decorative logs in fireplace...

wallofbeans

greensalad said:

I did that before. I hope you like spiders.

No, I do not. 

Are you saying it is a bad idea? You mention that you did it before, suggesting you don't do it any longer!

FreeBear

greensalad said: I hope you like spiders.

I had a pile of logs (black poplar) sitting outside to season, then moved in to the wood store. Every time I brought an armful indoors over winter, I'd get wasp beetles flying around in the room. Spiders, always bringing in spiders

ThisIsWeird

Stop it!
These are going to be just for decoration. WoB, just check each log and brush them down. Any spiders that appear will be from inside your house...

FreeBear

Friend of mine, a wood turner, will sometimes nuke small logs in the microwave for a minute or two. This kills off any bugs lurking deep in the wood.

Grenage

We often discover hibernating hornets and butterflies.

You're right though, those log spiders - I didn't think spiders could get that large.

maman

DD has logs (silver birch) in her fireplace with no problems. You could also put a small string of fairy lights amongst them to give a nice glow in the evenings. 

greensalad

wallofbeans said:

greensalad said:

I did that before. I hope you like spiders.

No, I do not. 

Are you saying it is a bad idea? You mention that you did it before, suggesting you don't do it any longer!

To be fair I moved house and the new house (although it does have one fireplace) has no large open chimney area.

But yeah, it was always full of spiders. It's their perfect place to sleep. It wasn't that the spiders came in on the logs and more that they found the perfect place. The whole thing would be covered in cobwebs and big brown September spiders would always be in that room. 

NeverTooLate

I've got a pile of kiln dried logs in a log holder thingy on the fireplace hearth - no spiders at all.

Jonboy_1984

ThisIsWeird said:

wallofbeans said:

Oh I see... I've not been here that long, so still figuring out the quirks of the house. The chimney has some plastic bag things stuffed up it to prevent drafts I assume. I wonder if I should be taking those out and replacing, and getting the chimney capped as you say.

Thanks for this though - all very helpful!

That balloon will probably be enough. They tend to let a trickle of air pass around them.

We capped the in-laws chimney at the top after the live pigeon falling down incident...

bob_a_builder

And for the winter you could always put one of these LED 'Fire' bulbs under the logs, help you feel a bit warmer
Lamp : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401556944039
Video : https://photos.app.goo.gl/48xGeWKfPy3VHt9K6