How to Stor Firewood

1. 
   Always, always, always store firewood outdoors, not in a basement, garage or mud room, so that pests will not have a chance to move into the home.
2. Ideally, position the firewood pile 20 feet from the home, away from the side of the house and suspended on poles at least 5 inches from the ground, laid across concrete blocks. Pests will be prevented from moving along an avenue of moisture into the home and the air-dried wood will light more easily and burn more evenly.
3. Treat the firewood like it is a perishable grocery item. Rotate the stock, burning the oldest wood first so that pest populations do not get a long head start.
4. Do not buy, nor chop and transport non-local firewood as invasive pests such as gypsy moths may be dormant in the "foreign" wood. This rule of thumb applies in spades when camping so leave any campground wood behind when you leave. Camp rangers may fine for non-compliance.
5. If pests emerge indoors from firewood, handpick the critters or vacuum them up, using boric acid or diatomaceous earth only if absolutely necessary.
6. Have your chimney professionally cleaned to prevent chimney fires.
7. Sit back, relax and warm your toes before a crackling fire.