Deadly fire wood

[Jake Debski]

Quote MM:<Wish me luck today as I bring in a cord of potential death to feed, by degrees into my stove. Though the bark falls off most pieces after a year.>

Since MM brought it up, sort of, every fall I move firewood into my basement/shop for our woodstove. This year I also moved it right back out again, when I discovered powder post beetles had created a condo complex in my stash.

My question is, has anyone experienced this and how did you deal with storing enough wood for more than a day or two inside ? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Check out the extended adolescence. http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef616.asp Makes a bit of borax on the bottom plate and underneath the wood about all you need, even assuming it's the mating season.

 

[Jake Debski]

Thanks Michael, precisely what I needed. Now I have to bring most of the wood back in. With the temp in the storage area and the length of time it will remain there I doubt it will be a problem. As an added precaution I'll do the borax thing directly above the wood pile and out from it several feet.

 

[Erwin Nistler]

Butternut

Is this the bug that makes the little holes in butternut as soon as the tree dies?

 

[Maia007]

Have heated with wood for a lifetime. I store firewood outside, covered. A dedicated shed is best...and one that will allow free air circulation. I just don't want problems with the insects inside. The risk seems too great for my taste.

For inside, I have a small rack that holds a wheelbarrow or two of wood. That is replenished as needed. Since the wood is moved in one wheelbarrow at a time, regardless of the quantity moved in, the amount of work is equivalent.

 

[Jake Debski]

Have heated with wood for a lifetime. I store firewood outside, covered. A dedicated shed is best...and one that will allow free air circulation. I just don't want problems with the insects inside. The risk seems too great for my taste.

For inside, I have a small rack that holds a wheelbarrow or two of wood. That is replenished as needed. Since the wood is moved in one wheelbarrow at a time, regardless of the quantity moved in, the amount of work is equivalent.

I have in the past(21 yrs.)done the same thing as you describe. But, a couple of snow events and an inopportune illness last heating seasons revealed a flaw in my procedures. I now plan on having at least one work-week's worth of fuel in my basement on any given day. Replenishing what we use every couple of days but maintaining a relatively stable supply.

 

[MichaelMouse]

I have in the past(21 yrs.)done the same thing as you describe. But, a couple of snow events and an inopportune illness last heating seasons revealed a flaw in my procedures. I now plan on having at least one work-week's worth of fuel in my basement on any given day. Replenishing what we use every couple of days but maintaining a relatively stable supply.

I go one step further. Two weeks supply inside; one drying, one using. Near to the pass-through I keep a dry (covered) reserve of about two weeks hard burn. Even when the snow's four feet deep I can shovel in there and load wood. Just added a bucket on the tractor this year, and am unsure if it will allow me to modify my "emergency" stack situation. One thing nice is that our snow events are, like yours, lake effect, which means relatively warmer temperatures when the snow's piling up. The real cold weather comes with clear air.