Firewood and Termites: How to Store It Safely
A woodpile is a termite buffet with a roof. That's mostly a problem for the woodpile, unless it's stacked against the house, where it becomes a hidden bridge to your framing. Here's what extension entomologists say about termites in firewood, and how to store it so the pile stays a pile.
The short version
Termites in a log you carry inside won't infest your house; Purdue and Iowa State both say so. The risk is the woodpile itself: stacked on the ground and against the house, it feeds a colony at your foundation and hides its route in. Stack firewood off the ground, away from the house, bring in only a day or two's supply, and never treat firewood with insecticide.
On this page
A log inside isn't the problem
People worry about the wrong thing. Purdue Extension entomologist Timothy Gibb says termites brought indoors with firewood won't infest structural wood, and Iowa State Extension agrees that termites coming in with firewood can't start a new nest or damage the house or furniture. They're subterranean insects that depend on moisture and on the colony back in the soil, as Ohio State's extension educators explain.
Other firewood insects are mostly harmless too. Iowa State says carpenter ants carried in have very slim odds of nesting, and beetles, pillbugs and centipedes that wander out of the wood won't harm you or the house. Vacuum them up.
The pile is the problem
Where firewood sits is what matters. Purdue says wood stacked on the ground can become infested with termites, and that infestations often go unnoticed until the wood is moved in summer or fall, when mud tunnels show up on the outside of logs or inside when they're split. Iowa State's point is the one that matters for your house: a woodpile stacked against the house can give termites a route into the structure.
Ohio State University Extension educator Jerry Iles found the same thing on his own land: a tree he cut was mostly hollow and full of termites. His advice is not to stack termite-infested firewood near the house, and to burn termite-damaged wood well away from it. Purdue adds that termites in firewood stored close to the home may justify a termite inspection of the house.
How far, how high, how much
Distances differ by source. These are the numbers extension services give.
| Advice | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Keep firewood away from the house or garage | At least 3 feet | Purdue Extension |
| Some experts' preferred distance for infested wood | 20 to 30 feet | Ohio State University Extension |
| Stack off the ground | On a rack or pallets, with air underneath | Purdue, Iowa State, Ohio State |
| Indoor supply | A day or two's worth at a time | Purdue, Iowa State |
| Insecticide on firewood | None | Purdue, Iowa State |
The farther the better. Three feet keeps the pile off the foundation; 20 feet or more keeps an infested pile's colony away from the house.
Stack it to dry
Dry wood burns better and draws fewer insects. Purdue recommends stacking firewood off the ground whenever possible to speed drying and reduce pest problems, and Ohio State's Iles uses wooden pallets, replacing them as they rot. Stack it so air can move through, as Iles suggests, so the wood dries.
Timing helps too. Purdue suggests cutting wood in mid to late fall, which may make it less attractive to boring beetles that emerge in spring. Iowa State recommends keeping wood outdoors until a day or two before you burn it; cold keeps insects inactive, and they need a couple of days indoors to warm up.
Moving firewood
In Formosan termite country, moving wood is how termites travel. University of Georgia researchers traced metro Atlanta's Formosan colonies to railroad ties from New Orleans, and University of Hawaii Extension says Formosans spread between islands mainly in infested wood. Burn firewood near where it was cut, and don't haul logs or old timbers from a Formosan area into one that doesn't have them. Quarantine rules in some states restrict moving wood from infested areas. See Formosan termite quarantine laws.
Firewood and termites
Do
- Stack firewood at least 3 feet from the house, farther if you can
- Raise it on a rack or pallets
- Bring in only a day or two's supply
- Get an inspection if the pile near the house had termites
Don't
- Stack wood against siding, the foundation or a deck
- Store firewood in a crawlspace or attached garage
- Spray firewood with insecticide
- Move firewood from a Formosan area to a new one
Questions people ask
Can termites in firewood infest my house?
Not from a log you carry inside. Purdue and Iowa State say termites brought in with firewood won't infest the house. The risk is a woodpile against the house, which can feed a colony and give it a route in.
How far from the house should firewood be?
Purdue says at least 3 feet from the house or garage, and Ohio State notes some experts recommend 20 to 30 feet for wood that has termites.
Should I spray firewood for termites?
No. Purdue warns treated firewood can give off harmful fumes when burned, and Iowa State says insecticides on firewood have little benefit.
What should I do with termite-infested firewood?
Move it well away from the house and burn it there, as Ohio State's Jerry Iles suggests, and consider a termite inspection if it was stacked near the house.
Keep reading
Termites in your state
Sources
- Purdue Extension E-67-W: Insects in firewood (Gibb, 2018)
- Iowa State University Extension: Firewood insects (2020)
- Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County: Watch out for termites when cutting firewood (Iles, 2020)
- UGA CAES: Georgia initiative fights ferocious alien termite (2003)
- University of Hawaii CTAHR HSP-2: The Formosan subterranean termite in Hawaii (1999)