Termites in Firewood: The Storage Mistakes That Invite Them Toward Your House

Picture the classic setup: a neat stack of split logs running along the side of the house, tucked under the eaves where it stays dry, right by the back door so you don't have to walk far on a cold night. It looks tidy. It looks sensible. It is, from a termite's perspective, close to a gift.

Here's the thing most articles about termites in firewood get slightly wrong. They focus on whether the log you carry inside might release termites into your living room — which is the least likely part of the whole scenario. The real problem is the pile itself: a large, permanent supply of untreated wood sitting in soil contact, directly against the one structure you actually care about.

Let's sort out what genuinely matters — the mistakes that turn a woodpile into an invitation, how to store wood so it doesn't, and one thing you should absolutely never do to firewood.

Quick Answer: The Truth About Firewood and Termites

Will a log I carry inside infest my house?

Unlikely on its own. Termites in a single log usually die without soil contact and rarely establish a new colony indoors before the wood is burned.

So what's the actual risk?

The pile. A woodpile against the house gives a soil-dwelling colony food, shelter, and a direct bridge to your foundation and siding.

How far away should I stack it?

At least 20 feet from the structure, and raised off the ground — never against the wall or under the deck.

Should I spray the woodpile?

Never. Firewood gets burned, and treated wood releases hazardous fumes. Storage is the fix, not pesticide.

What if a colony already moved in?

Move the pile, then have the structure inspected. Call Termike at (888) 683-3592.

Why You Can Trust Termike Pest Control

License: California Structural Pest Control Board — License PR8832 (Branch 2 & 3 certified)

Membership: National Pest Management Association (NPMA)

Experience: 20+ years serving Orange County, LA County, Riverside & San Bernardino County

Perimeter Focus: We assess the conducive conditions around your home — woodpiles, storage, and soil contact — not just the structure itself

Straight Advice: We'll tell you when the fix is free (move the pile) rather than selling you a treatment you don't need

The Log You Carry In vs. the Pile Outside

It's worth separating these two scenarios clearly, because they carry very different levels of risk.

The Single Log Indoors: Low Risk

If you bring in an armload of wood and one piece happens to contain termites, what usually follows is anticlimactic. Subterranean termites — the most common occupants of a woodpile — can't survive long without soil contact and the moisture it provides. Isolated in a warm, dry living room and burned within a day or two, they simply don't get the chance to establish anything. That's why panic about termites in firewood coming indoors is mostly misplaced.

The Pile Outside: The Real Concern

The woodpile is a completely different matter. It's a large, sustained food source sitting in or near soil, holding moisture underneath, and offering exactly the dark, undisturbed conditions a colony wants. The UC Integrated Pest Management Program identifies stored wood and wood-to-soil contact near structures as conducive conditions for subterranean termites. A colony that establishes in your woodpile is a colony established a few feet from your foundation — and that proximity is the whole problem. Termike's guide on subterranean termites in the yard covers how outdoor colonies work their way toward a house.

The Storage Mistakes That Cause the Problem

Almost every firewood-related termite issue traces back to one of these six habits. They're all common, and they're all fixable this weekend.

1.     Stacking against the house. The single worst mistake. Wood touching siding or foundation gives termites a covered, hidden path from the pile straight into your structure — no mud tubes required, and nothing visible from outside

2.     Stacking directly on bare soil. Ground contact is what lets a soil-dwelling colony reach the wood in the first place. The bottom layer becomes damp, stays damp, and becomes colony habitat

3.     Storing it under the deck. This combines every risk factor — soil contact, permanent shade, trapped moisture, and a direct wood pathway to the structure through the deck framing. Termike's guide on termites in a deck explains why that route matters

4.     Tarping it to the ground. A tarp wrapped down over the sides traps moisture instead of shedding it, turning the pile into a humid chamber. Cover the top only

5.     Keeping a large indoor stack. A few logs by the fireplace is fine. A permanent indoor reserve of a week or more, especially in a garage against framing, defeats the point of storing wood outside

6.     Never rotating the pile. Wood at the bottom that has sat untouched for years is the most likely to be colonized. First in, first burned

How to Store Firewood the Right Way

The fix for termites in firewood costs nothing but an afternoon. These are the rules worth following:

•       Keep it at least 20 feet from the structure. Distance is your most effective tool. Farther is better; against the wall is worst

•       Raise it off the ground. Use a metal rack, concrete blocks, or a pallet on blocks to keep the bottom layer several inches clear of soil. This one change removes most of the risk

•       Cover the top, leave the sides open. Shed rain off the top while letting air move through the stack so it dries rather than sweats

•       Bring in only what you'll burn. A day or two of wood at a time, not a week's supply stacked against an interior wall

•       Burn the oldest wood first. Rotating the pile prevents any section from sitting long enough to become established habitat

•       Inspect before you carry it in. Give logs a quick look for mud tubes, galleries, or live insects — and knock off loose soil outside rather than indoors

•       Keep the area underneath clear. Rake out bark, chips, and debris where the pile sat; that litter is food and cover on its own

One Thing You Should Never Do: Treat Firewood

This deserves its own section because the instinct is understandable and the consequence is serious. If you find termites in firewood, do not spray, soak, or otherwise treat the pile with pesticide.

The reason is simple: firewood gets burned. Chemically treated wood releases hazardous compounds into the air when it combusts — into your home through the fireplace, and into the air your neighbors breathe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises burning only clean, dry, untreated wood and specifically warns against burning treated or chemically contaminated wood. This isn't a minor precaution — it's the reason no pest professional will ever recommend treating a woodpile you intend to burn.

The correct response is entirely non-chemical: move the pile away from the structure, raise it off the soil, and burn the affected wood normally. Fire resolves the termites in that wood completely. What needs professional attention isn't the woodpile — it's whether the colony has already moved into your house.

What to Do If You Find Termites in the Woodpile

Finding activity when you restack isn't a crisis, but it does warrant a specific sequence:

7.     Note what you're seeing. Mud tubes and pale, soft-bodied workers indicate subterranean termites; small six-sided pellets indicate drywood. Termike's warning signs of termites guide helps with identification

8.     Relocate the pile immediately. Move it well away from the structure and get it up off the soil. Don't restack it in the same place

9.     Burn the affected wood first. It solves that wood entirely, at no cost and with no chemicals

10.  Check the ground where the pile sat. Look for mud tubes, tunneling, or damp tunneled soil — evidence the colony was established in the ground, not just the wood

11.  Inspect the structure. This is the step that actually matters. If a colony was living against your house, the real question is whether it also found the house. Look for mud tubes on the foundation and get a professional inspection

That last point is the whole reason this topic is worth taking seriously. The woodpile is replaceable and the wood is going to be burned anyway. Your framing isn't. A colony that spent a couple of years in a pile stacked against the siding may well have found its way into the structure, and that's what a licensed inspection is for. Termike's drywood termite prevention guidance covers the broader perimeter habits that keep this from recurring.

The Bottom Line

Termites in firewood are far less about the log in your arms than the pile beside your wall. Move it twenty feet out, get it off the soil, cover only the top, burn the oldest first — and never, ever treat wood you plan to burn. Then, if that pile has been sitting against the house for a season or two, have the structure checked. The wood is expendable; the house is the thing worth protecting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Termites In Firewood

Q: Can termites in firewood infest my house when I bring logs inside?

A: It's unlikely from a single log. Subterranean termites, the most common woodpile occupants, can't survive long without soil contact and the moisture it provides, so a piece of wood brought into a warm dry room and burned within a day or two rarely leads to anything. The genuine risk isn't the log you carry in — it's the pile stored outside against your structure, which gives a colony food, shelter, and a bridge to your foundation.

Q: How far from the house should I store firewood?

A: At least 20 feet from the structure, and raised several inches off the ground on a metal rack, concrete blocks, or a pallet on blocks. Distance and elevation are the two most effective controls. Cover only the top so rain sheds off while air still moves through the stack, keep the pile out from under decks and overhangs, and burn the oldest wood first so no section sits long enough to become established habitat.

Q: Should I spray my firewood with insecticide to kill termites?

A: No — never treat wood you intend to burn. Chemically treated wood releases hazardous compounds when it combusts, both into your home through the fireplace and into the outdoor air. The EPA advises burning only clean, dry, untreated wood. The correct response is non-chemical: move the pile away from the structure, raise it off the soil, and burn the affected wood normally, which resolves the termites in that wood completely.

Q: I found termites in my woodpile — is my house at risk?

A: Possibly, and that's the part worth checking. The wood itself is expendable since it will be burned, but a colony living in a pile stacked against your siding may also have found its way into the structure. Relocate the pile, burn the affected wood, then examine the ground where it sat and your foundation for mud tubes. A professional inspection of the structure is the step that actually answers the question. Call Termike at (888) 683-3592.

Woodpile Been Against the House for Years? Get a Perimeter Check

If a pile has sat beside your foundation for a while, the question isn't just the wood — it's whether a colony has already moved from it into your structure. Termike's free inspection checks the perimeter, foundation, and framing and tells you exactly where you stand.

Call: (888) 683-3592

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