Cedar Mulch for Pest Control

Here in TX, the garden centers are selling shredded cedar mulch for pest control.

Anyone have experience using cedar for this purpose. How effective is it?

Thanks.

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Cedar is resistant to fungal decay, and bugs don't like to eat it, and that's why it's used in outdoor structures. But it doesn't "deter" anything. You might have less insects laying larva in the soil under the mulch, but that won't keep them from finding cracks in your house to get in, or yummy plants to munch on.

I agree... I use shredded cedar mulch because I like the color and odor, but after new applications for 3 years now, I can say it does not seem to deter pests. It does help (minimally) to repel my cats from using the beds as a kitty litter box!

Slugs don't like it..

Byron

Does cedar mulch next to the house attract termites?

NO

termites hate cedar

I think the initial aroma of cedar may deter for a short period of time, but the fragrance of the cedar quickly wears off...

I didn't used to think that termites would be attracted to cedar mulch, but dug in a flower bed with old cedar mulch two days ago, and 'lo and behold' found a couple little termites devouring an old piece of cedar mulch. The mulch was over a year old, and many of the oils and fragrance had long leached out. Now it had become like any other decomposing wood...termite food!

Honestly, I will never buy the barky stuff again. Not just for that reason, but also because every time I put some down, I get an infestation of nut grass from the seeds that seem to be in every bag of mulch...Flowerbeds look so neat and pretty for about three weeks, then hundreds of little nut grass shoots start to appear, and make it look worse than it did before I started...

I've begun the last few years to just run the mower over my lawn in the fall(we scalp ours and plant rye grass). Between the "dead straw" of the St. Augustine grass and all the chewed up leaves(we have a lot of trees) the grass catcher provides loads of great mulch. They are a nice even color, so don't draw attention, and because they are thin chopped up leaves, they break down faster. This kind of mulch not only provides a "regular blanket" for your garden beds, but because it is thin and chopped up the decomposition creates heat, and makes it an "electric blanket", lol...

I've had things survive the winter, that should have never survived. I also have more worms than I've ever had, because I've now fed them more than I ever have...(they LOVE leaf mulch and have really rewarded my for it, by being helpful in improving my soil)

The bark only provides the "regular blanket" because it doesn't break down fast enough. It decomposes much more slowly.

I don't think the leaf/grass mulch would ever attract termites since it doesn't last long enough for them to find it. By the time the termites bread dormancy in Spring, the leaf mulch has almost disappeared. The other barky stuff is still there, ... sprouting nut grass, and waiting to be eaten by termites, lol...

(I'm in Texas, too)...Our pest control service said there are two types of homes in Texas: "Ones that have termites and ones that will"...
On a program on TV once, we say where TX is the termite capital of the entire US!

I'd recommend scrap the costly barky stuff and use the free leafs that nature provides. Your worms will thank you, you pocket book will thank you, and you won't be providing termite food...
-T

Sigh-- the only trees on my proprty are cedar.... so no leaves for me...

mystic-
you many not have any leaves, but don't you have neighbors around you that throw theirs away?
I know half the people in our neighborhood PAY to have them picked up...that is if I don't get them, first, lol...

Seems you could just benefit from the neighbors leaves?
-T

Well, I'll weigh in here. There is alot of Cypress mulch sold here and that is what I use. The palmeto's stay out of it and out of my house. I am very sure they keep down the pest which were plentiful when I moved in.
Along with bushels of Live Oak leaves. They are leathery and plentiful. I am half the time hauling them to a pile or from one.
It takes a year or better for them to break down.
sidney