Roaches in the woods, are they a concern for firewood

I was cutting up some hickory tops and cut a section that had split when it fell. When the round hit the ground it split open and there where roaches inside. Is there any issue with splitting and stacking this wood on my racks at home or will they leave while its laying in the woods waiting to be split?

 

As far as I know they just hang out in the wood and scatter once you move the splits.

 

I never found roaches in a tree before. I wonder if they were sawyer beetles?


If it were me (no way I’m walking away from hickory ) I’d leave it split in the woods for a few days before bringing it home. Since their home got disturbed maybe they’ll move on. I wouldn’t bring it into the house anytime soon either. If there are any larvae that survive the cold, you definitely don’t want them to hatch inside your home.

 

Split and stack, once dry they leave.

 

In the spring around May, the wood roaches are common, they eat decaying plant matter. And yes, I see the small roaches too every now and then, they mostly just use the word out shelter.

 

"wood roaches" are supposedly of no concern, other that just being a roach, and most people freak out about that.
I've seen a few around, even in dry firewood.

 

The roaches you absolutely do not want are German cockroaches. I don't worry about wood roaches.

 

I found a beetle last night in some hickory we were splitting that looked like that.
As far as roaches, they will be in the stacks sometimes. We just knock them off. Wood is fine.

 

Thank you for all the responses. They seemed to scatter pretty quickly once the sun hit them.

 

just like gremlins

 

Not as many BTU's in German cockroaches?

 

Probably the same but with wood roaches no excreta in the kitchen/food.

 

Ive seen those before. Cant say ive ever seen roaches in wood.

 

How bout gremlins?

 

Had a gremlin in a chain saw once, turns out it was just the Husqvarna!

 

They are a relative of grass roaches. Grass roaches smell like skunks and make people do funny things. Wood roaches not so much.

 

Omg...

 

and this is why I have a dozen chickens under foot while splitting wood. , wood roach , black ants ,grubs and most other bugs are all on the menu and the chickens are smart enough to know the splitter provides for them. I start it up and they run as fast as they can and stay on site long after I'm done. they even return for a few days turning over bark looking for a snack.

 

I split everything in the woods. Load splits in the truck and directly onto the racks when I get home. If I split a carpenter ant nest I'll lay them split side up and the birds in the woods will take care of them when I leave. The chickens at the house know the splitter can mean food but I try not to split at home if I don't have to.