Anyone use borax or a borax solution around their stacks as a preventative measure against ants, termites, etc. Being 4-5 years out I thought maybe this would be a good idea. I have a sprayer and could mix up a solution or is it better just to sprinkle some around the perimeter and throw some in the cracks around the bottom. I figure it couldn't hurt but if it doesn't do anything I don't feel like wasting my time.
I use any of the commercially available products to keep the carpenter unions away form my stacks. Spectracide is the current product I use. As a matter of fact, I'll scatter it within the stack, as I'm stacking. I stack to about 4-4.5 feet high. At the 2ft height, I'll broadcast it along the length of the stack, ,and again at the top. I've been doing this for years and haven't seen any union shops move in.
We have burned wood over 60 years and have never did anything like that nor have we had any problems. However, if you do not top cover the wood then you might have problems. A simple top cover though is still best and your wood will be better in the end.
I use an ant product as of two weeks ago. I think irbid amrod. I was splitting some beech and maple and had huge piles of carpenter ants falling out. Since I stack near the house, I feel the need to eradicate.
^^^^This, once the wood is split and dry the ants and termites will go. No need to cover here, but yes, covering your wood is ideal, especially in some places.
My wife likes to put out a borax icing sugar mix in between some of our stacks to curb the carpenter ants and I dont mind but once the wood is dry most bugs leave the stacks anyways. Backwoods Savage is correct in my opinion that a simple top covering will help keep things dry during wet weather cycles which in turn will keep the bugs away. In our area we have lots of small ants that enter homes even in the absence of moisture and our go to solution is borax and icing sugar. Cant go wrong with it!
