Sawmill pests!

[sawmill squaw]

Ok my new found friends...
When we first got our sawmill, it was entertaining to see our new little friends, the wrens, popping in to eat up all the Wood Sawyers that were dropping out of the pine trees we were milling.  Oh, how they would flit around and eventually got used to us, at times getting almost close enough to touch. 

Now?  Everytime I go to the mill and sit a spell...I get an ant up my britches leg.  (fire ant)  I have ant bites where NO ONE should have ant bites.  Why...WHY...WHY...do they wait to bite you?  Why can't they just bite me on my barefoot and be done with it?   

Then there are the teeny-tiny, little black beetles who get on you and journey to parts unknown!  And the Pine Beetles who land on you to stare at you with defiant looks.  And did ya know them things will bite, too?!  Whoa Nelly!  Make a saint cuss...trust me.   

These are hazards we had not anticipated!  Willie and Boogie had to work on driveshaft of log truck last week.  Looking down at the mill, I was mildly amused to see Boogie stripping!  Ants.  Willie got in them, too, but preferred to attempt to squish them in his clothes rather than strip.  He had bites all over him that evening.  They're not 'hilling up' but just taking over the sawdust, the bark piles, the lumber stacks, etc, etc, etc.  I bought some spray yesterday and am about to go see what harm I can do these pests but I figured I'd see if anyone else has had this problem and what y'all might do about it. 

HELP!!!!!!!   

[Stevem]

FWIW:

The pine beetles are drawn by the smell of fresh sap (do you have sawdust in your blood?).  Get two or three small burn piles going using the really pitchy wood (trap piles?) and rotate burning them. It's a seasonal thing and should lessen with time.   

Find the nest for them fire ants and pour on lots of soapy (laundry?) water mixed with a little diesel.

If I'm cutting old oak logs with bugs in the sap wood I get yellow jackets going for the grubs. 

[Kirk Allen]

Spread a bunch of diatomaceous earth in the area!  It works wonders!

http://www.dirtworks.net/Diatomaceous-Earth.html

[sawmill squaw]

I KNEW I would get some good ideas from you fellers!  And environmentally friendly, too! 

Steven...I am not usually bothered by insects...'cept fireants!  They are my bane!  Going barefoot most of the time, my feet usually look like I have some terrible disease!     Don't know why them little beetles are attracted to people.  When we have visitors/customers you can see them crawling on them, too!  Willie has changed the song "I Wanna Check You for Ticks" and now serenades me with his new version!   

Finding the fireant nest is next to impossible.  As I said, they've stopped mounding around here.  There are just itty bitty holes in the ground.  I've noticed there is a bunch of them going under a stack of lumber which is waiting for a customer pick up.  (we're about to implement new policy on how long we'll store an order...we live, we learn) 

I just went down to the mill, spray in hand and Willie said they're not botherin' him.  It's only "people who sit down here and aren't up working who are bothered."  Hint aimed at me.  lol  I told him he could walk to the house for his meals, then....as I was slapping at my thigh which was being violated by some miscreant fireant!

Will most definitely check into y'all's suggestions, though!  Thank you SOOOOO much!

[Frank Pender - AKA "Tail Gunner"]

My biggest pests are 3 or 4 deer that hang around all the time.

[Stevem]

If you hang them they won't be a pest!   

[Kirk Allen]

Deer dont hang around here very long 

[sawmill squaw]

Goin' to Kirk's for BBQ!!!!  Everyone's invited!  Bambi's parents are on the menu!!!   

[Kirk Allen]

Freezer is full of deer and elk!  Im game for a BBQ but only if everyone tails some lumber before they eat!   

[sawmill squaw]

Life is full of little trade-offs!   

[HaroldCR - AKA Fla.-Deadheader]

 I'll take mine, "Illynoise Venison International" directly shipped to our front door step. I'll send the address, Kirk. 

 After I had that "Tick Fever" stuff, I used to dust down with Sergeants Flea and Tick powder. Did it around the tops of the boots and socks, and then, on the lower pant legs. Worked pretty well.

 Tham Faar aints is another matter.    We have them BAAD in CR, so, I keep a couple 1 liter bottle of gasoline stashed in various locations, and give a couple squirts through the holes I punched in the caps, and that just moves them aints to a different location. Best thing to take the sting out, is, Rubbin Alkyhol. Just smear a dab on yer legs where they done stung ya. Smarts fer a second, then, yer good ta go. Even stops the pus sacks from forming. 

[sawmill squaw]

LOL Harold!  You made me think of something that Willie used to do when he worked in logging woods:  get an old sock and put sulphur in it.  'Whack' this against your boots and pants legs.  Sulphur keeps the red-bugs, ticks and other annoying insects off!  I just thought about doing that but then remembered that Boogie is working down there.  We sprinkled sulphur around the house one time when he was little.  Found out that he's allergic to it:  his eyes swelled up and got real red.  Nix on that idea, at least at the mill. 

Can also use Preparation H for ant bites.  My dad uses it and he says if you get some on the spot right after a bite, it will not swell or pus up, either.  I've also found that if you do get a bite that pus'es up...rub down with Olive Oil.  We all use this after a bath.  Much better than any lotion!  And has great healing properties.  Boogie cut his finger pretty good Friday with draw knife while peeling poles.  I couldn't find the Neosporin so I dabbed some Olive Oil on it so bandaid wouldn't stick.  It's healing VERY nicely!

Ain't we just a smart bunch of people here.  Too bad others aren't taking advantage of our "smarticles"!     Poor them!