Are The Wood Pallets In Your Shed Attracting Termites?

Wood pallets are useful. There are tons of affordable DIY wood pallet furniture ideas you can make and customize, from chairs to bookcases and shoe racks. You can even reuse old pallets for an incredibly easy-to-build pergola. But until you've done all of those DIY projects, you need a place to store spare wood pallets, and a go-to spot is a shed. Have you ever wondered, though, if this might be attracting termites?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes, they might. Termites are small insects that establish colonies inside wood. They don't just live in wood; they eat the cellulose, which damages the material over time. If a termite colony develops in your home, they can severely damage it, making their way through the structure of your house and eating at wooden flooring and furniture. Therefore, it's essential to avoid attracting them in the first place, and that's where wood pallets can be dangerous.

Other types of wood are sometimes treated using chemical preservatives and high pressure, which helps avoid things like mold and insects. This type of treated wood is what you'll typically find in decks, outdoor furniture, and fences. The reason why wood pallets are likely to attract termites is that, oftentimes, they're made of wood that's not treated. To spot different types of treatment, look at stamps. That's a safety check you can't skip before working with wood pallets. Some of them, especially those used for international shipping, might be treated, but those might carry toxic pesticides and should therefore be avoided by DIYers. Heat-treated wood is better, as it wouldn't come with termites already in it and isn't toxic, but it still can become infested later.

If pallets that you'd want to store in your shed for future DIYs are not chemically treated, they're a perfect breeding ground for termites. Ouch. But that's not even the only issue. When storing wood pallets in an outdoor shed, you're likely exposing them to humidity, which termites absolutely love. If you are storing untreated wood pallets at home, you should do so in a completely dry and well-ventilated spot, not a shed. 

If that wasn't enough, there's another factor that attracts termites to wood pallets: frayed and damaged wood. As pallets are used for shipping, they're not in mint condition. When there are cracks, breaks, and holes in wood, termites will have an even easier time making themselves at home in it. So, if your pallets are damaged, don't bother saving them for future DIYs.

So, should you just avoid storing wood pallets at home altogether? Well, some people think that you shouldn't use wood pallets at all to avoid exposing your home to pest invasions. If you see a DIY that you really want to do, try to find heat-treated wood pallets and act quickly instead of stockpiling pallets at home and risking a termite infestation. Store them off the ground and in a dry, well-ventilated place where moisture can't reach them. Before storing, inspect the wood closely and regularly. Plus, check how common termites are in your area. In the United States, you'll find termites in every state except for Alaska; however, California, as well as states in the South, Southeast, and Southwest, are the most exposed due to warmer climates.