As much as felling trees can add space and beauty to the outdoors, it invites termites. So, if you do not keep them away, chances are they might spread the infestation and disease. Also, they are prone to chew off furniture. And that’s when the question arises, “How to prevent termites after cutting down tree?”
There are organic and chemical-based powders that can prevent termites. Also, using the wood pieces in clever ways reduces the chance of infestation. Stick with me, as I will walk you through those methods.
How to Prevent Termites after Cutting Down Tree?
Before you need to contact pest control for termite removal, it is better to prevent them from infesting your place, especially the yard. For that, follow these tips and steps –
Step 1: Remove the Stump and Chippings
Cut-down stumps decay and attract termites. So, do not leave it in the yard. Instead, call a professional tree service to dispose of the trunk and grindings. If the wood chips are not lots in quantity, you can gather them in a cart and remove the wreckage.
If you do not want to lift them, contact local farmers. They need this wood debris for making line paths, bedding, and other farming tasks. And they will cast them away without charging a buck.
Step 2: Dry the Stump
If you cannot remove the stump for some reason, dry it so that its moisture cannot make it a suitable habitat for insects. To absorb the moisture, use rock salt or Epsom.
For the salt mix to penetrate, make 6 to 8 inches deeper holes in the stump. Pour the solution and hot water into the drills. And wait for a few weeks for it to dry. Once it no longer contains moisture, any termite living in it will die gradually.
Step 3: Avoid Adding Mulch
Near the felled trees, if you have vegetation or flower plants, avoid adding mulch around their beds until you discard the grindings and stump. Or else mulch can preserve the moisture needed for the termites to spread the infestation.
For chicken beddings, you might consider keeping the chippings. In that case, make the bedding away from your home and other plants. Otherwise, insects will live off those young trees and invade your home.
Note that you should not spray insecticides in the mulch to prevent termites. Because it will damage the soil structure.
Step 4: Do not Leave Firewood
You may want to keep the wood wreckages for firewood kindlings. But you should not pile up the woods as they attract termites. You might not see any insects on the firewood.
However, once you move them, the termites will crawl out. In order to prevent this scenario, keep the woods over sheet metal or cover them with a tarp.
Step 5: Fill Holes and Make Compost
After cutting down trees and removing the stumps, holes create in the soil. With leftover wood, fill those holes so that termites cannot make them their habitat.
Also, add the chips or sawdust to the compost. When you mix wood grindings in organic compost, it does not attract any insects. Follow these tips while building the compost pile:
How to Prevent Termites from Infesting Your Home After Cutting Down Tree?
If you cannot discard the felled tree wreckage immediately, termites will live off them. Also, some tree branches are already infested by termites. So, to prevent these insects from invading your home, try out these methods –
Step 1: Create Termite Barriers
Spread Borax or Diatomaceous Earth around your home to create a termite barrier. If possible, sprinkle around the grindings and pieces of wood. Their chemical ingredients irritate termites.
As a result, if they try to infest your home, they will die once they come in contact with the barriers. The scent from the powders also prevents the termites from coming close to the barrier.
Step 2: Place Wet Cardboard
Place wet cardboard in front of your home, especially, in the corners and around the cut trees. It will lure the worker termites to forage for food. So, the insects from the yard will gather on the boards.
Once they pile up in the trap, carefully, take the cardboard away from your yard and home. Then, burn them to prevent termite infestation.
Step 3: Use Organic Oil or Scents
Apply or spray orange or neem oil around the home, furniture, and gutters in the yard. The amount of d-limonene ingredient present in the oils absorbs the moisture from the termites and their shell. Thereby, they cannot hatch or forage properly. And they start starving, which leads them to die. And essential oil scents keep wood–based insects away.
Step 4: Spray Soapy Water
Let’s make a solution with dish wash soap and water and add it to a sprayer bottle. After cutting down the tree, spray the mix all over the soil and wood debris. The soapy water will prevent the termites from breathing, and they will die.
Even if there is no insect in sight, apply it, as the toxicity level in the liquid works as a barrier against all types of beetles.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q’s)
Do Tree Grindings and Wreckages Attract Termites?
Stump or tree grindings do not attract termites. However, they are ideal habitats for termites. So, avoid piling them up to prevent any infestation.
How to Identify Termite Infestation in the Yard?
After cutting down trees, always inspect for termites in the stump. If there are several holes in the trunk, termites have infested it. Also, these insects make rattling noises.
Which Scents Keep Termites Away?
Apart from essential oil scents, garlic, rosemary, dill, tea tree, and mint essences keep termites away. A little drop of these oils will keep termites from invading.
Conclusion
Removing trees from the yard does come with an extra job to do. That is to take precautions against termites. I hope this guideline can help you with how to prevent termites after cutting down tree. The alternative use of the woods is not costly at all. Rather, it makes good organic fertilizers!
And the best part is this way you can get rid of termites and their habitats. Before buying organic powders, make sure they do not contain any ingredients harmful to humans and pets.