CLOSED: I have termites. How do I discourage them in the garden?

My new home + 5 acres has termites present in the ground (I'm in the northeast).

I know how to prevent termites in the house, but what do I do to discourage them in the garden?

I'm an experienced gardener, but have never dealt with termites. I will put in veg and fruit gardens, trees and ornamenals.

What activities and materials do I need to avoid in my garden?

I will avoiding using wood for fence posts and other construction and I will be cautious with wood mulch.

Questions:

-Should I pull the stumps of 3 big trees I'm cutting down?
-Should I avoid certain materials in compost piles (sticks, straw, wood chips) ?
-Will it be a problem to use straw as mulch (eg, strawberries)?
-Will it be a problem to use pine needles as mulch (on blueberries or other)?
-Will termites be attracted to or damage vegetables or living shrubs or trees?
-Are they known to eat vegetables? I read on a thread that someone had termites eat his turnips.
-Are there plants that deter termites?
-Anyone have experience with chickens (or other predators) eating termites?

I researched the basics, I'd love to hear personal experiences!

Any ideas, thoughts, comments are greatly appreciated.

Thanks a ton!

I have termits endemic to this area- they sem to love the sandy soil. We havesome damage in the house n the past. I talkd to the state exterminator's licensing office about it.

I don't think you will ever eliminate all the termites. Protect the house. Ensure good drainage. Don't encourage them near the house with firewood,compost,other wood scraps,typical mulch. . Personally, we have no faith in the exterminator programs,; we do use a bait station program you can buy a the home store or maybe walmart.
If you leave the stumps, you have given a longlasting food source. I have seen them in pieces of dead roots from bushes had taken out. I had them come in through the wall and eat into some paperback books on a shelf(that was really creepy). I only use a little cedar mulch near the house, and finished compost.
They will eat untreated wood like fence posts or large garden stakes.
They do not eat live plant material. They eat cellulose when it has a specific moisture content/range(acc to state entomologist) I'v heard that ants eat termites.
Personally,I go for peaceful coexistance; they can eat stuff out in the yard, I wouldn't expect I could eliminate them all anyway.
Also would like others opinions.

This message was edited Feb 6, 2007 3:43 PM

Wow Jackie, what a dillema! I've never heard of an area just being prone to termites. I hope others can post some solutions!

Tir- we eastern and mid atlantic people are used to termites in the ground- (what would worry me is the dry wood kind like new orleans) but
Back to the initial topic~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have read they will eat other forms of cellulose (other than wood). That led me to be concerned about using straw as mulch.

I'll ask an entomologist about that and share the results.

Anyone out there know if that's true?

-J


This message was edited Feb 7, 2007 11:14 AM

Thanks, Sally. The book story is creepy! I will definitely get rid of as much of the stumps as I can.

I'll not use wood mulch near the house, but I usually use it on shrubs (blueberries, etc). I wonder if that will encourage a problem? Maybe the solution is to compost everything before using it as mulch? If I do that, the challenge is going to be producing this volume of compost, since I have a few acres.

I will use metal stakes and posts in the garden. I usually have a brush pile and put brush/ wood (in some form) in the compost pile. Obviously, I need to keep those piles far from buildings. I wonder if I should avoid wood/brush in compost them all-together.

The area is constantly wet/damp and is known to have endemic termites.

That's good info about termites attracted to cellulose with a specific moisture content.

Termites like mulch, whether it's stones, bark, or wood chips or straw. I would talk to the agricultural extension office and see what they say. Termites won't hurt your garden, though.


http://www.whyy.org/91FM/ybyg/mulchtermite.html

The bait station system is available from a commercial exterminator as well as a homeowner version. Th theory is that you have these cardboard baits with a chemical . the termites come ot eat cardboard then get the chemical and it gets back to the colony. I think they like the mulch as well as concrete slabs because there is moist ground under there for the colony, then they'll roam for the food.

I've never seen them actually IN the compost. but I wasn't looking either.
Lke claypa said- ask your state gov't people, extension/dept of ag

I agree with what you say about the moisture under concrete. Much research shows the type of mulch doesn't really have an effect -that termites are attracted as much to pea gravel as wood mulch.

It's important to speak with extension people. I like to hear anecdotes and personal experiences as well.