How Do Termites Respond To Mulch?

How Do Termites Respond To Mulch?

Termites

Mulch is used in order to obscure unsightly dirt. Mulch is almost always purchased from small gardening stores or large retail chains. Since many homeowners are concerned with termite infestations, buying mulch is sometimes given a second thought. Potential mulch buyers may be curious about how termites will respond to lawn mulch. Also, is it possible that some commercially available mulch is already infested with termites? If so, then termites are given easy access to the wood used to build your home. Realizing that you invited termites into your home can be a tough pill to swallow for victims of termite infestations.

You may have heard rumors about commercially available mulch that is already infested with termites, even when store bought mulch is contained within tight bags. However, store bought mulch is not infested with termites. Termites would not be able to survive the process of creating mulch for a variety of reasons.

A Los Angeles Times article even printed a story telling about the unfounded rumors concerning termite infested mulch. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, rumors started to circulate about how the hurricane caused imported mulch from Louisiana to become infested with termites. Despite the fact that leading entomologists and insect pest professionals have dismissed this idea as absurd, large chain stores have been struggling to dispel this unfounded rumor.

Although termites can survive in mulch once it is laid down on lawns, there is no chance that termites can be found in mulch while on store shelves. For example, in order to make mulch, wood goes through a chipping process that would most certainly kill all termites. Also, once termites are separated from their colonies, they will not survive for long.

Even termites that are found in lawn mulch show low survivability rates. This is not to say that mulch cannot lead to termite house infestations. But this scenario is unlikely. Just to be safe, keep mulch six inches away from the border of your home. The soil within your lawn can also be professionally treated to kill termites. So rest easy, and continue using mulch.

Have you ever found insects of any kind after opening a bag of store bought mulch? If you have, what type of insects did you find?