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learnaweb — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:45:16 CDT

Should you be worried if you find termites in your garden trees?
Now, you may have heard how termites have very advanced digestive systems. So much so that some have suggested termites as a potential source of energy replacing fossil fuels. Yup, you heard right, termites as the nuclear reactors of the future!
Now, when it comes to termites in your garden, the most important thing to remember is this – termites only eat dead wood. They can't and won’t touch live tree tissue. If you're seeing an infestation in one of your garden trees, it means that at least part of this tree is dead. Sometimes an infestation shows up in a specific tree branch, other times it could be in the trunk itself, high or low on the trunk.
If you have a termites infestation in one of your garden trees, don't freak out. They will not move on to attack your other trees. Your main concern is really with any termites spreading into your home, where they may look for food in the form of house wood or furniture. You would be advised to bring in an exterminator/pest control company that specializes in termites. Let them inspect your home to make sure that you have no hidden colonies in walls, floors or furniture.
As for the tree… a lot depends on where the infestation is located. Not because of the termites directly, but because something caused your tree to die there. If it's one branch, you are likely to be able to save the tree. Either way, call in a tree doctor or a specialist to make a professional diagnosis and suggest a cure for your tree.
Suggested Links –

Pest Control Hub - Guides about various pests and advice on how to prevent them from taking over your life.

Pest Control Articles - Blog with articles and info about pest control.

Fighting Termites - Blog with the latest news about fighting termites.

The Real Gardener's Book - E-book with info on how to avoid being bugged by bugs; controlling insects the easy way and much much more.

Some more info about termites by the famous Wikipedia – First of all, we need to make sure that you know what termites are, so here are a few quotes from the famous Wikipedia to clue you on who you are dealing with –
Termites, sometimes known as white ants, are a group of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera. Termites usually prefer to feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, or soil, and about 10% of the 4,000 odd species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests. Termites are major detrivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and other plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.
Recent DNA evidence has demonstrated that termite's closest relatives are a species of wood-eating cockroaches. Based on this, it has been proposed that termites be reclassified as the family Termitidae within the order Blattodea, which contains cockroaches.

Termites in Gardens - Recently Updated Pages

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