Bug/Pest Proofing? Clearing Wooded Area.

[vtec?lol]

**Photos added to post #3**
Hey guys,
New to the forums. Been lurking a while since I've got some property of my own I'd like to develop. The name is Matt and I'm from Houston but currently live in Dallas. I've got a small handful of acres in St. Francisville Louisiana. Most of it (85%) is wooded and covered in dead leaves and plants. This is great for the widows and recluse to hide in. Safe from all the wasp and hornets that occupy the air above them.

I'm planning on putting a bid in on a blueprint for a large shop/garage with living quarters above or beside it. This way I can store all my toys and we can live on site. Before I do this I need to get a survey and clear a few trees. Usually once every 3-4 yearrs we would chop a tree down and dry it out for firewood. Whenever doing so we've always run into some terrible critters. Usually we'd spray deisel or kerosene all over the area we're working but it doesn't exactly help. Keeps the snakes away though!This brings me to my question for my fellas that develop or work in critter filled enviorments.

What do you use to prevent or repel dangerous pest? I've looked at the bug suits at Cabela's and Bass pro. None have any guarantee against bites and stings. Once the trees are down I'm bringing a back hoe and digging up roots and stumps. I would like to kill and prevent them long term. Any helpful advice or practices would be very much appreciated!

Matt

 

[W_KY]

If its really nasty area, I'll wait till its pretty cold outside. When its real cold, most stuff aint moving too fast.

However, in reality, I normally just don't worry about it and keep on trucking. I will spray with bug spray to keep the ticks off sometimes.

 

[vtec?lol]

I took the liberty to add some photos from this weekend. I drove up to meet my surveyor and see how bad the lot it.

Not bad but boy.. I'm a city guy and have never seen a spider the size of my hand until I stepped foot in this brush.
The surveyor said it was nothing to worry about UNTIL he ran into a few, He came running out saying it'll be safer to move forward when all the leaves have fallen.

So with that being said, I don't have a complete survey! No biggie though. I really need to get this insect thing under control or at least learn how to lve with them. It's their property anyway

This photo shows my trusty beagle on our walk towards the lot. She's a brave dog and I wouldn't trade her for anything! She's taken on challenges I couldn't even watch.

Here is the frontage and the access road. If you look all the way down to where the shadow is, that's where my property stops.

These last two show the brush and level ground issues I'll have to battle.

So, Let me know what you guys think!

 

[Ron Fletcher]

My first thought was: You live in Dallas and you intend to build a place out in the boonies in Louisiana- 400 miles away. What's going to keep someone from tearing the place up when you aren't there?

 

[Ben7203]

The surveyor needs to man up and get back out there. Chased off by spiders? That's just sad. Wear boots, long pants, long sleeve shirt and plenty of bug spray and get in there. Growing up in south Georgia, I would walk thru the woods trying not to step on snakes and walk into spider webs, YUCK. From your pics, I would be more concerned about snakes than spiders and bugs. Make sure the dog is up on his flea, tick, heartworm meds.

As long as the environment is suitable for the creepy crawlies, they will be there. You probably need to get someone to bush hog the area and try to get the undergrowth out. If you have the budget, thin some of the smaller trees to open it up a little. Also, when you get your shop built, knocking the wasp nest and spider nest out of the will be a monthly chore.

And start a build thread

 

[Highbeam]

Get off the ground and in your machine. The surveyor flags the lines and maybe even the clearing limits and then you, from the comfort of the cab, will clear and pile the slash.

You don't clear land by hand anymore. You don't even fall trees with a saw, you push them over with the machine.

Think big.

 

[holland_patrick]

http://www.backedbybayer.com/lawn-and-landscape-management/insecticides/allectus-sc

 

[Jagmandave]

I think it's a waste of time and money to try and eradicate the creepy crawlies, as you said, it's their woods.....

Best thing to do IMHO is hire it out, have the ground cleared where you want to build and tell 'em to get after it. Once it's cleared, then you go in with your contractor, stake out the location and start the build.

Good luck.

When you build it, pay very close attention to making sure there aren't any ground level openings, pour a good concrete pad and seal between the sill plate and the pad. the tighter you can build it the better chance you'll have of keeping unwanted visitors out.

 

[skippy24]

Sell your land or clear all trees, brush, and ground cover, then put a constant ring of fire around your property.

 

[buddyboy]

Wilderness Skills for Women: How to Survive Heartbreak and Other Full-Blown Meltdowns

amazon.com $11.62

 

[vtec?lol]

Thank you for all the advice! My buddy Charlie (dog) is always up to date on vacinations and dips. It's a must out here! The deer make it a stomping ground for lime ridden ticks and fleas.

Vandalism and theft... This is large family lot. Couple hundred acres and I just bought 3 1/2 to put a shop and vacation home on. It's completely surrounded by family property. Immediately to the right is my great Aunt's house and property and further up is all of which belongs to my grandmother. The first picture, all you can see is what belonges to her. I'm tucked in. Granny has a damn good aim and my aunt is ex. state police. I should be okay. Once we start building it'll all be insured anyway.

As far as using machines, we've got a brush hog on a kubota and a back hoe that I plan to dig the stumps with. Only issue is, a few trees need to be cut to get in there. The tractor we have is open cab and isn't much safe with the unlevel land. Trees will have to be cut by hand to even begin.

The surveyor, he says he can come back out but with his bug suit on. You'd think he'd be used to this. We've come across a list of them including:
-Recluse
-wolf spiders
-black widows
-brown widows mostly
-king snakes
-cotton mouths down by the holler where the water sits
-hornets

Hell the only thing I wish we had more of is hunting wasp.

As for powerful pesticides. I've learned I can't really use em since I'm right next to the well. I'll see what I can't find that's mild and see how that works. I'm buying a 100gal sprayer and a trailer from a really nice guy I met. I'll hook it to the kawi and get to spraying what I can.

Selling the lot isn't really an option. I could pass it to my brother but I doubt he'll pay me for it or anyone else for that matter. It's been for sale for the past 20yrs and I got it for a steal. I'm starting to think otherwise ha. Oh, that reminds me. I've been told to burn it. Not sure how hard that would be but I wouldn't want to do it myself. Local fie dept. claims they'll come out and watch.

I'll see when we can break ground and a build thread will be started when the blueprints are bought or drawn. Thanks again guys and any further advice is more than welcome!

 

[vtec?lol]

HAHA! I have to show my wife this!
She'll laugh at me for a good minute.

Wilderness Skills for Women: How to Survive Heartbreak and Other Full-Blown Meltdowns

amazon.com $11.62

 

[KEH]

When you start to use a chain saw you need someone knowledgeable there to coach you.

If some of your relatives would be willing to look after goats they would make short work of the lower brush and vines. A nearby town experimented with goats to control Kudzu. They put up a three strand electric fence. I hope you don't have Kudzu, BTW.

If you were going to live there and could take care of them,I would suggest Guineas for bug control and for intruder alarms, but if they weren't penned at night something would eat them.

I vote for waiting for colder weather, or hireing someone to clean things off.

KEH

 

[theoldwizard1]

As far as using machines, we've got a brush hog on a kubota and a back hoe that I plan to dig the stumps with. Only issue is, a few trees need to be cut to get in there. The tractor we have is open cab and isn't much safe with the unlevel land. Trees will have to be cut by hand to even begin.

Start shopping for an old bulldozer, maybe about a Cat D4 (a D6 would be better). With a ripper claw it will a lot better than your kubota for getting out stumps and it it made to level the unlevel areas.

Fastest way to clear underbrush and bugs, snake, etc. is fire. I am not kidding. Get a big propane torch. It is dangerous, especially when extremely dry and/or windy. You really need to have a second person with a good supply of water just in case !

 

[vtec?lol]

When you start to use a chain saw you need someone knowledgeable there to coach you.

If some of your relatives would be willing to look after goats they would make short work of the lower brush and vines. A nearby town experimented with goats to control Kudzu. They put up a three strand electric fence. I hope you don't have Kudzu, BTW.

If you were going to live there and could take care of them,I would suggest Guineas for bug control and for intruder alarms, but if they weren't penned at night something would eat them.

I vote for waiting for colder weather, or hireing someone to clean things off.

KEH

Man, I would like to thank you. I don't know why I haven't thought of this yet! Goats would be great!!! Guineas would be annoying but that would be awesome as well! Thank you so much. I was just talkin about goats to a friend of mine in Arkansas. Can't wait! Oh, this means the surveyor needs to get off his ****.

Start shopping for an old bulldozer, maybe about a Cat D4 (a D6 would be better). With a ripper claw it will a lot better than your kubota for getting out stumps and it it made to level the unlevel areas.

Fastest way to clear underbrush and bugs, snake, etc. is fire. I am not kidding. Get a big propane torch. It is dangerous, especially when extremely dry and/or windy. You really need to have a second person with a good supply of water just in case !

I will combine this with the above quote. Spoke with the fire chief and gave him the address. all he ask is that we call him before we start and have someone remote on watch. He's even loaning us a 100' hose and hydrant key since my lot has a hydrant.

This should be great. Moving along I'll keep you all posted and thank you for the ideas.

 

[spotco2]

It's hard to beat goats and fire for clearing land off. The fire will kill or run off most of the critters and the goats will eat the undergrowth and saplings that are left.

Contact your local forestry commission and they will usually do a controlled burn for you complete with fire breaks and the proper equipment to only burn the area that is supposed to be burned.

An electric fence to hold the goats will work well. Make sure they have a good water supply and they 8-10 goats will clean up over an acre a month. After you are finished using them for clean up you can either sell them or throw a big BBQ.

 

[eadieryzv]

The surveyor flags the lines and maybe even the clearing limits and then you, from the comfort of the cab, will clear and pile the slash.

 

[theoldwizard1]

When you start to use a chain saw you need someone knowledgeable there to coach you.

Great advice. Anyone who does not have the proper safety equipment, including a helmet and Kevlar chaps and a health respect for cahinsaw is an IDIOT !

If some of your relatives would be willing to look after goats they would make short work of the lower brush and vines. A nearby town experimented with goats to control Kudzu. They put up a three strand electric fence. I hope you don't have Kudzu, BTW.

Some cities even use goats on steep highway embankments that are hazardous to mow.

Kudzu is the devil's spawn. If the goats will eat it, it may have found its nemesis.

 

[vtec?lol]

3 years, 2 different surveyors later and I still don't have my property lines. lol.

I was advised to start clearing brush and make the lot more accessible.

Anyone near St. Francisville willing to lend a brush hog, mini dozer, back hoe? I'll gladly pay, pick up and deliver. PM me please.

 

[ddurrett896]

Talstar pro

 

[432bullet]

Get a big dozer in there and have them push the trees and brush in to burn piles. It is a hole lot easier than trying to get stumps out after cutting them down. We have 70 aces of woods that we had to build a road in to and then clear for a large shop and house build. It will be the best money you have ever spent.

 

[mytimeyet]

Have a timber company come in and see what they would give you for the tree$.

 

[Falcon67]

D7 or D9 Cat. We had two acres in Wise County for a while, thick-thick with post oak. Put a home on the place. Had this idea of clearing the post oaks with a 16" bar chain saw and some hand tools. Spent three weekends on the project and came away with a "Not happening". We shared rental of big Cat with a neighbor. 3 hours later and there's a home clearing, driveway, septic run, etc, etc. Done and done.

 

[KEH]

The idea is to keep the goats long enough to clear the brush, not keep them indefinately.
If you want to keep goats, that's up to you and your relatives, but be advised they take a lot of care. As I understand it, they get parasites and have to be given worm medicine from time to time. Goats can be sold at any stockyard.

KEH

 

[vtec?lol]

Spoke with our parish' tax office. They sent us "safe" measurements from the center of the road and back and explained cutting trees along that line would be best. I'll start with that and see how it goes. Will be investing in a decent chainsaw and starting this winter when most of the critters are away.

None of the trees are more than 18-20" or so. Hope my 4x4's are up to the task of pulling logs to the hollow grounds.

 

[theoldwizard1]

None of the trees are more than 18-20" or so. Hope my 4x4's are up to the task of pulling logs to the hollow grounds.

If you are skidding them out, they WILL hang up on brush/stumps, You need a extra heavy gauge plastic or metal "shield" (like a small car hood) that you can put on the front of the log so it will ride up and over obstacles.

You are also going to need good >1/2" rope (3 strand twisted nylon or double braided nylon) or strap, skidding tongs, a peave and a timberjack. It is dangerous to cut with a dull chain saw. Buy extra chains for your saw. It is much faster to swap a chain then to try and sharpen on out in the bush, unless you are an expert.