Oh!!!!! Those Pesky Pests.......

[Dennis Peacock]

Alright....I'm curious to know what kind of "bug" you would say that bothers you the most when in the shop and why.....

For me, it's a combination of:

1. Common pesky flies...they get on everything and everywhere, including a fresh finish. :mad:

2. Common gnats...they like to get in every single finish that you could possibly put on any wood project...round or flat...and make little-bitty black spots all in your finish that comprises mostly cured finish with what would now be dead gnats all in your finish. :mad:

3. During one part of late spring / early summer we get those huge black flying bugs that just love to fly in the shop at night and fly around with their eyes closed and slam into everything you have in your shop....including you!!! I've made up several "paddles" that the kids and I can use for when the shop is over-taken by these bugs that it's "batting practice" or "tennis practice" with all the airborne bugs flying about the shop. When they hit something and land upside down on the floor, they can't roll over on their own and now you walk around in the shop with all these little or big "crunchies" under you feet as you walk about.

4. Last but not least.....mesquito's. I "hate" these things. I don't like any of the listed critters in my shop, but mosquito's leave big nasty welts on my body and then itch like crazy for days until they heal.

I can deal with a lot of "varmits" in my shop....but those that fly around are the worst to deal with for me personally.

So what about you???

[Jerry Clark]

Black ANTS! They are everywhere here-:mad: - Just found 100,000 in the cookies!:eek: I just keep spraying!

[Jude Kingery]

Dennis, I'd have to say hands down - rats. Only had them in the shop once in 25 years, during a very cold winter they decided my warm shop would be a good place to set up housekeeping. I definitely declared war on them and we've not had them back in the shop since! Oooh, I can't stand them! The little Geickos I like and don't mind sharing our shop with them at all. Good luck in getting rid of your pesky pests! Jude

[Bart Leetch]

Bees, Hornets etc. when the door is open, I don't get many & squirting them with can of ether works to kill them & not bother any of the surroundings.

[Bonnie Campbell]

Has to be SPIDERS! :eek: We get them wolf spiders or whatever aweful name they're called.... they will charge straight at you!

[Dan Muller]

Wasps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characteristics_of_common_wasps_and_bees). We have a lot of different kinds of wasps here in southeastern Michigan. Mostly paper wasps, but also yellow jackets, bald-faced hornets, mud-daubers.

My shop is far from airtight, and despite improvements the paper wasps still get in and build nests. On a bad evening I spend half my time in the wood shop hunting wasps.

It's apparently a quirk of local dialect to call them all "bees". Anything that stings and has wings seems to be called a bee. I like bees, and I like to distinguish my friends from my enemies, so I call a wasp a wasp...




... mosquito's leave big nasty welts on my body and then itch like crazy for days until they heal.



My wife reacts badly to mosquito bites, too. She found this stuff called Sting Eze that helps a lot. It comes in a small yellow bottle with a green cap and green print, by Wisconsin Pharmacal Company. Squeeze a little of this stuff out of the bottle's tip and use the tip to rub it in to a fresh bite, and it greatly reduces the swelling and itching. We both use it for all kinds of insect bites -- she carries a bottle in her purse at all times. Highly recommended.

[Mike Langford]

:mad: :mad: :mad: SPIDERS :mad: :mad: :mad:

They have taken over my shop.....I can take my shop vac and go all around my whole shop, suckin' up every spider, web, dead bug, spider, web, did I say spider, and then go in the house for a drink.....come back out to the shop just to walk face first into a new spider web! :mad: :mad: :mad:

[mark page]

Several of the pests bother me. I'm first of all a "sweater" so those biting flies get me, even an industrial fan can't blow the critters away from me. And then on: Can't finish work of a night with the door open because of the moths, they can leave some humongous wing trails. If all the flower planters have been watered, the mud-dawbers (sp?) go crazy. Crickets come in of a night--don't worry about those and they sound kinda cool as long as they drown out the radio. Now the tarantula sized wolf spiders have gotta go. They stare and stand you down. I think they come in when door is open of a night, as I've never seen a live one in the middle of the day, only corpses. But late night and early morning, I tread lightly. I do have a phobia of spiders. Would gladly put in a few snakes just to eat those wolf spiders. And since we're out in the country, we do get a skunk or two wandering around...........

[Kyle Kraft]

All spiders except the jumping ones...they're cool. Earwigs, flies and I despise crickets. Almost forgot the squash(?) bugs that are filled with green guts that reek when you smash 'em.

[Nancy Laird]

Almost forgot the squash(?) bugs that are filled with green guts that reek when you smash 'em.

Kyle, down south those are called chinch bugs or stink bugs. They really really REALLY stink when you smash them. Yuuck.

I'd have to agree with all the comments about spiders. Those webs have a nasty habit of catching dust and showing up in the oddest places. Flies too, but we don't have any mosquitos at our house--it's too dry and no standing water for them to breed in. But 5 miles down the hill near the river---don't go there!!

Nancy (109 days)

[Brian Morey]

Im in florida and live near a swamp, all bugs are bad in the shop:) I will say the big ones at least have the advantage of being able to walk out of fresh finishes. Those pesky little gnats not only fly around my eyes all day but then get stuck in any finish they can find.

[Jim Becker]

I don't like crickets or the mice that seem to like my lumber pile. I have no problem with spiders...they are a beneficial creature, IMHO. Since I rarely am in the shop at night, I've not had a lot of problem with biting insects like skeeters, although they happen to love me normally.

[JayStPeter]

Well, normally I'd agree with Jim. But, I just started to clean up my shop to get back in the woodworking groove. All summer it's been a catchall area for other projects. Todays job was spiderweb removal ... yuck, they took over. Oh well, off to move all the car project parts back to the garage.

[Art Mulder]

Huh. Yet another reason to like my basement shop. It's a big "Nada" for me, as far as bugs or varmints.

[Glenn Clabo]

Got to love this guy...evry morning he's got a bunch of bugs he's feasting on...

[Stephen Beckham]

I usually like the spiders because they catch the bugs that I don't like. I did just have to bomb my whole shop (three cans even though the recommended was one for the size) for the black widow and babies buried in my Honey Locust pieces. It's cool - I saw myth busters and knew that it wouldn't blow up the house...:D

Only other critter I don't like is the cat - okay - I like the cat, but he likes to leave surprises in the sawdust piles when I'm not keeping it cleaned up. My wife tells me it's his way of telling me to keep the shop cleaner...:rolleyes:

[Jon Lanier]

The only bugs that really 'bug' me out is the two boys that come down and hover over me until I stop what I'm doing so they can tell me what they want. :(

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Turners are pests! I know....I once stirred up a nest of them close to here. They set back...bided their time. and then struck! The invasion of those rascals has kept me from finishing my shop....keeps me broke. They have caused me to spend sleepless night trying to figure out how I can buy a bigger lathe....a bandsaw......dust collection equipment.......more tools......I still don't have a work bench in my shop......a piece of plywood on a couple of saw horses provides a flat surface for my finishing supplies and donut chuck.......that's the other thing....they commit you to buying things that you couldn't use on another wood project if you stayed awake for a month thinking about it. Most recently those turners caused me to make multiple trips to the hospital ......just because I was turning and trying add some embellishment....medical bills.......face shield with air cleaner......Terrible when those pests invade your nearly finished shop! Turning predicaments keep turing up......Don't know if that shop will ever get finished........Terrible infestation.

And for one dollar and ninetyfive cents....I won't show this thread to the LOML so she can give you her position on this pest infestation!:eek: :rolleyes: :D

[Tim Brooks]

Here in Charleston, SC we have gnats with teeth! :eek: Fortunately, we only really see the sand gnats in the spring but when they bite they leave marks! These jokers get on my last nerve. I would consider the coastal part of South Carolina to be the bug capital of the world.

Also, the mosquito is considered to be the state bird as they are everywhere.

[Per Swenson]

Bugs.

I can't stand 'em, who can.

But. The flying ones I can live with.

I see 'em coming.

Its the huge dark slow moving creepy ones that lie in wait,

often under something I just put down or picked up that

jolt the old adrenaline in a startling way.

That affects me like the Psycho shower scene.

Yes. Picture big old outlaw looking type perched on a chair with

a mouse below cartoon.

Thats me.

Per

[Dennis Peacock]

Turners are pests! I know....I once stirred up a nest of them close to here. They set back...bided their time. and then struck! The invasion of those rascals has kept me from finishing my shop....keeps me broke. They have caused me to spend sleepless night trying to figure out how I can buy a bigger lathe....a bandsaw......dust collection equipment.......more tools......I still don't have a work bench in my shop......a piece of plywood on a couple of saw horses provides a flat surface for my finishing supplies and donut chuck.......that's the other thing....they commit you to buying things that you couldn't use on another wood project if you stayed awake for a month thinking about it. Most recently those turners caused me to make multiple trips to the hospital ......just because I was turning and trying add some embellishment....medical bills.......face shield with air cleaner......Terrible when those pests invade your nearly finished shop! Turning predicaments keep turing up......Don't know if that shop will ever get finished........Terrible infestation.



ROFL!!!! All I gotta say is..... :D :D :rolleyes: :p :p :p

[Belinda Barfield]

Here in Charleston, SC we have gnats with teeth! :eek: Fortunately, we only really see the sand gnats in the spring but when they bite they leave marks! These jokers get on my last nerve. I would consider the coastal part of South Carolina to be the bug capital of the world.

Also, the mosquito is considered to be the state bird as they are everywhere.

Yep, I'm with Tim. Sand gnats are annoying cause you can't fight what you can't see, and there is absolutely nothing that works against them. Second in line would be yellow flies. Third would be "palmetto bugs", which are really very large flying cockroaches. Sneaky little buggers! They like to fly around in the dark and land in your hair and stuff. YUCK!!! I'm not really fond of banana spiders in the summer. I don't know if that is the actual name but it's what we call them here. They're the really big green and yellow spiders that live in the woods and spin those gigantic webs that wrap around you like a blanket when you walk into one. Our biggest pest right now though would have to be Florida Gators! :D :p

[Matt Meiser]

MOSQUITOS!!! We've had a major hatch here since the massive rainfall a few weeks ago. They are attacking mid-day even.

[Rich Stewart]

All you pen turners. For skeeter bites try this. Get a ball point pen and draw a circle around the welt. The itch stops instantly. You got what looks like a bunch of little weird tattoos but the itch is gone.

[Brian Kent]

Big shiny black widows. Never had a bite, but they share my love of piles of wood.

[Brent Dowell]

Snakes....

The bugs I can handle. Last few days I've had some big ole dragon flys come in to visit.

I've got some nice little lizards that come in to the garage. They give me a start, but I find them cute as can be.

I'm just waiting for the day that I find a snake has snuck into the garage....

I'm very phobic about snakes. Since we moved to the desert, I'm getting better, and can identify the 'good' (won't kill me or the dogs) and 'bad' (ones that might kill me or the dogs). I've learned to look down when I walk, and to shake boxes and not stick my hands in where I can't see them. But I know someday, I'm going to be in the shop and a snake is going to scare the sawdust out of me....:eek:

[mark page]

I don't think I've ever seen a black widow spider (that I know of). I know they are abundant around our area though. Same with the brown recluse spiders, think they are more abundant than the black widow ones. All I know is if it has eight legs and walks into my shop, it dies. Period. I can tolerate a few spiders, as I have a garden spider living over one planter box below the dryer vent. Even though the phobia, I can still be fascinated by him (her). That spider has an egg sack that is about 3 inches across. Good thing is that spider does not move or migrate, just stuck in the same ole position, which is where I like it. lol.

[Dennis Peacock]

All you pen turners. For skeeter bites try this. Get a ball point pen and draw a circle around the welt. The itch stops instantly. You got what looks like a bunch of little weird tattoos but the itch is gone.

What? Is this for real or are you just "pulling my leg"? Inquiring minds wanna know. :)

[Dennis Peacock]

I don't think I've ever seen a black widow spider (that I know of). I know they are abundant around our area though. Same with the brown recluse spiders, think they are more abundant than the black widow ones. All I know is if it has eight legs and walks into my shop, it dies. Period. I can tolerate a few spiders, as I have a garden spider living over one planter box below the dryer vent. Even though the phobia, I can still be fascinated by him (her). That spider has an egg sack that is about 3 inches across. Good thing is that spider does not move or migrate, just stuck in the same ole position, which is where I like it. lol.

Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders can really "pack a punch" should you get bitten by either one of them. All I gotta say is, please make sure you stay away from those kinds of spiders as best you possibly can.

[Belinda Barfield]

Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders can really "pack a punch" should you get bitten by either one of them. All I gotta say is, please make sure you stay away from those kinds of spiders as best you possibly can.

Newly discovered in our area this Spring was the "Brown Widow". I never knew there was such a thing. I'm about to jump on the "anything with 8 legs dies" wagon!

[Dennis Peacock]

Newly discovered in our area this Spring was the "Brown Widow". I never knew there was such a thing. I'm about to jump on the "anything with 8 legs dies" wagon!

LOL!!!! I hear ya Belinda. Brown Widow hugh? Never heard of such a spider, but I'll just stay clear of the 8 legged varmits myself. ;)

[Belinda Barfield]

For those friendly to spiders, here is some information about what a wonderful pet the Brown Widow makes. I'm gonna go right out and get myself Mason jar to house my Lactrodectus geometricus. (NOT!) :eek:

ahttp://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/L-geometricus.html

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Gett yourself a decent quality squirt bottle They have a good one at the BORG.
Fill it with Denatured Alcohol Shoot 'em with that.

409 also kills bugs.

[mark page]

Ok--now I got a new one. Humming birds...I love them, and love taking photos of them. I have multiple feeders and about 90 linear feet of canna flowers. Somehow one of them got into my shop and I didn't see the little rascal. That small bird must be blind. He hit everything that I had fresh finish on that was drying overnight, and more than once on all sides. I found him still flying the next morning. I don't know what kept him from sticking to some of the surfaces. All I know is that now he's gotta be waterproofed. That little 1 oz critter has got to be flying around with 2 lbs of usl on him!!!! That rascal has got to have set me back a full days worth of work.

Hey Jim Becker, you spray lots of usl like I do. Do you know of any chemical that would melt it down. I don't think there is any way I can remedy this one without completely sanding and refinishing. Small imperfections will self melt, but I do believe this incident is beyond repair in an easy way.

[Rich Stewart]

Try it out Dennis. My wife told me that and I thought she was messin' with me but it works. On me anyway. I never tried gel point but the ball points work good on me.

[David G Baker]

MOSQUITOS!!! We've had a major hatch here since the massive rainfall a few weeks ago. They are attacking mid-day even.
Matt,
I don't know if my area was sprayed for mosquitos but I haven't seen one for weeks. They were out in full force in the late Spring then disappeared. I don't even put bug repellent on any more. We had a large infestation of Gypsy Moths earlier this year, they usually get sprayed and that spray may have also thinned out the mosquito population in my area. Wish it would stay that way.

[David Weaver]

The yellow jackets are my second least favorite. My least favorite is carpenter ants. I have all of two trees on the property and they have carpenter ants in them, and from there they've made their way into different cracks here and there in the house.

Any way to get rid of them for sure? I've poured the termite and carpenter ant killer and it works while its wet, but even though it says it works for a while, it seems like the dead ants stop showing up as soon as it dries.

[Dennis Peacock]

Try it out Dennis. My wife told me that and I thought she was messin' with me but it works. On me anyway. I never tried gel point but the ball points work good on me.

I'll have to give that a try and see if it works on Arkysaw Skeeters. :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I'll have to give that a try and see if it works on Arkysaw Skeeters. :D


I'll bet it doesn't work on a turners infestation........



My trigger finger's getting itchy......something could be happening in the next 24 hours!.......It's caused by that turner's infestation.....:D

[Dennis Peacock]

My trigger finger's getting itchy......something could be happening in the next 24 hours!.......It's caused by that turner's infestation.....:D

Ooooooohhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My lips are sealed......I ain't sayin nuttin'.....nuttin' at all. ;) :D