If you've got firewood stored in your yard, you need to make sure it doesn't become a target for pests. You might not realize this, but firewood can quickly become a breeding ground for a wide variety of pests. You might think that since summer is almost here, you don't need to worry about the problem anymore, but that's not the case. As long as you have firewood in your yard, you need to be concerned about pest activity. Here are four steps you should take to keep summer pests out of your wood pile.

Elevate Your Firewood

If you usually store your firewood on the ground, you need change that practice. Keeping your firewood on the ground makes it even easier for pests to gain access to it. You don't need to get elaborate with your storage system. In fact, you can use wood pallets to elevate your firewood. Just make sure there's sufficient space between the ground and your bottom layer of firewood.

Burn Wood in the Proper Order

When it comes to keeping pests out of your firewood, you want to make sure that you burn it in the proper order. Stack your wood in easy-to-access rows so that you can burn the oldest wood first. That way, bugs don't have a chance to burrow into all the wood. As you use your wood, continue to move the stacks forward, and place fresh wood in the back.

Keep Firewood Away from Healthy Trees

If you've got your firewood stored near healthy trees, you need to make some changes quickly. You might not know this, but the bugs that are hiding in your firewood can infest your healthy trees. Unfortunately, once bug infestations can kill even the healthiest of trees. To keep bugs from destroying your healthy trees, always keep your firewood away from them.

Cover Your Firewood to Get It Ready for Winter

Towards the end of summer, you'll probably start bringing in firewood so you can get a head start on your winter preparations. Once you have your winter firewood stacked, cover it with heavy tarps and leave it alone until winter. The tarps will attract the summer sun, and heat up your firewood. The heat will kill any bugs that are hiding in the wood. Your wood will free of bugs that could get carried into your home this winter.

Don't let bugs gain the upper hand on your firewood. Use the tips provided here to stop bugs in their tracks. To learn more, contact a pest control company near you.