SOS - Mosquitoes in Wood Stove

[Ladystardust]

My husband and I got a wood stove installed last September - we love it and used it all winter. HOWEVER, over the past couple of days, we noticed that there are A LOT of mosquitoes in our house. I’m talking that we’re probably killing around 50 per day. We thought that we were letting them in through the front door when we would walk into the house but… last night, when I was going on my mosquito killing spree, I took a closer look at our wood stove and saw that there are HUNDREDS in the actual stove (sooo gross) No wonder we were killing SO MANY every day!! Has anyone experienced this? How do we get rid of them, and how do we prevent them from coming in through the chimney in the first place? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. We are losing a lot of sleep over this (the constant BUZZING needs to STOP!). Thanks in advance!

 

[bholler]

My husband and I got a wood stove installed last September - we love it and used it all winter. HOWEVER, over the past couple of days, we noticed that there are A LOT of mosquitoes in our house. I’m talking that we’re probably killing around 50 per day. We thought that we were letting them in through the front door when we would walk into the house but… last night, when I was going on my mosquito killing spree, I took a closer look at our wood stove and saw that there are HUNDREDS in the actual stove (sooo gross) No wonder we were killing SO MANY every day!! Has anyone experienced this? How do we get rid of them, and how do we prevent them from coming in through the chimney in the first place? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. We are losing a lot of sleep over this (the constant BUZZING needs to STOP!). Thanks in advance!

Hmmm. That's a new one. My only thought is periodically spraying repellent in the stove but I don't know

 

[begreen]

Indeed, that's a first. Does the stove have a dedicated metal chimney system or is it tied into a masonry chimney?

Maybe try burning a long-lasting citronella candle in the stove?

 

[stoveliker]

Or tape the air inlet shut during the summer (non-heating season)?

 

[armanidog]

I wonder if there is a puddle of water somewhere in the chimney system that provides a breeding area.
Do you have a cap on your chimney?

 

[EbS-P]

what kind of stove do you have? Do you know if it has a single air inlet to tape??

 

[begreen]

I wonder if there is a puddle of water somewhere in the chimney system that provides a breeding area.
Do you have a cap on your chimney?

That's what I was wondering. I could see this happening in a masonry chimney in the ash cleanout, but maybe also at the bottom of an outdoor tee?

 

[bigealta]

candle idea seems easy enough.

 

[brenndatomu]

Boy, never heard of this one before!
I'd wanna light a fire and watch them go "poof"...maybe you could throw a lit SuperCedar in the door quick without letting too many out...that should make enough heat to toast them.
I do like the candle idea though...

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Yeah, I’d light a fire, then look for a puddle that they are breeding in. Odd for sure!

 

[gthomas785]

Get one of these and put it on the top of your chimney in the summer

 

[Woody Stover]

Get one of these and put it on the top of your chimney in the summer
View attachment 312864

I've been capping the top of my liner with something like that, so I don't get warm, humid air in the liner condensing inside the stove, which is cooler due to the AC.

 

[Nevins MHP]

I once cleaned a metal chimney with a few hundred stink bugs in the bottom of the tee. Half had been roasted the previous season. I'm not sure what would attract mosquitos to a chimney. Tiny black flies are a common problem when there is a dead bird, and house flies when there is a dead mammal.
Sweep or have the chimney swept. If there is water pooling anywhere in the chimney system, fix the source. Check the gutters next to the chimney if no water is found pooling in the vents. If you have a chimney chase with a metal cover, it is possible to have ponding in the middle of a chase cover.

 

[SteveKG]

Never head of this one...I'd say that while you are figuring out how they are getting in there, and maybe why, put a few crumpled sheets newspaper in the stove now and then and light them off. But it is weird, hope you figure this out.

 

[Itslay90]

Get one of these and put it on the top of your chimney in the summer
View attachment 312864

Where can I get one of these ?

 

[Woody Stover]

Where can I get one of these ?

Chimney Cap World, right next to Toys R Us.
Seriously, you can use a coffee can lid or the bottom off a gallon plastic jug or whatever, and tape it to the top of the liner to secure it..
What he's pictured there looks to me like some kind of plumbing thing, a vent cap or something? But that would cost money.. 😏

 

[gthomas785]

Where can I get one of these ?

6" fernco cap - Google Search

 

[Itslay90]

T

https://www.google.com/search?q=6"+fernco+cap[/URLthank yiu

http://

6" fernco cap - Google Search

thank you

 

[gthomas785]

T

http://

thank you

Check your chimney size to be sure

 

[brenndatomu]

I'd pop a cheap metal cap on before ordering a rubber plumbing fitting, but hey, whatever works for ya

 

[BillBurns]

My wife came up with this.....we just cover the pipes exit with an old curtain. Lets air flow while its dormant, and if anything should chew thru it,, ill know that something is up. Im done burning for season,, so this was a cheap fix.

 

[SpaceBus]

I would have just put some shopping bags or a balloon in the flue/connector pipe. No need for a ladder.

 

[Split]

Start a fire. What are you waiting for?

 

[makingtrais]

We also have the same problem! 1st before any of you reply - to light a fire ASAP, let me say there is absolutely no way I'm opening that door. Impossible to open, light a fire & not have 100 in the house immediately.
So - the mosquitoes are there, don't know how. But - is there any way that they can get inside the house from there? We have so many INSIDE the house & we've exhausted all the options of - riding in with us going in/out, coming thru screens (haven't opened a window in 5+ days), & any other possible holes. We are wondering about the air intake (ours is in the wall thru to attic). But the attic has R60 (deep) insulation. Back to - can they get inside the house from the woodstove chamber? TIA

 

[begreen]

We also have the same problem! 1st before any of you reply - to light a fire ASAP, let me say there is absolutely no way I'm opening that door. Impossible to open, light a fire & not have 100 in the house immediately.
So - the mosquitoes are there, don't know how. But - is there any way that they can get inside the house from there? We have so many INSIDE the house & we've exhausted all the options of - riding in with us going in/out, coming thru screens (haven't opened a window in 5+ days), & any other possible holes. We are wondering about the air intake (ours is in the wall thru to attic). But the attic has R60 (deep) insulation. Back to - can they get inside the house from the woodstove chamber? TIA

It sounds like water is puddling somewhere. This could be at the bottom of a tee, or in the ash cleanout, depending on the stove hookup. If there is no cap on the chimney then the opportunity for this to happen is high.