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Termites are a dreaded pest for gardeners. When it comes to mulch, it can be frustrating because the same reason mulch is healthy for plants is the same reason termites are attracted to it: mulch is warm, nutritious, and damp. Since mulching is essential to gardening, you might wonder, “Can mulch cause termites?”
Although termites might find their way into mulch, it does not cause termites. Mulch is not a sustainable environment for termites for a few reasons:
- It dries out
- There’s not enough wood
- The roots of plants take most of the nutrients
Mulch does not cause termites, but there are still preventive measures you can take to ensure these damp-dwelling creatures stay far away from your home and garden.
How can mulch cause termites?
Mulch does not attract termites on its own. However, if your mulch is neglected, overlayered, or over-watered, you risk attracting termites.
Termites are still attracted to mulch because they prefer damp, moist areas, specifically the organic compound cellulose, an integral aspect of green plants. They also love the wood chips from mulch, which provide a nice snack for these wood-eating insects.
Termite Types
There are two kinds of termites: above-ground and subterranean. Subterranean termites are the kind that thrives in the walls of water-damaged wood and is known to destroy an entire home if the infestation is significant.
They also multiply faster in numbers and are known to swarm wildly when mating. Subterranean termites, by contrast, are extremely subtle, hard to detect, and usually remain outside in the soil.
Termites and Mulch
Termites do not naturally spring from mulch. Instead, they pre-exist underground and tunnel into the earth’s soil to find nutrition.
If they arrive in mulch, it’s usually because it is too thick for the soil. When mulch is too thick (higher than 3 inches), the top layer of soil will be dehydrated. At the same time, the bottom will retain too much water, resulting in decomposition and an overly moist environment.
Only then does it create an attractive ecosystem for termites.
Sustainability of mulch for termites
Although they like the mulch’s warmth and darkness, it is not an environment in which termites can thrive. If termites do arrive in mulch, they usually die shortly after.
Other bugs in mulch
Mulch is also known to attract millipedes, centipedes, spiders, sowbugs, earwigs, fungi, and ants for the same reason they attract termites- for the dark, moist, warm insulation.
This is why keeping the mulch shallow is important to discourage bugs from nesting and to colonize.
Beneficial Bugs
Some insects can act as beneficial organisms, such as ladybugs. Despite their demure name, ladybugs are fierce insect predators with an insatiable appetite for ants and mites.
While they may not kill off a termite infestation, they are known to eat insect eggs.
Signs of termites in mulch
Termites are not as apparent as above-ground termites because they live, feed, and breed underground. You should regularly check your mulch to ensure that the plants are growing as they should.
If you notice that your plants are beginning to droop or lose color, then termites might be lurking beneath the mulch.
Although they dwell beneath the surface, you can usually spot them by removing a dirt layer with a garden glove.
Should I remove mulch with termites?
Yes, you should remove termites if you see them. While subterranean termites may not cause the apparent damage as above-ground termites, it could lead to that if you neglect a small infestation.
Long-term Consequences of Subterranean termites
While subterranean termites don’t initially attack the home, they can harm your entire yard and home if left unchecked.
They have complex tunnel and chamber systems that allow them to invade your home from the ground up.
Does mulch attract termites to your house?
On its own, mulch does not attract termites to homes. However, you should always be vigilant against anything that could cause water damage and excessive moisture.
A significant infestation can destroy an entire home within a year. Additionally, if mulch is placed improperly right next to the wood walls of your home, then the chance that mulch will attract termites into your house increases.
Does red mulch attract termites?
While termites can be attracted to most mulch, redwood mulch is not edible for termites. The extract from this California redwood acts as a natural repellent against them.
Redwood also lacks high levels of cellulose; the compound termites love to soak up.
Does cypress mulch attract termites?
Like the redwood found in mulch, cypress wood chips are not edible for termites. It is durable and water and rot-resistant, making it an unsavory snack for moldy-loving insects.
These woods also contain thujone, a resin chemical that is unattractive to insects.
Is bagged mulch treated for termites?
Many bagged mulch is already set with pesticides to kill termites, ants, snails, and slugs, though they might not always be practical. Your best option is to apply mulch that termites will find unattractive and inhospitable.
What is the best mulch to use to avoid termites?
These termite-resistant mulch woods have a low level of cellulose and are very dry, so they lack the essentials of a thriving termite environment:
- Melaleuca Mulch
- Cedar Mulch
- Cypress Mulch
- Inorganic Mulch
- Gravels, pebbles, and river rocks
- Volcanic rock, organic chips
Is it OK to put mulch around your house?
Moist, organic mulch should not be touching the walls of your house, especially if it has a wooden exterior rather than marble or stone.
A good rule of thumb is to keep a six-inch bridge between the wall and the soil or mulch. You risk potential termites by placing moist mulch near your walls because termites can build mud tubes and attack your home from the bottom up.
For added protection, place inorganic mulch against the walls as a sure barrier. Marble mulch is a great defense because it is heavy, inorganic, and brightly colored. It is everything termites repelled by.
If you plan to create a garden or do a large landscaping project, avoid adding more than 3 inches of mulch over the soil. Too much mulch can cause the top layer to dry out, dehydrating the first layer of soil.
Conversely, it can retain too much moisture deep within the soil, causing root rot and general decomposition. It’s in this dark, thick, overmoist layer that attracts termites.
How to remove termites from mulch
The best way to remove termites from mulch is to remove the mulch altogether. Generally, the mulch is not saved once a termite infestation has occurred.
By the time you have identified termites in the mulch, they have already soaked up the nutrients meant for the plants’ roots.
Landscape Infestations
A more extensive infestation that spans over 6 feet will require more work and a possible call to your local pest control guy.
After removing the mulch, the second best thing is to rake the soil to expose the remaining termites to sunlight. This will kill them naturally if exposed to the elements and other insect predators.
Mulch and Infestations
Despite what many people think, mulch does not cause termite infestations. However, taking preventative action such as not layering too much mulch and keeping it at least six feet away from your home wall will help guard against potential infestations.
