Stories about bugs… FYI - pass it on!
Termite tale NOT TRUE … from Jenny Keener, her article appears in the April 2006 issue of ´The Rock Pile Newsletter´.
"Have you gotten the email about the termites? The one that goes like this:
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."
"Since about 95% of the forwarded emails I've ever received have been either completely made up or have used the facts in such a way as to bear no resemblance to the actual truth, I've learned to trust nothing until I've verified it."
"When checked, there is a very long explanation about how the story got started and whether there is any cause for concern. Bottom line: the story is false. It is true that there is a termite problem in particular parishes of Louisiana, but the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) in Louisiana imposed a quarantine for the Formosan subterranean termite on October 3, 2005. Provisions of the quarantine include: Movement of wood or cellulose material is prohibited unless either (1) it is fumigated or treated for Formosan subterranean termites and is approved for movement by the commissioner or his designee(s) or (2) written authorization is given by the commissioner or his designee(s) for the movement of untreated wood or cellulose material from the quaranted parishes."
"OK, so to recap, termites are bad, but termite infested debris is not being hauled out of Louisiana to be used as mulch at dirt-cheap prices."
"FYI - pass it on… formosan termites are NOT going to be in your mulch!"
Other Tales about mulch
Not sure what is worse, the termites or the chemicals! But all kidding aside… there should be warnings on mulch (like the warnings I want on invasive plants)! So here are a few tips I offer: Mulch can carry bugs, chemicals, and unwanted plant debris. Be careful when spreading mulch… try to do this task on a non-windy day, wear a face mask, gloves, and a long sleeved shirt. Pretty funny picture … but not so funny if the next day you discover you've gotten poison ivy (like my neighbors did after spreading a truck load of bulk mulch). Also not funny when you wake up the next day and are having a difficult time breathing because of what you inhaled!
Some pine bark mulch can and does carry with it some microscopic organisims that cannot only infect your lungs but will leave unsightly poka-dots all over your house that cannot be removed with a scrub brush and whatever solution you try. Power washing also doesn't remove these dots.
Use caution when purchasing mulch to use around childrens play areas, there are ´children safe´ mulches readily available, so please use them to protect your children.
If you are prone to allergies or lung problems… maybe the best remedy is to get somebody else to spread your mulch and stay well! "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cures" as my grandmother used to say!
