myth or not?

[aspeck]

Was sent this today and didn't find anything to say it was true or not.<br />____________________________________<br />Heads Up for Homeowners<br /><br />Be careful if you plan to buy mulch...<br /><br />If you use mulch around your house be very careful about buying mulch this year. The hurricanes blew over many trees in New Orleans. These trees were then turned into mulch. Louisianais trying to get rid of tons and tons of this mulch to any state or company who will come and haul it away. It will probably start showing up in Home Depot and Lowes at cheap prices. There's just one huge problem - Formosan Termites will be the bonus in many of those bags. New Orleansis one of the few areas in the country where the Formosan Termites have gotten a strong hold and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with these termites. These termites can eat a house in no time at all and we have no good control against them. Tell your friends that own homes to avoid using mulch that doesn't state where it came from or if it came from New Orleans.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: myth or not?

It's a myth. Termites could never survive the machine that shreds the bark, and then be sealed into a plastic bag and trucked across the country.

 

[aspeck]

Re: myth or not?

Kinda what I thought, but I am no bug expert and know those little buggers can be awfully tough to kill at times - and their eggs are smaller then even tougher to get rid of ...

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: myth or not?

If I’m correct termites infest only dead timber. Therefore "most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with these termites" doesn’t sound right. BTW I'm no bug guy, but I did drive by a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

[BRG25]

Re: myth or not?

False...<br /><br /> Snopes sez...

 

[aspeck]

Re: myth or not?

Thanks BRG ... sent the Snopes page back to all that sent the termite thing to me.

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: myth or not?

Well I certainly feel better knowing the government in the great state of Louisiana is enforcing a quarantine. These are the same people who oversaw levee construction. Lo and behold the levee piles have been found to be 5' shorter than the design. <br />And there has never been any graft or payoffs in La. gov't. either.<br /><br />I'm going to be real careful where I buy mulch this year.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: myth or not?

Our brilliant local news' AG Report guy reported it as fact on the air last week. I almost called, but hey, the local mulch dealers will do that for me!

 

[PW2]

Re: myth or not?

Sorry to burst your bubble on that, but the Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for building the levees. That's not to say there was not incompetence and graft involved, but not on the Louisiana state level.

 

[Mr.Ladyfish]

Re: myth or not?

The COE design, fund and handle construction administration on projects like that. The actual construction and inspection is bid out. These type of projects must have a local sponsor or they aren't built. Usually it is the county or state.

 

[KRS]

Re: myth or not?

Save the Termites!!!!!!!!! The Formosan Termites, let THEM LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />[chanting] ter-mites ter-mites...

 

[rwise]

Re: myth or not?

it was in the news here, said they don't THINK that they could survive the chipper, but have quarinteened the stuff anyway. thats what was in the news,,,,,<br />Myself I only use local stuff,,,, for free,,,,,, delivered!

 

[bayman]

Re: myth or not?

On a similar note, there are boats that have been flooded from the hurricanes and they are finding their way back into the marketplace. Be wary about a lot more than termites.

 

[Ron G]

Re: myth or not?

From my understanding any mulch thats not heavly treated can have termites,Around here the county grinds up all its own limbs and trees and puts it in a pile,its free to the public and the public uses it,its full of termites.the misses likes the stuff but i would'nt have it around my house why take a chance.