It can provide attractive shelter. A woodpile gives rodents protected spaces to hide, travel, and sometimes nest.
Rodents need places to hide during the winter because they need to stay out of the cold and away from predators. Firewood is a great place to do that. Firewood doesn’t stack neatly like children’s blocks, and there are all sorts of cavities where rodents can nest inside.
The closer firewood is to your home, the more of a problem this is. You don’t want rodents right next to your house. Mice can squeeze through openings around 1/4 inch wide. That means they can find plenty of ways in through foundations, utility penetrations, siding gaps, garages, and doors or windows with loose seals.
Not every woodpile is going to cause a rodent problem. Where the wood is stored matters a lot. It’s best to keep firewood organized and, whenever possible, away from the foundation of your home. Elevating it can also make the area easier to inspect and less sheltered than a pile sitting directly on soil.
Keep the area around your woodpile completely clear of overgrown weeds and heavy leaf litter. Leaving out food sources like unsecured trash or spilled bird seed only makes the situation worse by giving rodents a permanent reason to stay right next to your house.
If you think you might have a rodent problem, look for droppings, gnawed wood or packaging, nesting material, burrow openings, and repeated movement under or behind the stack. If you find rodents around the woodpile, it’s a good idea to check your house too. It’s worth checking for possible entry points or signs of activity indoors.
If mice are active around or getting into your Metro Detroit property, Mosquito Squad of Metro Detroit can help identify rodent activity and determine an appropriate control approach. Call (844) 630-1030 or request a free quote online.
