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landscape designSoil, Compost & Mulch
michael_dante

Will mulch as a backyard attract termites?

Michael Dante
3 years ago

I'm planning on using free mulch to cover most of a small backyard. It doesn't rain much here (in Northern California) and I was thinking a 2"-3" depth would keep the mulch from getting too moist and attracting termites. I have a wooden fence and a wooden shed; would making a buffer between the mulch and the wooden structures be enough to keep them safe from termites? I'm not concerned about how mulch looks since the ground right now is just decomposing fake turf with patches of dirt.

Comments (4)

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    3 years ago

    Just keep the mulch at least 6 inches away from wooden surfaces and you should be fine. Even better if you use a wood mulch that will actually repel or deter them - redwood, western red cedar, eucalyptus.

  • PRO
    2 J's & Sons
    3 years ago

    Most mulch especially colored mulch anymore is treated to repel fungus and insects.

  • Gawdinfever Z6
    3 years ago

    Haven't had issues with termites, but omg the VOLES!!!

  • John D Zn6a PIT Pa
    3 years ago

    I would recommend bark rather than a wood chip based mulch which is what most dyed mulches are. And a hardwood bark keeps it's color all season where a soft wood bark mulch looses it's color during the first season. Insects tend to live either under the bark or in the wood and tend to avoid the bark.

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