How To Deter Rodents Away From Your Woodpile

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Heat is a not a luxury, but a necessity during Ogden’s chilly winters. A roaring fire is a great way to cut down on your energy costs, but it can be frustrating to find that your carefully crafted woodpile has been invaded by mice, rodents, and other pests. Here is our guide on how to deter rodents away from your woodpile this winter:

1. Store wood far away from the house

firewoodAs temperatures begin to plummet, it may be tempting to stash your firewood inside your home or at least near the house to save on long treks through the snow and ice. As tempting as this may be, you need to resist the urge to do so. Mice and other rodents love hanging out in woodpiles, so stashing them near your home gives them an open invitation to come inside.

2. Get it off the ground and keep it covered

A major challenge of storing firewood is keeping it dry. Keeping it dry will reduce the likelihood of it rotting prematurely. It will also ignite more easily once you toss it into your fireplace or woodstove. Another benefit? Dry firewood is less likely to attract pests.

firewood rackStore your firewood high off the ground to let the wood dry out. Place it on a support or firewood holder. Most hardware stores carry special structures specifically designed to lift firewood off the ground. Some scrap pieces of lumber or cinder blocks will also work just fine.

If you can’t do this due to space limitations, make sure the wood is covered with a tarp or another permanent or semi-permanent structure (such as in an enclosed shed) to protect it from the elements and rodents.

3. Rotate the wood

Instead of always reaching for the top log, grab a stack from the bottom of the pile. This will take some work, but it prevents the wood from rotting and attracting rodents and insects. Many people keep adding new logs to an existing pile, creating the perfect home for mice. Remove the logs often and rotate them to keep the pile dry and rodent free.

4. Avoid rodenticides

Using chemicals to kill rodents and bugs will get rid of one problem and create another. Sure, it will kill the pests, but it will also soak into the wood and become a health risk when you burn it. Plus, adding chemicals to a woodpile often causes the pests to burrow deeper. Once the chemicals have dissipated, they’ll be back in full force.

5. Keep visiting

It may be convenient to bring extra wood inside for the fires you plan on building tonight as well as tomorrow but resist the urge to do so. Leaving logs inside your home will increase the likely hood of bringing in ants to crawl around.

woodpileMake multiple trips to the woodpile to eliminate this risk. Keep in mind, every time you stir up the woodpile, you’re stirring up any trespassing critters.

Sure, it takes a little effort to keep the mice and other rodents out of the woodpile, but a little time and energy will save you the cost of hiring an exterminator. 

Need additional help? Visit our Ogden lawn care page for more info!

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Rachel Vogel