Why Do I Have Termites In Garden?

You might believe you're transforming your garden into a tropical paradise, as well as unsuspectingly establishing a termite colony paradise.

Types of Termites

There are up to two thousand termites, but the most common termites are the Drywood termites, dampwood termites, subterranean termites, and the Formosan termites.

The Drywood termites

This type of termite is found in southern tier states, from North Carolina to the Gulf Coast and into the coastal areas of California. They raid dry wood, and the woods do not need to touch the soil before the drywood termites infest the woods.

You will mostly find their nests in wooden wall supports and roof materials. Moreover, they can infest dead wood that you keep around your property. Drywood termites do not require as much moisture like other types of termites for survival; nonetheless, you can find them near a water source like a water heater or leaky pipe.

The Dampwood termites

The dampwood termites as you’ve rightly guessed infest damp woods, which are woods that are high in moisture content. These termites are larger than the common termite species and found in pacific coastal and adjacent states, the desert or semi-arid southwest, and southern Florida.

The good thing is they do not infest structures because of the low moisture content, but you need to take away damp woods from your structure to avoid bringing dampwood termites to your home.

The Subterranean termites

You can find the subterranean termites in all states except Alaska; unfortunately, they are the most destructive pests in the United States; they live in moist secluded areas above the ground or underground colonies.

These termites’ lairs often consist of two million members. When you see distinctive “mud tubes” around the house, just know they are the access to food sources and to protect themselves from open air.

The Formosan termites

These types are the most aggressive, voracious, and devious termites out of the 2000 termite species known to science, they are found in Hawaii, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, California, South, and North Carolina. The Formosan termites are highly organized; they build intricate mud nests inside the walls of a building. Also, because of their aggressive nature, they are difficult to control once they get access to a structure.

Termite’s infestation

If underground termites (subterranean) appear in your vegetable garden, you may want to understand how without harming your crops, you can get rid of them. Unlike dry wood termites that are simpler to defeat with chemical gasses because they reside in the structure of the home, soil termites need unique care. The pests generally generate colonies under the soil, making it hard to find and eliminating them. Subterranean termites abandon their homes and wander out in the open when they find food or fresh locations to attack.

Identifying them is the first move to get rid of your termite issue. Although many kinds of subterranean termites are discovered in nature, some are more common than others, including the species of Formosan. Formosan termites reside throughout the U.S. but tend to live mostly in the southern parts of the country. Furthermore, Formosan pests can inhabit inside and outside the building if they discover the ideal circumstances in your vegetable garden, such as the wet soil.

You may not see the nymphs, queen, king, and workers of the pests unless you dig into the soil. You can see the black to yellow-brown swarmers and dark brown troops of the colonies. The swarmers have big, transparent wings and usually leave to look for meals and fresh homes from the nesting grounds.

The soldiers have no wings and often remain behind to protect the settlements from ants and other animals that prey on their young. But you may have a fighting opportunity to protect your vegetable farm with the correct tips and advice. Here are some poor gardening practices that attract termites in your garden, as well as five excellent gardening practices that will assist you in fighting a danger of termites:

Your gardening habits that cause termites in your garden

You are removing of treated soil: Soil close to your foundation may have been handled with liquid termiticide. Keen gardeners sometimes even mistakenly cut this over in their attempts to enhance esthetic qualities, but all they do is remove this protective obstacle.

You are planting too near to your house

A popular gardening system includes planting beds that hide your home's foundation. These generate an atmosphere that fosters termites in your foundations, providing the necessary moisture and establishing a natural route to under-building and beyond.

You are over-watering your plant

A really well-presented garden needs water to flourish. Gardeners will overwater in an attempt to preserve proper soil moisture, producing the humid environment that termites enjoy.

Wood product of mulch

Several gardeners use mulch to manage weeds for the welfare of their gardens. A mulch of wood products is an attractor of termites, and if it is put straight up to the home boundaries is an open invitation to the local colony of termites.

Leaf build up

When leaves drop in the autumn, gardeners start the endless struggle to maintain their garden free of dead leaves. If fallen leaves are left too long, they can clog gutters and drains and make the ideal habitat for flourishing termites invade your house. 

How To Prevent Termites

Keep wood away from home: Make sure that you maintain a wood store away from your home and maintain untreated wood away from the ground.