Re: Re: 1. Mulch Warning Not a Valid Concern (SafariAng)

That's it!
MULCH BUSH, NOT WOOD!

----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Boekelheide" <dboekelheide@yahoo.com>
To: <community_garden@mallorn.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 1:22 PM
Subject: [cg] Re: 1. Mulch Warning Not a Valid Concern (SafariAng)


Hi, all,

I'm getting the same skepticism about the termite
threat here in North Carolina from David Goforth, an
excellent NCSU Extension Agent who I've come to
respect and trust over the years as highly reliable.
The subterranean termites were already here and
spreading in the Southeast, prior to Katrina-Rita.
They are not likely to show up in mulch destined for
community gardens due to shipments from Louisiana,
bulk or bagged. Same story for imported fire ants (the
version of this urban legend I heard first).

Use of woody mulches right up to the footer of houses
in the Southeast isn't a real good idea, in any event
- we've got local termites that are already ready to
go.

Personally, I remain much more worried about Bush than
about Mulch.

Do you hear a munching sound...? Heck, it's just the
phone tap...

Don Boekelheide
Charlotte NC


Subject: Mulch Warning Not a Valid Concern (06-008)
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2006 00:07:07 -0500
From: "Mayer, Steve L"

Dear Master Gardeners,

The following mulch warning is being circulated via
e-mail.  Note the
reply from a Purdue entomologist who specializes in
urban and industrial
entomology.

Steve Mayer
Extension Educator-Horticulture
Purdue Extension-Marion County
6640 Intech Blvd., Suite 120
Indianapolis, IN 46278-2012
Phone: (317) 275-9305, Ext. 290
Fax: (317) 275-9309
E-mail: MayerSL@purdue.edu
Website:
http://www.ces.purdue.edu/CES/Marion/HortCon.htm



**********************************************************

Mulch Warning

If you use mulch around your house be very careful
about buying mulch
this year. After the Hurricane in New Orleans many
trees were blown
over. These trees were then turned into mulch and
the state is trying to
get rid of tons and tons of this mulch to any state
or company who will
come and haul it away. So it will be showing up in
Home Depot and Lowes
at dirt cheap prices with one huge problem; Formosan
Termites will be
the bonus in many of those bags. New Orleans is one
of the few areas in
the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a
strong hold and most
of the trees blown down were already badly infested
with those termites.
Now we may have the worst case of transporting a
problem to all parts of
the country that we have ever had. These termites
can eat a house in no
time at all and we have no good control against
them, so tell your
friends that own homes to avoid cheap mulch and know
were it came from.



**********************************************************

Reply to Mulch Warning

"I do not feel this is a valid concern.  The process
of turning wood
into mulch would kill the termites.  If a termite or
two did happen to
survive the process, they would die quickly because
of the lack of the
social system (workers, soldiers, reproductives,
etc. present in the
colony system that they maintain) so vital to
termite survival."

Gary W. Bennett, Dept. of Entomology, 901 W. State
Street, Purdue
University, W. Lafayette, IN 47907-2089.  (765)
494-4564
http://entm29.entm.purdue.edu/directory/entm/51.htm



**********************************************************

For More Info on Formosan Termites

The following contains information related to moving
wood, not mulch:


http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/en/environment/insects/Termites/formosan_termit

es/



**********************************************************

Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal
access/affirmative
action institution.

---
angela herrmann
safariang@yahoo.com

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