Bugs in Firewood: What Comes Inside With the Logs and How to Keep Them Out
Published Updated
By John Stopka, Co-Founder & CEO · Reviewed by John Stopka
It happens every year around this time. The first real cold snap rolls through, somebody in Paducah or Hopkinsville carries an armload of wood in from the porch, sets it by the fireplace, and a day later there are little beetles crawling on the hearth. Or a spider walks out of a split log. Or a couple of ants show up on the kitchen floor and nobody can figure out where they came from.
Firewood is one of the easiest ways to bring bugs into a house in the winter, and most people never think about it. The good news is that most of what comes in on firewood is a nuisance, not a disaster, and a few simple habits keep almost all of it outside where it belongs.
Why firewood brings bugs inside
A stack of wood sitting outside is a little ecosystem. Bark gives cover. The gaps between logs hold moisture. The bottom row touching the ground stays damp and cool. All kinds of insects and spiders move in to spend the winter there because it's sheltered.
When you bring that wood into a warm living room, everything living in it thinks spring just showed up. Insects that were sitting still in the cold wake up and start crawling out, usually in a day or two. That's why the bugs seem to appear out of nowhere a day after you stocked the wood box.
What usually comes in on the logs
Here's what we see most often riding in on firewood around western and south central Kentucky:
- Wood-boring beetles. These are the beetles that lay eggs in dead or dying trees. The larvae tunnel under the bark, and the adults chew their way out. If you see small round or oval holes in the wood and a little sawdust on the floor, that's usually what it is. Most of them want freshly cut or dying wood, not the dry framing and finished wood in your home.
- Carpenter ants. Ants love a woodpile, especially logs that are damp or already soft. A log with a carpenter ant colony in it can let a few of them loose in the house. If you keep seeing large black ants inside in winter, the woodpile is one of the first places to look. More on that on our carpenter ants page.
- Spiders. Woodpiles are full of them. Most of them just wandered in looking for shelter, but you don't want them setting up behind the couch. See our spiders page for the ones that matter around here.
- Stink bugs and lady beetles. These pack themselves into bark cracks to wait out the cold, the same way they pack into your window frames. Warm them up and they start flying around the lamps. Learn more on our stink bugs and Asian lady beetles pages.
- Centipedes, sowbugs and other moisture bugs. These come from the bottom row of the pile, the logs that sat in contact with the dirt.
- Termites. Subterranean termites can work their way into the bottom of a pile that sits on the ground. They don't last long inside a dry house once the log is brought in, but finding them in your woodpile tells you there's an active colony close by, and that's worth paying attention to.
A local fact worth knowing: Kentucky's firewood rules
People ask us whether there are rules about firewood here. Kentucky doesn't have a law against moving firewood on your own private property right now, but the state strongly advises buying wood locally or buying certified heat-treated wood, according to the Don't Move Firewood program.[1][6]
There are rules where a lot of our customers camp, though. Kentucky State Parks, including the ones close to us like Kentucky Dam Village and Lake Barkley, don't allow out-of-state firewood unless it's bundled and certified heat-treated, and if you bring untreated wood bought in Kentucky you're supposed to keep the receipt.[2] If you camp at Mammoth Cave National Park up the road from Bowling Green, the national park rules are even tighter, so call ahead before you load the truck.[5]
The reason is the emerald ash borer and other invasive insects that travel in firewood. The University of Kentucky's Office of the State Entomologist says the emerald ash borer is now spread through much of the state, and it got that far partly by riding in people's wood.[4] The general rule from Don't Move Firewood is to burn wood close to where it was cut.[1] If you need a local seller, Kentucky is part of the Firewood Scout program at firewoodscout.org (opens in a new tab).[3]
How to store firewood so bugs stay outside
You don't need to give up the fireplace. You just need to store the wood the right way:
- Keep the main pile away from the house. About 20 feet out is a good target. Wood stacked against the siding gives ants, spiders and termites a bridge straight to your walls.
- Get it off the ground. Use a rack, pallets or a couple of rails. The bottom row stays drier and is a lot less inviting to termites and moisture bugs.
- Cover the top, leave the sides open. A tarp or a little roof over the top keeps rain off, but open sides let air move through so the wood dries out.
- Burn the oldest wood first. Wood that sits for years gets softer and more attractive to carpenter ants and termites.
- Only bring in what you'll burn that day. This is the big one. Wood that sits by the fireplace for a week has plenty of time to warm up and let everything crawl out.
- Knock it and look at it before it comes in. Tap logs together outside, brush off loose bark and set aside any log that's soft, crumbly or full of ants.
- Don't store wood in the garage or basement long term. Those spaces are warm enough to wake bugs up, and close enough to the living space for them to wander in.
When it's more than a few bugs
A beetle or two on the hearth is normal. A steady stream of ants in January, mud tubes on the foundation near the woodpile, or soft and hollow wood in the deck or porch next to where you stack logs is a different story. That usually means something has moved past the woodpile and into the house.
That's when it makes sense to have one of our techs take a look. We'll check the woodpile, the foundation, the crawl space and the spots where pests usually get in, tell you what we found and walk you through your options. Our year-round pest control service covers the common invaders, our termite control team handles termite problems, and you can compare coverage on our plans page. If you're not sure whether what you found is termites, our guide to the signs of termites in your home is a good place to start.
We serve Paducah, Hopkinsville, Murray, Bowling Green and the towns around them. If something crawled out of your woodpile and you want a second set of eyes on it, we're happy to help.
Questions about bugs in your firewood? Call or text 270-564-8077.
When to call a professional
If ants keep showing up in January, you find mud tubes near the woodpile, or the wood next to the stack is soft and hollow, one of our techs can take a look. We'll check the woodpile, the foundation and the crawl space, tell you what we found and walk you through your options.
Common questions
Can bugs in firewood infest my house?
Most bugs that come in on firewood are a nuisance and won't settle into your home. Wood-boring beetles generally want fresh or dying wood, not dry lumber. Carpenter ants and termites are the two to take seriously, because they point to a colony nearby.
Should I spray my firewood?
We don't recommend treating firewood you plan to burn indoors. Storing it right and only bringing in what you'll burn that day handles most of the problem.
How far from the house should I keep firewood?
About 20 feet is a good rule, up off the ground on a rack or pallets.
Is it OK to keep firewood on the porch?
A small amount you'll burn in a day or two is fine. A big stack against the house for the whole winter gives pests an easy path to your walls.
Can I bring firewood from home when I camp at a Kentucky State Park?
Not if it's from out of state and untreated. Kentucky State Parks allow local Kentucky firewood with a receipt or bundled certified heat-treated wood. Check the park's rules before you go.
Sources
- Don't Move Firewood. "Kentucky." https://www.dontmovefirewood.org/map/kentucky/ (opens in a new tab)
- Kentucky State Parks. "Firewood Policy." https://parks.ky.gov/info/things-to-know/firewood-policy (opens in a new tab)
- Firewood Scout. "Kentucky." https://firewoodscout.org/resources/KY (opens in a new tab)
- University of Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist. "Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Timeline." https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/sites/entomology.ca.uky.edu/files/eab_timeline_0.pdf (opens in a new tab)
- National Park Service. "Camping Regulations - Mammoth Cave National Park." https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/campingregulations.htm (opens in a new tab)
- WKYT. "Good Question: Why do states have strict rules about moving firewood?" (October 9, 2026). https://www.wkyt.com/2026/10/09/good-question-why-do-states-have-strict-rules-about-moving-firewood/ (opens in a new tab)