Feature:How does your garden grow?

Consider this Before Digging in Your Flower Beds ...

Have you ever stopped to consider that what you do in your plant beds, especially up close to your home’s foundation, may im-pact the termite activity in and around your home? As you dig and plant (or even have construction done) near the foundation of your home, you may be disrupting a termite-treated zone or barrier that you have paid for to prevent a termite infestation. Always keep this in mind before you dig! Many homeowners love to mulch their yards.

And there are a variety of mulch brands out there including pine straws and wood/bark mulch. Mulch is meant to insulate and keep plants warm in the winter, and then provide moisture retention and protection in the dryer months of the year. Research evidence supports the fact that termites are attracted to both increased thermal and moisture gradients. In lay terms, this means that termites will follow and cue in on increased warmth and water areas near a home.

If you are going to use mulch in your garden near your home, rake it away from the home’s foundation and the treated zone; you may also want to consider using hardwood over softwood mulch, as softwoods have been shown to be more attractive to termites. Hardwood mulch is harder to find, but may be worth the effort in the long run.

If for any reason you should suspect termite activity, don’t forget to give us a call!