during last year's tornadoes, we had about a dozen trees down (mostly pine, some poplar), half of which we chainsawed and chipped into mulch

we used a significant amount almost immediately, but within the last year (or has it been less?), the pile has become infested with termites

there's still A LOT of mulch there, and i'd much rather use it than pay for some, obviously...but i need to kill the termites

i suspect the answer is "burn it", but has anyone ever run into a similar issue? were you able to mix termite poison/insecticide with the mulch to kill the little bastards? i use granules to kill fire ants...something like that that i could mix in would be ideal if it actually works

3/21/2012 9:20:56 AM

Kill it with fire. Then treat the area where the pile was. Don't fuck with termites.

3/21/2012 9:22:58 AM

^ +1

3/21/2012 2:24:16 PM

^^

3/21/2012 2:52:39 PM

1
Set termite bait traps around the mulched area, specifically on the corners. These small containers are made of plastic or metal, and are partially submerged in the ground with poisoned "food" that attracts the termites. Once they retrieve the food, termites will carry it home to the nest, wiping out the entire colony.

2
Treat the mulch with a liquid "termiticide"--a pesticide made specifically for targeting termites. Pour or spray this over the mulch, creating a barrier between the mulch and your home. There are two varieties--a repellent, which will keep termites from passing, and a non-repellent, which kills the termite on contact.

3
Spread boric acid over the mulch as a natural exterminator. It comes as a liquid, granule, aerosol, dust, powder or in pellets, and it will kill termites within several days.


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[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 3:04 PM. Reason : .]

3/21/2012 3:03:56 PM

Termites can fuck shit up really bad. You have to think of the risk versus reward. If you treat it right, you save $500 (?) in mulch. If you do it wrong and your house gets infested, you're looking at $10,000+ to fix it. Just burn it and move on.

3/21/2012 3:57:53 PM

I came home from vacation to a termite swarm in my bathroom. Glad I'm renting, but if there's 10k in damage, they may just tell us to fuck off as tenants.

3/21/2012 4:05:28 PM

Obviously that is just a possibility. It depends on the level of infestation, how much wood they have penetrated, and the cost of housing in the area. But regardless, it's going to be an expensive hassle.

3/21/2012 4:07:49 PM

No doubt. They've been there a year for sure. I wasn't living there at the time but I remember a small swarm of winged creatures about this time last year. We'll see tomorrow I guess.

I basically just wanted to reiterate that "it could happen" tone. 500 vs 5000 etc. Isn't a termite contract like only like 250/year though?

3/21/2012 4:14:27 PM

well, what's a good price for mulch? i don't need as much as is in the pile (just looking at what's there after we used what we did this fall)...this guy offers 10 cubic yards for $200, delivered: http://raleigh.craigslist.org/grd/2893679555.html

that doesn't seem too bad, but i'll probably need to compare it to bagged mulch cost to get an idea of how good (or bad) a value that is

i think i've decided to just burn it...termites are scary

3/21/2012 5:14:04 PM

Burn that shit. Three times.

3/21/2012 6:58:30 PM

city of raleigh sells mulch for $15 for 2.5 cubic yards

http://www.raleighnc.gov/environment/content/SolidWaste/Articles/YWProductsForSale.html

lowes sells bagged mulch for about $3 for 2 cubic feet

[Edited on March 21, 2012 at 10:06 PM. Reason : ]

3/21/2012 10:04:26 PM

If you don't kill those termites, all of them, they will just start eating/infesting the new mulch. And if you are in the Raleigh city limits, good luck burning it. The fine will be more than taking all the old shit and disposing of it and replacing it in the first place.

Look into using cypress or cedar mulch, it is a little more expensive but termites, ants, etc don't like it at all.

3/21/2012 10:27:36 PM

eh, rethink treating it with boric acid. excess boron kills some plants, and it is very immobile in the soil, so once you spread it, it will be there for decades. I'd try diatomaceous earth first, personally, but at least check if your plants are sensitive to boron.



if you perform all the treatments listed, and take precautions like speading the pile to treat, mix it up, turn daily and retreat at least once before use, it should be ok to use a few hundred feet from the house. Even if you don't use the mulch, their presence indicates that you need to have the house inspected and have preventative treatments, if it isn't already done. you people are clearly underestimating how many termites must already be around his place which sounds like it is in a wood lot. how else would the pile have gotten colonized in the first place? plus, buying more mulch will still provide termite habitat. and they don't really care what is in the mulch because it provides them cover and they can go elsewhere to feed.





[Edited on March 22, 2012 at 12:23 AM. Reason : also, you never know what is in someone else's mulch... ]

3/22/2012 12:04:16 AM

Quote :

"And if you are in the Raleigh city limits, good luck burning it. The fine will be more than taking all the old shit and disposing of it and replacing it in the first place."

i burn shit all the time in raleigh

3/22/2012 12:34:34 AM

http://www.raleighnc.gov/home/content/CityMgrAdmin/Articles/OpenBurningPineStraw.html

there's the official rules. you can burn stuff, you just have to say it is for heat and keep it small. no trash or leaves... says "yard debris" but wood is fucking wood. mulch is basically pelletized fuel. fuck em. which is what i assume ^'s position is.

3/22/2012 1:08:36 AM

yep.

3/22/2012 9:17:10 AM

putting bait stations around mulch isn't going to attract the termites in the pile. the primary function of a termite bait station is to intercept the scavenging termites before they reach something you want to protect. bait stations do not attract termites.

3/22/2012 11:40:23 AM

^not true, if a forager finds the bait station and perceives it as a 'better' resource, the termite will bring it back to the colony. But they are not very effective. However, I have never had this specific problem, so that is why I posted internet's advice.

3/22/2012 4:45:50 PM