spraying firewood

[PAfluedoctor]

I heard this suggestion last summer and I want to know if ya'all have ever done this or would think it works.

The idea is to fill a low pressure sprayer with diesel fuel and after you stack a pile of wood you spray both sides with the fuel. The idea is that the fuel will keep bees and bugs away over the summer after it drys. I ask because this past fall whilst moving a pile of wood we found a bunch of bees in the pile. Fortunately they weren't moving very quickly and a shot of PB Blaster did them in.

 

[wg_bent]

I don't know if it would work, but maybe Dave might want to come over and throw a flaming mouse at your pile. Just a little test.
;-)

 

[wg_bent]

I wonder if those that offer 'suggestions' on this board are liable for damages to health, home and/or environment....Craig?????

Well, on a more serious note, Dylan's point is certainly on target. Seems like spraying a pile of wood with diesel fuel is a seriously bad plan.

 

[Mike Wilson]

I wonder if those that offer 'suggestions' on this board are liable for damages to health, home and/or environment....Craig?????

Nope, not liable. While the ideas might be questionable, their practice is up to you. That said, freedom from liability does not equate to freedom from suits, which would put you 25K in the hole, before the case starts getting fun.

-- Mike

 

[Hokerer]

I heard this suggestion last summer and I want to know if ya'all have ever done this or would think it works.

The idea is to fill a low pressure sprayer with diesel fuel and after you stack a pile of wood you spray both sides with the fuel. The idea is that the fuel will keep bees and bugs away over the summer after it drys. I ask because this past fall whilst moving a pile of wood we found a bunch of bees in the pile. Fortunately they weren't moving very quickly and a shot of PB Blaster did them in.

And, in addition to keeping the bugs out, you'll probably be able to get your yard listed as a SuperFund site, bonus!!

 

[Eric Johnson]

Vinegar works pretty well to kill off moss and lichens and weeds, and I think it will also repel insects. If not, there are natural insecticides (nicotine & rotenone come to mind) that you could use without too much worry.

BTW, if somebody tried to sue me for something I (allegedly) said on an online bulletin board, I'd deny being me.

 

[roac]

I heard this suggestion last summer and I want to know if ya'all have ever done this or would think it works.

The idea is to fill a low pressure sprayer with diesel fuel and after you stack a pile of wood you spray both sides with the fuel. The idea is that the fuel will keep bees and bugs away over the summer after it drys. I ask because this past fall whilst moving a pile of wood we found a bunch of bees in the pile. Fortunately they weren't moving very quickly and a shot of PB Blaster did them in.

B100?

 

[Corey]

roac - Are you referring to biodiesel? That would be the ticket! Although I don't know how much the diesel fuel is really going to repel the bees. I've seen them build plenty of nests inside the air cleaner housing of old cars, engine bays, and many other seemingly less than desireable places...so they don't really seem to object to the smell of gas/engine oil or hydrocarbons in general.

Corey

 

[roac]

Yeah, plus it is biodegradeable in about a month or two. NAOH glycerin might work too and kill any growth. Just make sure to recover or evaporate the Meth before doing so with either the BD or glycerin. If you use KOH glycerine it would probably encourage growth. I don't know if I would trust commercial biodiesel, additives may be present.

 

[Corie]

You have serious enuogh bug problems that you would consider spraying diesel in your yard?

diesel will act like round-up to your yard. Bad bad bad idea!

 

[PAfluedoctor]

For those out there who are either being sarcastic or stupid, I'm not sure which, you aren't supposed to spray it with fuel until it's soaked the ground. It was a light spray that supposedly(?) keeps the bugs away. I would think it would dry out for the most part by the time you burn the wood. No one wants to napalm the backyard for cryin' out loud! It's just a theory that some old farm boy practiced and said it worked. I'm just looking for a way to keep wasps out of the wood pile.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Just smoke them out with your saw.
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If you wan to really make some smoke add about an ounce of k-1 kerosene to a full tank of fuel and youll clear all or the flying insects within a two house radius.
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Smoking them out with the saw is an old farmboy trick also.

*DISCLAIMER* The auther of this post takes no responsibility for any and all lawsuits lodged by Bees, Wasps, Hornets or Neighbors temporarily of perminently eradicated from their major domicile by means of this method. Blackblacknotradeback,dontrunwithastickinyourmouth,plantchercornearly!

 

[Sandor]

I'm sure spraying diesel fuel on stuff will kill alot of things. So the old farm boy is probaly correct. My theory is.... if you get hit upside the head with a 2x4, it will hurt. Proving theories is tough!

Why not just leave the wood pile until its cold out and nothing much will be moving. Chuck it in the stove and be done.

The global warming, trashed environment and peak oil puzzle is solved

 

[HarryBack]

well, all i can tell ya is: the reportable spill quantity for DOT placard 1894 (diesel fuel) is 10 gallons. You DO NOT WANT the PO'd next door neighbor calling the DEP (dep of environmental Protection), and having them visit your place, they WILL rquire you to clean it up, and I am betting you cant afford what it costs, especially if the fuel oil migrates to the neighbors well, etc. I cannot beleive the suggestions some people come up with! And heck, when its cold, the wasps are not active....dont they and their paper nests in the woodpile burn as well? Added BTU's for free!
Anyways, let me tell ya what happens when the friendly DEP agent comes out.
"oh....you were srpaying your firewood with petrochemicals to keep the insects away, huh...?"
"ayuh......yessir......old farm trick....keeps those little devils away....ayup...."
"were you aware the reportable spill quantity (RQ in the DOT manual) is 10 gallons, sir....?"
"ah...heck....just fyooel oil....comes from the ground anyways, doesnt it?....heck, I drain ten times that in crankcase oil over by the pond in the back forty......"
"well, sir, it need to be tested and cleaned up........"
"criminey! ok......*mumble*...freakin' gummint.....Ill not do it anymore.......
"sir...the ground needs to be cleaned as well........"
"okok....ill dig it up....."
"sir...you cant dig it up......first you need to hire a LSP (licensed site professional- $$$), the LSP needs to dig a few holes and send samples to the lab and determine the extent of contamination (by the way, YOU pay for the digging and testing, and the LSP), and we'll need to drill a few wells to test the water to determine if the water is contaminated (you guessed it, youll pay for this too...$$$$$$$)....and hopefully, the water isnt contaminated, and the soil isnt really bad, but if it is, YOULL need to get it cleaned up as well....youll need to pump groundwater through filters for years, and send the soil out to a remediation facility....(I cant put enough dollar signs below to give you an idea of how much THAT will cost, but suffice to say, since your homeowners wont cover a deliberate release of pollutant, it will almost certainly BANKRUPT you)

All this because it bothers you that there are a few cold dazed bees in your woodpile? Hey, heres a question for all you folks who like to figure how various fuels compare economically.....just a guess, but in this instance, isnt wood the most expensive option?

 

[roac]

... Hey, heres a question for all you folks who like to figure how various fuels compare economically.....just a guess, but in this instance, isnt wood the most expensive option?

Yep, unless he had to buy pellets from your store... ;-P Sorry Harry I couldn't pass that up, you walked right into it. :lol:

Just kidding with ya, Someone pour some ice water on Harry.


But seriously if he used DIESEL it would definately not be good. If his stove had a catalytic converter it would probably be toast.

 

[HarryBack]

lol, roac....now wheres that ice water? Between my price-gouging and treating my cutomers poorly, I dont know which way to turn! :vampire:

 

[fbelec]

i don't know about bees but a way to keep out other bugs might be to use the safe way for gardeners. insecticidal soap. mix with a little water and spray. if it washes off no problem it's soap spray on some more.

 

[DavidV]

I think we can start mixing a few threads together here. I'll go back to the lab and start loading a few mice. We can fire them at some wood piles and see
1}does the wood pile get knocked over
2}do we still have bees

 

[Eric Johnson]

I worry more about skunks taking up residence in my wood pile.

The point about diesel fuel messing with the catalytic combustor is interesting. I suspect it would.

 

[wg_bent]

I think we can start mixing a few threads together here. I'll go back to the lab and start loading a few mice. We can fire them at some wood piles and see
1}does the wood pile get knocked over
2}do we still have bees

Golly Dave, I guess it depends on the muzzle velocity of the mouse cannon. Seems a 1 oz mouse would have to be traveling at something like 2000 ft/second in order to knock over a pile of wood.

Would the mouse be flaming in flight? Would you use tracer mice?

What about moles or chipmunks?

Sick, Sick, Sick. Where's the woodpile rights activist group. Knocking over poor unsuspecting wood piles...Dave I'm shocked at you. >:-(

 

[Sandor]

Now you guys got me thinking... What is the BTU value of a mouse?

 

[HarryBack]

the mouse...hmm....I'd guess hed have to be dried to a certain moisture content, so as to burn the most efficiently....I can see it now.....


"good morning, maam....how are you today...?"

"oh, I am great thanks!, Id like to buy a ton of dessicated mice please!"


and we couldnt call them mice.......a more aesthetically pleasing name such as Maus Pelle' might be better......has that euro charm.....kinda French/German.....and because the name sounds european, can we charge more than domestic Mice Pellets?

 

[fbelec]

something is warped here and i don't think it's the baffle plate

 

[fbelec]

but it may have to do with overfiring

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I'm in the habit of collecting things and at one time(to the present) I collected garden tractors. One day I went to view a nice origonal Economy "Jim Dandy". The owner told me it operated fine and would I like to hear it run.

He starts the tractor and lets me run it around for a few minutes and seems all too eager to shut it off as soon as he can. This caused me to become very curious about the condition of the engine and I HAD noticed a vague burning smell.....not nessarily like hot engine, but like the smell that comes from the oven in our hunting cabin after it hasent been used for a while.

Well he finally confessed that the tractor had been running hot for a few months after being stored and signifigantly lowers his price.

The first thing I did upon returning home was to remove the hood and front sheet metal from the engine and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but five mumified mice !!

Poor buggers made a nest in there and got cought off guard when the engine was fired up after sitting.
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Must have been a helluva way to go.........