Is Your Backyard Fire Pit Attracting Unwanted Pests?

Gathering around a cozy fire on a cool, fall evening is the perfect way to enjoy quality time with loved ones. Unfortunately, having a fire pit in your yard can also attract unwanted pests, from rodents and ants to mosquitoes and termite swarmers. Thankfully, there are some preventative measures that you can take so that you can enjoy roasting marshmallows this season without the pests.

Keeping Your Fire Pit Pest Free With Tips From Our Local Exterminators

Keep the Area Clean

Whether you enjoy making s’mores or having a festive beverage fireside, make sure to clean up your crumbs and other trash that could attract pests once the flames die down. Before heading indoors, make sure to cover your fire pit to keep rainwater from collecting inside, creating the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Properly Store Firewood

We aren’t the only ones who love a cozy fire – termite swarmers and carpenter ants are native wood-destroying pests who enjoy eating the cellulose found in firewood. However, other pests, such as rodents and snakes, will likely find shelter underneath piles of wood. To prevent a pest infestation, do not keep any fire logs inside your home or garage. Make sure to store all firewood at least 20 feet away from your home. Ideally, firewood should be stored up off of the ground at the same distance.

Regularly Check for Rotten Logs

Even when the temperature drops, southern states typically still experience heavy humidity. It is crucial to cover your firewood and rotate any old wood to keep it from rotting, as this is a favorite of termites. When building a fire, make sure to use older wood first. Regularly check for rotted wood to properly dispose of it or scrape off the affected parts. Research shows that termites, especially the Eastern Subterranean species, can and will eat burnt wood, although wet wood is preferred. That being said, you should take care to clean up even charred log remnants from your fire pits.

Frequently Use Your Fire Pit

Regularly building a fire in your backyard pit not only gives you ample time to spend with friends and family but will also help prevent a resulting pest infestation. It will discourage pests from taking residence there and help you use your wood faster, making it less likely that the logs will rot. Our local exterminators also encourage you to use wet wood, as this will help keep rotten wood from piling up and produce more smoke. The scent of smoke is a natural pest repellent that helps deter flying insects such as blood-sucking mosquitoes away.

Call Local Pest Control Services If You Suspect an Infestation

Outdoor fires oftentimes attract unwanted pests, therefore, we may be unintentionally encouraging them to pay a visit to our homes. If you suspect that you have a pest infestation, especially if you notice signs of termites, you should contact your local pest control company right away.

If you do not currently have a termite protection plan on your house, contact us today for a free termite inspection. We look forward to serving you and protecting your health and property. If you have any questions regarding termite control or termite protection please call one of our eight Palmetto Exterminators pest control locations to assist you with residential pest control services.