Termites and yard mulch

Anybody know anything about termites? I'm in SC. Spent the holiday lugging 1500 lbs of edging bricks home from Loews and laying them out, now I'm looking for something to fill up the flowerbeds with. I don't want pinestraw, its color doesnt last and wastes money (I dont have any pine trees myself) replenishing it 4-5 times a year.

I was thinking about river rocks or small pebbles, but these are $150 per cubic yard from the local supplier, and I'd need 4-5 cubic yards at least. They also have pine bark and various wood mulches, none of which are cedar but are dyed different colors. Some of them say "hardwood" but are not specific.

Are these safe to put up against the house, or will they attract termites? I like the big chips of pine bark most of all.

According to my termite guy, the wood chips attract and house the termites nicely, conveniently next to your house.

Bob

Have fought armies of termites. Was told that, mainly in the South, that all homes have termites "passing though". The secret is not to let them find a home (YOUR home).

The way they come in and stay is to allow them to come into your home and return to the soil to get water. So, do not let them have that pathway. Do not allow the wood in your home to make contact with the soil.

So, to me, I would not pile up any type of wood against the house.

Shooter is correct,

The most important thing to do in the south is to keep wood out of contact with the ground. Common termites have to return to the ground every few hours. You want at least a foot of area with no wood of any kind from touching your house or foundation.

The cedar chips will work for a while, but would need to be removed and replaced on a very regular basis. Cedar repels many insects such as moths in a cedar closet, but even cedar chips can actually attract termites over time when they lose their resins in outside conditions and just become wood mulch.
(Mmmm 'tasty' for termites)

Thanks guys.

I guess I'll go with the small river rocks. They are more than twice as much, but will last a lifetime anyway.

About half the people in my subdivision have mulch up against their houses. Not good.

I think you're doing the best thing Kragnut. You'll actually save money with the small river rocks in a short time as apposed to wood chips that will wash away in our southern storms and decompose to nothing.
Plus I feel the river rocks look much nicer.

I'm using rubber mulch from lowes $9/bag, or Wally world $7/bag....go w/ the dark brown if you like or the "reddish" ....the stuff I got orriginally from Lowes was stringy and looked just like shredded wood, subsequent bags were smaller chunks...blended in well so I don't care... It is soft and looks sharp.

best regards,

Dave

I don't live in an area with a termite problem, but any insect species is annoying when they take up residence in numbers.
I used anti-weed matting and covered that with crushed limestone. If you like the white look.........? I know some dont at all and river gravel does look "better" at least to my eye. However it may cost much less so it may be worth looking into.
I would still recomend the weed mat though. Allows water through but smothers growth. Just X cut wherever you decide to plant. Doesn't cost much and certainly keeps the headaches down to a minimum.

I appreciate hearing of the termite/cedar chip scenario.


Dave, I hadn't thought of rubber mulch. Another good idea.
Does it smell at all in bright sunlight?

Before you buy the rocks from Lowes or somewhere else, check with a local gravel company. They should have something similar at a price a lot less than X number of bags from a garden/home improvement store.

I have read that any wood (like fire wood) should not be stored near your house, tremite control people in Ill recommend a minumin distance ( I forgot what it is, something like 50 -100 ft. They will only travel a certain distance from their nests. However to think any wood in your house being isolated from the ground, is a cure is incorrect. Termites will build tunnels up foundation walls to get to the wood, made from dirt, they will look like they were made by "mud dauber" wasps. If your house is built on a slab or has a crawl space these will be on the inside of the foundation. They will also find routes up thru the inside of concrete blocks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by davpet

I'm using rubber mulch from lowes $9/bag, or Wally world $7/bag....go w/ the dark brown if you like or the "reddish" ....the stuff I got orriginally from Lowes was stringy and looked just like shredded wood, subsequent bags were smaller chunks...blended in well so I don't care... It is soft and looks sharp.

best regards,

Dave

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Hows that rubber mulch holding up color and smell wise? Any sign of termite interest? Thats about the same price as the rocks from my local gravel yard but looks a hell of a lot better.

If you like the look of the shredded rubber I'd go for it Kragnut!

Same benefits as rocks. It may have a little odor in the hot sun at first but it'll dissipate. Should last for a very long time and require little maintenance.:thup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kragnut

Anybody know anything about termites? I'm in SC. Spent the holiday lugging 1500 lbs of edging bricks home from Loews and laying them out, now I'm looking for something to fill up the flowerbeds with. I don't want pinestraw, its color doesnt last and wastes money (I dont have any pine trees myself) replenishing it 4-5 times a year.

I was thinking about river rocks or small pebbles, but these are $150 per cubic yard from the local supplier, and I'd need 4-5 cubic yards at least. They also have pine bark and various wood mulches, none of which are cedar but are dyed different colors. Some of them say "hardwood" but are not specific.

Are these safe to put up against the house, or will they attract termites? I like the big chips of pine bark most of all.

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Termites go into a (wooden framed) house to eat wood. (They will ALSO be able to acquire access through concrete slabs wherever a crack or joint is present) They return to the ground for water. They DO NOT LIVE in your house. The type of mulch you use doesn't matter. Pine Bark and Cedar are prefered for other type insects.

The thing to do is have the foundation of your dwelling TREATED for termites and then rest easy.

NO termites in my house for 39 years after finding them in 1970. BUT, they don't use the same chemicals now, so a 10 year re-treat is the current recomendation.

I have lived in the South all my life. In this house for 25 years.

FWIW,

Emri

P.S.- Ask the (local) state agriculture entension agent about your particular question. I went to the one here to ask about "Amazon" termites which supposedly don't respond to the "usual" treatments. The termite company which I use wanted a BIG payment to treat for them. The AG station didn't have a clue what I was asking about. They aren't here yet it appears, but are in the New Orleans area from what I have read. The pesticide co. just wanted for me to pay them to be "protected" just in case.

Good Luck!!!

Best landscaping advice I ever got:
"If you can't cut it with a chainsaw you don't need it"

we used 1" white aggregate over weed matting, be sure to nail it down, used the plastic edging outside, a mistake, will use interlocking bricks to provide outside border next time, u can poke them back in line easier if u nudge it with mower, plastic strip pulls out of the ground.

Think chloradane if you can find it, from house to 4' away , around whole house, but you can never plant edible plants there, EVER.

da gimp

You can buy brick chips from a local brick manufacturer a lot cheaper than you can in a bag at Lowes. If you are in South Carolina you should be able to find some near you. There are lots of brick manufacturers in South Carolina. The bugs don't eat brick and they don't rot.

Quite often, mulch will come with termites already inside.

The rubber has been down over a month and the smell is gone...it smelled like a new bicycle tire for about a week.....I don't mind cause I like that smell. I put the weed block plastic down , and duct taped the seams... then on with the rubber. I like it....the color is supposed to stay the same for 12 years. I don't care...it is dark and looks really sharp. I think it helped rejuvenate a spiral spruce tree that I thought was dying...Maybe it kept the heat in the soil and the rain we've had recently has gotten the ornamental trees looking green and showing new growth. I'm very pleased....get yourself some of the cheap stepping stones from Wally World or Lowes, the mulch has a tendency to be easily kicked and if you're walking on it, chances are you'll kick some on your walkway or patio.

Good Luck,

Dave

Google 'termites in (name of state)' and you will get more info then you need.