A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 More termite questions

Hopefully Suzanne can answer me here. I have been under the impression that if there are termites in mulch, and you use the mulch, the existing termites will eventually die and because they are cutoff from the nest and have no queen, they don't pose a problem. Similarly, I have a relation who turns wood and he is not concerned about taking home wood with termites in it, for the same reasons. Also, i will take home wood for landscaping etc. So my question is whether or not this is true.
Incidentally, my house is protected so though i know they are in my gardens, i'm not too concerned. I think there is a lot of scare mongering regarding termites. Am i being complacent?

When I got termites in my house I was told that Termites live in the ground, and eat the wood. Termites only eat wood that is dead.

The reason that termites were so bad at my house is for one thing my yard slopes. From the front of the house to back is about a 2' drop in elevation.

The foundation at the front is only about 6" above the ground, and somebody had nailed a piece of flashing across the front of the house so that the siding didn't extend all the to the foundation.

Termites don't like light, they build "mud tubes" from the ground to the wood, so they were coming up between the flashing and the foundation. You don't see the termites they are inside the mud tubes like little tunnels. If you break the tubes you will see the termites. Normally they won't build these tubes if the wood is more than 8" from the ground.

Also termites like it moist. The flashing also covered the vents. I have now removed the flashing, dug a trench along the front of the house, and added 2 vents to dry thing out. Plus added the Sentracon System.

I don't think I will have to deal with termites again.

Now termites in other parts of the world may be different.

a lot of this depends on what species of termite you are dealing with, dry wood, damp wood, subterranean, etc... take your pick

Also what kind of termite it is.. as in working, soldier, reproductive ....

I am not a termite expert by any means.. I work with insects that attack live plants. The best for information is an urban entomologist.