Termites In Mulch Bag
Termites are attracted to mulch but not for the reasons you may think.
Termites in mulch bag. The first variant and probably the best way to get rid of termites in mulch is to impregnate its components with a borate salt an important boron component a salt of boric acid and a mineral. A more realistic termite risk is caused by piling mulch too high up against your siding so that it provides a bridge over the termiticide treated foundation and into the house. This is unfounded and unlikely. Being in a contact with soil this material placed near a termites colony will cause insects extermination.
Mulch does not attract or detract termites. Avoid planting gum trees paperbark trees and palm trees. Termites love to nest in the root crowns of these trees. If you have 100 termites in a shovel load of mulch and lay it in your garden the termites will not survive.
If there are termites in it they will die without their colony. The chance of you opening a bag of mulch with a live termite while working on a client s property is slim to none. Mulch does not transport termites in bags. Your mulch is only a bug magnet if it s constantly damp.
Mulch is food for termites and if found termites will eat it but they will not seek out mulch anymore than they will your home. Large pieces of wood boards or pressure treated railroad ties are even more conducive to hosting a termite nest than mulch piles. There are ways to keep termites out of your mulch. If you are using treated mulch it needs to be a termite resistant mulch otherwise its quite literally an invitation for termite colonies to nest within your property.
Even if you bought the mulch directly from the mill and it was never properly packed the termites that can be inside a mere workers and will not last long being separated from their colony. Mulch can attract termites like it does other bugs but they won t multiply in it. There have been rumors that large chain stores have spread termites by selling infested mulch. Termites would not survive in the sealed bag so even if you find any in the bag you bought from the store they will be long dead.
It s reasonable to think that termites would be attracted to mulch because many mulches are made at least partly of wood. How to kill termites in mulch. It s not impossible to find termites in a bag of mulch but it s not likely they would survive for long or even be alive once the bag is opened. Termites in mulch from stores.
A termite has a slim chance of surviving.