When you have a tree removed or it falls down, you have a stump left in your yard. You may think that it's no big deal to leave it there if it isn't in your way, but the fact is that a tree stump isn't really a harmless object sitting in your yard. There are some things that could end up causing serious problems. One thing is that the stump can attract things like wasps and yellow jackets. You may get something reasonably harmless, like honey bees, but yellow jackets and wasps can be very aggressive and will sting you if they are disturbed. A stump can also attract vermin like raccoons, opossums, and rats. Those animals can carry disease and mess up your yard. That means that you want to make sure that there is no habitat for insects or vermin by getting rid of the stump. There are various methods that you can choose from. One of them is using a chemical stump remover. 

Chemical Stump Removers

These chemical stump removers are generally made out of potassium nitrate. They encourage the growth of the natural rotting process so that the stump is basically eaten from the inside. These removers are generally available at a lawn and garden store or a home improvement store. 

Using Chemical Stump Removers

Using these removers is pretty easy. All you need to do is drill several holes on the top of the stump. You will probably want to go three or four inches down so that the potassium nitrate can get well down into the stump. If the stump is particularly high, you may want to drill the holes deeper. Put some of the potassium nitrate in and then pour some water in the holes 'til they are full. Keep your kids and any pets away from the stump, and let the stump remover do its work. These removers generally take a few weeks to use. 

You can tell the chemical stump remover has worked because the stump will be spongy. When that happens, you can either take an axe or pickaxe and start tearing out the stump, or you can pour some flammable liquid into the stump. Saturate the stump with kerosene and let it soak in for a couple of weeks, then drop a match on it. If you decide to light it on fire, it's important to be aware that the stump can smolder in your yard for days afterwards, so you are still going to want to make sure it's blocked off from pets and kids. You will also want to make sure you check on the stump a couple of times a day to make sure that nothing else is catching on fire. 

Getting rid of that stump not only improves your yard's look, but it also makes sure that there is no habitat for nasty insects or vermin. For more information, contact companies like St Pete & Pinellas Tree Service.

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