Winter is here and cold weather seems to have decided to make itself at home in Oklahoma. There is nothing like a cozy fire on a cold winters night to take the chill off. As you are preparing to keep your hearth fires burning, consider where you stack your wood. What looks like a conveniently placed stack of fuel to you, looks like a strategically positioned welcome mat to a termite. If termite damage was limited to your wood pile, there would be little cause to worry. The concern comes in when the pile is in close proximity to your home and other structures around you. When stacking wood near your home, it allows easy access for termites to invade your home. Because the termites we deal with in Oklahoma are subterranean, the wood does not have to be directly touching your home to cause harm (although it certainly makes it easier for them if it does). To adequately protect your home, and other structures on your property, be sure to stack wood a good 20-30 feet away from the structures you are seeking to protect. Get them off the ground by stacking them on some cinder block, and set them in a place with a decent amount of sunlight. One in five homes in Oklahoma will encounter termites this year, and while stacking your wood away from the home does not guarantee you will not deal with these pests, it does help your odds some. Usually by the time termite damage is noticed in a home it will cause the home owner an average of $3,000.00 of repairs. So take precautions in where you store your wood, and be sure to protect your home with one of our Termite Protection Packages! If you suspect termite damage has already occurred or just don’t know what to look for, give us a call! We would be happy to send one of our licensed technicians out to take a look around.