- Nov 27, 2012
- 0
Question:
I have just come across your site while trying to find out some information about a procedure to treat firewood for ants. The situation is this: I have contacted several firewood suppliers in my local area to secure a supply for the upcoming season. To my surprise, two of them told me that they "fumigate" their stored and seasoning hardwoods with white gas (aka Coleman Stove fuel) to kill the insects. I immediately expressed my concern for such activities, both for personal health reasons and for larger environmental reasons.
My question to you is whether this is a commonly accepted practice and whether the activity should be discouraged for the reasons I noted above.
Answer:
I have not heard of this particular practice. Yes, the fumes from such a gas would be harmful to the ants..and the atmosphere, but then again, most all pesticides would also be harmful. It would be my guess that most of the gas would evaporate, leaving little danger to the firewood purchaser.
Properly stored and seasonsed, there is often not a big problems with ants. If the wood is kept off the ground and dry, ants are not happy. Also, they do not like the excess heat that is sometime generated when wood is drying.
I'm sure that a proper woodpile and/or wood shed will eliminate a lot of the potential problems once the wood gets to you.
I have just come across your site while trying to find out some information about a procedure to treat firewood for ants. The situation is this: I have contacted several firewood suppliers in my local area to secure a supply for the upcoming season. To my surprise, two of them told me that they "fumigate" their stored and seasoning hardwoods with white gas (aka Coleman Stove fuel) to kill the insects. I immediately expressed my concern for such activities, both for personal health reasons and for larger environmental reasons.
My question to you is whether this is a commonly accepted practice and whether the activity should be discouraged for the reasons I noted above.
Answer:
I have not heard of this particular practice. Yes, the fumes from such a gas would be harmful to the ants..and the atmosphere, but then again, most all pesticides would also be harmful. It would be my guess that most of the gas would evaporate, leaving little danger to the firewood purchaser.
Properly stored and seasonsed, there is often not a big problems with ants. If the wood is kept off the ground and dry, ants are not happy. Also, they do not like the excess heat that is sometime generated when wood is drying.
I'm sure that a proper woodpile and/or wood shed will eliminate a lot of the potential problems once the wood gets to you.
