

 

[blades]

Yellow jackets in wood pile xyz queens are the only ones that winter over rest die off here in WI. I just look over the splits a bit and wackem when I find one. As I stage the wood around a bit it doesn't get to far out of hand, but I keep a can of starter or hornet spray handy.

 

[firefighterjake]

4 cats = no critters other than a few bugs who will no doubt help me heat my house this winter . . . they just don't know it yet.

I've had some chippers who thought my wood stacks looked like a great place to play House . . . but my cats showed them the error of their ways . . . unfortunately, since I kind of like the little buggers.

 

[Skier76]

I moved our woodpile this weekend to make room for a shed. I found a garter snake on top...right under the cover. I also found a bunch of salamanders with really small, almost non existent legs and a few decent sized toads. This is up in VT...and we have a stream in our backyard.

 

[johnsopi]

There a ground hog in one of my pile. My Papillon goes nuts trying to find it. It's to big for him to
get but he likes to hunt.