Most homeowner are mindful of the many benefit of mulch . Mulch provides an incredibly protective layer above soil that helps influence grime temperature and wet level ; it also helps prevent weeds from pop up in landscape gardening beds and garden . Mulch does n’t come without downsides , however ; one of the biggest concerns about mulch is that it can put up an idealistic home ground for many nuisance pests , let in destructive insect mintage . Many myth have surfaced regarding cypress mulch ’s ability to deter pests ; most are false .
Step 1
One of the major merchandising pointedness forcypress mulchused to be that it supposedly deterred white ant and other structure - invading pest . Unfortunately , however , that myth has been disproved through scientific study . A University of Florida Extension study read that termites still ate and attacked today ’s cypress mulch , which is a completely different form of mulch from yesteryear ’s cypress mulch . Tidewater red cypress mulch , made from mature Tidewater region red cypress trees ' duramen , was much more resistant to white ant . Tidewater red cypress ( Taxodium distichum ) is also known as bald cypress , swampland cypress and gulf cypress , among other vulgar gens ; it is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10 . Unfortunately , today ’s cypress mulch comes from very untried trees with little or no heartwood ; the termites consumed as much cypress tree mulch as other kinds of mulch in the sketch .
Step 2
Cypress Mulch vs. Other Insects
One of the great issues with organic mulches is that homeowners be given to place them too close to the foundations of their homes . constitutive mulches often provide ideal home ground for many insect , including destructive termite and ant species . Nuisance ants may nest in several sort of constitutive mulches , including cypress barque . When such a mulch is too close to a abode , ant can find direct access to the base ’s interior more easily than they would otherwise . On the other hand , the mulch ’s moist environment also attracts predatory arthropod such as centipede , predatory ants and spider , which fee on many nuisance species and other mintage that favor the mulch as habitat .
Other Mulches vs. Insects
mulch are either organic or inorganic . Organic mulches include those that come from trees , forage clippings , pine needle , recycled newspaper , leaves and manure . Inorganic mulch include various sort of stone , recycled tyre and charge plate . According to a Kansas State University publication , pea gravel mulch has fewer invertebrates , such as insects , than other vulgar kind of mulch . The highest amount of invertebrate denizen is in organic mulches made of either hardwood or recycled wood . Although the cypress tree mulch of today is n’t insect - resistant , Argentine ant and sweet family ants commonly persist clear of fragrant true cedar mulch . true cedar mulches typically are made from westerly redcedar ( Thuja plicata ) , which is dauntless in USDA zones 3b through 9 ; however , Sir Henry Joseph Wood of other coinage often is in true cedar mulch .
Step 3
Other Considerations
Not only has cypress been disproved as an insect - resistant mulch , its manufacturing process is detrimental to the environment . Cypress forests provide many benefit to the ecosystem , include filter pollutants and allow for irreplaceable home ground for many aboriginal bird and other animal species . According to Suncoast Native Plant Society Inc. , mulch product accounts for the destruction of thousands of Accho of cypress forests each yr . In increase , sure myths about cypress mulch , include that it ’s more redolent and air bladder - resistant than other mulches , are out of true .
Minimizing Insect Activity
By following some basic applications programme lead , home owners can cut down on the problems associated with insects invade cypress mulch and other constitutive mulch . Keep cypress tree mulch at least 6 inches away from home foundation . If mulch is desired close to the habitation ’s foundation , use an inorganic type other than gravel , according to Kansas State University . hold the cypress tree mulch at depths no deep than 2 to 3 inches . To minimize the abundance of insect invading the mulch , touch it on a regular basis through rake .
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