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We just had several yards of mulch laid up against many parts of the
foundation of our house. It's a very dark color and has a very strong odor.
My wife said it smells like horses. Do you know what type of mulch this is
called?

One Problem is, I didn't think of it but we recently had a major problem
with carpenter ants. Will this dark mulch laid up against the home attract
the ants to the house? I know mulch retains moisture, and also know that
carpenter ants love moisture, so was this mulch a mistake?

Billy wrote:

We just had several yards of mulch laid up against many parts of the
foundation of our house. It's a very dark color and has a very strong odor.
My wife said it smells like horses. Do you know what type of mulch this is
called?

One Problem is, I didn't think of it but we recently had a major problem
with carpenter ants. Will this dark mulch laid up against the home attract
the ants to the house? I know mulch retains moisture, and also know that
carpenter ants love moisture, so was this mulch a mistake?

Around our place, in Florida, carpenter ants have not nested in mulch.
They have nested in wet structural wood, dead limbs in old hedges,
hollows in trees and in landscape timbers. I have no worry about
carpenter ants that are outdoors and not in structural wood, but
cleaning up the dead stuff got rid of them. They are not a problem
unless they forage indoors, in which case the more immediate problems
are available food spills, openings they use, and trees that contact the
roof.

Did you buy mulch or compost? Compost is usually manure, soil, and
various vegetative waste. Clean shredded wood or bark should not smell
like horse manure.

Mulch, soil and vegetation should be a minimum of 6" from wood
structure. If it is piled closer, you should do some digging.

Billy wrote:

We just had several yards of mulch laid up against many parts of the
foundation of our house. It's a very dark color and has a very strong odor.
My wife said it smells like horses. Do you know what type of mulch this is
called?

One Problem is, I didn't think of it but we recently had a major problem
with carpenter ants. Will this dark mulch laid up against the home attract
the ants to the house? I know mulch retains moisture, and also know that
carpenter ants love moisture, so was this mulch a mistake?

Around our place, in Florida, carpenter ants have not nested in mulch.
They have nested in wet structural wood, dead limbs in old hedges,
hollows in trees and in landscape timbers. I have no worry about
carpenter ants that are outdoors and not in structural wood, but
cleaning up the dead stuff got rid of them. They are not a problem
unless they forage indoors, in which case the more immediate problems
are available food spills, openings they use, and trees that contact the
roof.

Did you buy mulch or compost? Compost is usually manure, soil, and
various vegetative waste. Clean shredded wood or bark should not smell
like horse manure.

Mulch, soil and vegetation should be a minimum of 6" from wood
structure. If it is piled closer, you should do some digging.

In article ,
says...

One Problem is, I didn't think of it but we recently had a major problem

with carpenter ants. Will this dark mulch laid up against the home attract

the ants to the house? I know mulch retains moisture, and also know that

carpenter ants love moisture, so was this mulch a mistake?

The mulch won't be so much an issue with carpenter ants
but maybe several smaller variety of ants along with
different type of insects that live in that sort of
environment. Even though mulch will attract some insects
over time you still are better off with the mulch in the
long run. Just don't let it build up higher than the
foundation, six inches below is best.
--

http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/owl1.jpg

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

In article ,
says...

One Problem is, I didn't think of it but we recently had a major problem

with carpenter ants. Will this dark mulch laid up against the home attract

the ants to the house? I know mulch retains moisture, and also know that

carpenter ants love moisture, so was this mulch a mistake?

The mulch won't be so much an issue with carpenter ants
but maybe several smaller variety of ants along with
different type of insects that live in that sort of
environment. Even though mulch will attract some insects
over time you still are better off with the mulch in the
long run. Just don't let it build up higher than the
foundation, six inches below is best.
--

http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/owl1.jpg

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

I put nugget bark mulch (1 to 2 inch chips) in my yard in Seattle and
have found carpenter ants nesting in two spots, both under large flower
pots which sit in more or less permanent locations on top of the mulch
layer. I don't see them nesting in mulch that is in the open. I prefer
the large nuggets to fine grind for several reasons and intend to keep
using it in spite of the ant appearances because they're actually easy
to deal with when you know the exact location of their nest. However, I
never saw ant nests in all the many years I used fine grind bark. I
think it's because it compresses to densely for them to maneuver in.

I put nugget bark mulch (1 to 2 inch chips) in my yard in Seattle and
have found carpenter ants nesting in two spots, both under large flower
pots which sit in more or less permanent locations on top of the mulch
layer. I don't see them nesting in mulch that is in the open. I prefer
the large nuggets to fine grind for several reasons and intend to keep
using it in spite of the ant appearances because they're actually easy
to deal with when you know the exact location of their nest. However, I
never saw ant nests in all the many years I used fine grind bark. I
think it's because it compresses to densely for them to maneuver in.

"Billy" wrote in message
...
We just had several yards of mulch laid up against many parts of the
foundation of our house. It's a very dark color and has a very strong
odor.
My wife said it smells like horses. Do you know what type of mulch this is
called?

One Problem is, I didn't think of it but we recently had a major problem
with carpenter ants. Will this dark mulch laid up against the home attract
the ants to the house? I know mulch retains moisture, and also know that
carpenter ants love moisture, so was this mulch a mistake?

A friend just had a major termite problem and the pest control guy strongly
suggested it was because of the mulch they had placed around the house.

I thought you were never supposed to leave wood around a house so placing
mulch seems to be an open invitation for bugs.

"Billy" wrote in message
...
We just had several yards of mulch laid up against many parts of the
foundation of our house. It's a very dark color and has a very strong
odor.
My wife said it smells like horses. Do you know what type of mulch this is
called?

One Problem is, I didn't think of it but we recently had a major problem
with carpenter ants. Will this dark mulch laid up against the home attract
the ants to the house? I know mulch retains moisture, and also know that
carpenter ants love moisture, so was this mulch a mistake?

A friend just had a major termite problem and the pest control guy strongly
suggested it was because of the mulch they had placed around the house.

I thought you were never supposed to leave wood around a house so placing
mulch seems to be an open invitation for bugs.

wrote:

I put nugget bark mulch (1 to 2 inch chips) in my yard in Seattle and
have found carpenter ants nesting in two spots, both under large flower
pots which sit in more or less permanent locations on top of the mulch
layer. I don't see them nesting in mulch that is in the open. I prefer
the large nuggets to fine grind for several reasons and intend to keep
using it in spite of the ant appearances because they're actually easy
to deal with when you know the exact location of their nest. However, I
never saw ant nests in all the many years I used fine grind bark. I
think it's because it compresses to densely for them to maneuver in.

They nest in and under pots where we are, as well. High, dry and not
disturbed. Mulch has nothing to do with it here, as pots are on
stone.and concrete pavers.

wrote:

I put nugget bark mulch (1 to 2 inch chips) in my yard in Seattle and
have found carpenter ants nesting in two spots, both under large flower
pots which sit in more or less permanent locations on top of the mulch
layer. I don't see them nesting in mulch that is in the open. I prefer
the large nuggets to fine grind for several reasons and intend to keep
using it in spite of the ant appearances because they're actually easy
to deal with when you know the exact location of their nest. However, I
never saw ant nests in all the many years I used fine grind bark. I
think it's because it compresses to densely for them to maneuver in.

They nest in and under pots where we are, as well. High, dry and not
disturbed. Mulch has nothing to do with it here, as pots are on
stone.and concrete pavers.

A friend just had a major termite problem and the pest control guy strongly
suggested it was because of the mulch they had placed around the house.

I thought you were never supposed to leave wood around a house so placing
mulch seems to be an open invitation for bugs.

I have 3-year-old cedar mulch around the foundation of the house.
Recently, I find two groups of terminates inside the cedar mulch. I
think I should remove the 3-year-old cedar mulch, and remove them with
"something else". That's the "something else" that I haven't decided.

Anyway, I agree with what you said. I don't think this is a good idea
to put wood mulch near house foundation.

Jay Chan

A friend just had a major termite problem and the pest control guy strongly
suggested it was because of the mulch they had placed around the house.

I thought you were never supposed to leave wood around a house so placing
mulch seems to be an open invitation for bugs.

I have 3-year-old cedar mulch around the foundation of the house.
Recently, I find two groups of terminates inside the cedar mulch. I
think I should remove the 3-year-old cedar mulch, and remove them with
"something else". That's the "something else" that I haven't decided.

Anyway, I agree with what you said. I don't think this is a good idea
to put wood mulch near house foundation.

Jay Chan

In article M3O%a.3133$Nc.2147167
@news1.news.adelphia.net, lid says...

A friend just had a major termite problem and the pest control guy strongly

suggested it was because of the mulch they had placed around the house.

I thought you were never supposed to leave wood around a house so placing

mulch seems to be an open invitation for bugs.

But at some point by not doing anything that may or may
not attract different sort of insects sort of leaves the
home looking a little drab. I have no problem with
people using mulch for example, just don't have it pile
above the foundation.

--

http://home.comcast.net/~larflu/owl1.jpg

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!