>From the Purdue Extension office, Indianapolis Subject: Mulch Warning Not a Valid Concern (06-008) Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2006 00:07:07 -0500 From: "Mayer, Steve L"
Dear Master Gardeners, The following mulch warning is being circulated via e-mail. Note the reply from a Purdue entomologist who specializes in urban and industrial entomology. Steve Mayer Extension Educator-Horticulture Purdue Extension-Marion County 6640 Intech Blvd., Suite 120 Indianapolis, IN 46278-2012 Phone: (317) 275-9305, Ext. 290 Fax: (317) 275-9309 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Website: http://www.ces.purdue.edu/CES/Marion/HortCon.htm ********************************************************** Mulch Warning 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. New Orleans is one of the few areas in the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a strong hold and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with those termites. Now we may have the worst case of transporting a problem to all parts of the country that we have ever had. These termites can eat a house in no time at all and we have no good control against them, so tell your friends that own homes to avoid cheap mulch and know were it came from. ********************************************************** Reply to Mulch Warning "I do not feel this is a valid concern. The process of turning wood into mulch would kill the termites. If a termite or two did happen to survive the process, they would die quickly because of the lack of the social system (workers, soldiers, reproductives, etc. present in the colony system that they maintain) so vital to termite survival." Gary W. Bennett, Dept. of Entomology, 901 W. State Street, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN 47907-2089. (765) 494-4564 http://entm29.entm.purdue.edu/directory/entm/51.htm ********************************************************** For More Info on Formosan Termites The following contains information related to moving wood, not mulch: http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/en/environment/insects/Termites/formosan_termit es/ ********************************************************** Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. --- angela herrmann [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------------- You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi ------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ______________________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: https://secure.mallorn.com/mailman/listinfo/community_garden
