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Simple Steps to Pest-Free Decorative Firewood

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Decorative firewood can bring a sense of the outdoors indoors and the look is right on-trend at the moment.  Whether you store firewood inside to fuel your wood burner on cold winter's nights, or choose to arrange it in your fireplace as an aesthetic treat, you want to make sure that it's just the firewood you're bringing into your home. 

Anything decorative you bring in from outside has the potential to carry insects and whilst these hitchhikers don't pose any real threat to you or your furnishings, they are better off living where they belong; outside. Here are some simple ways to make sure your interior décor arrives free of creepy-crawlies.

Quick-dry

The quicker you can dry your firewood, the less inviting it is to insects and other pests that prefer to colonise a damp habitat. Splitting or cutting the wood into smaller sections speeds up the drying process considerably.

Seasonal harvesting

Insects are less active during the colder months of the year. Try to harvest firewood during these times to avoid importing unwanted residents into the house.

Do not spray!

Many people make the mistake of spraying cut wood with pesticides to try to eradicate any critters that might be lurking there. Unfortunately, chemicals usually just drive insects further inside the wood only to emerge unscathed into the warm environment of your home.

Naturally dried items

If you want to enhance your display of decorative firewood with twigs, pine cones, husks or other seedpods, always collect them following a hard frost. This should kill off any active insect life but it's a good idea to give these items a good shake to dislodge any hibernating creatures.

How to be sure your décor is free of freeloaders

There are a number of methods you can use to be absolutely sure you are free of any remaining wildlife when you bring your decorate firewood and other materials inside.

  • If you have a large freezer, place decorative materials in airtight bags and place in the freezer for a couple of days.  Any resident pests should freeze solid and simply tumble out into the bags.  To thaw, put the items on a rack so that they dry out thoroughly – excess moisture can cause mould to form.  
  • If your decorative items are small enough, immersing them in boiling water for a few minutes will kill off any insects still living inside.  Lay on racks to dry thoroughly, turning regularly so that the items dry evenly.

Decorative firewood and other natural items make an attractive addition to a redundant fireplace. Make sure that your interior décor is pest-free using the simple tips given above. Vacuum and dust your display regularly to ensure that spiders and other insects don't take up residence subsequently. For more tips and suggestions, contact companies such as Rouse Hill Firewood.


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