[Yosemitest]

In the 1800s and up to about the 1970s, the American Indians and most of the country people controlled insect and rodents by burning the woods and fields every fall.
They'd pick an afternoon with little or no wind, about a day after a heavy rain.
At about sunset, they light the fires.
On a field, they'd prepare by plowing two furrows around the outer edge of the field and then burn the edges to the middle.
In the woods, they'd get a group of people together and light a trail fire, let it burn to about two or three feet wide, and then put the down-wind side out, so the fire burned against any wind it had.
The rising dew and little wind, combined with doing this every year, helped to keep the burn under control.

That is how they controlled pest, and also had a better stand of timber, and more fertile fields.

[mylife]

We still do it in Tx.
Controlled burn.