Does Ivy Attract Termites?
Everyone knows that little lambs eat ivy (Hedera spp.) , however, the gustatory tastes of termites tend to be. In fact, termites don’t eat ivy. Homeowners are advised to get rid of ivy for a measure, but not since the vine is a termite snack. Instead, ivy provides a bridge for insects, such as termites, to get to a house from dirt, and it also can conceal evidence of an infestation.
Ivy Is Quite Vigorous
The many types of ivy include English ivy (Hedera helix), a vigorous vine that climbs and covers walls and buildings, most famously old college arrangements, giving rise to the term”Ivy League college.” It is continuing as a evergreen in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, and one English ivy plant can spread 100 ft in all directions. Some other ivy species have a similar growth pattern. Their energy can cause problems: They crush indigenous forest flora and escape farming easily, also, on a scale that is smaller but more personal, if given the chance, they can add themselves into building material that is loose and harm shingles its own mortar or wood.
Termites Eat Decaying or Dry Wood
If you think of termites since the enemy, then you are not alone; lots of homeowners connect the pests with damage. Wood-chomping termites, however, serve an essential function in nature, returning the nutrients, and clearing dead and rotting trees out. However they qualify as a significant issue, when termites start to eat the structure of your house. Though some termites prefer others and timber no termites eat a vine such as English ivy.
Ivy Can Serve as Bridge to House
Because termites need moist soil to nest in, leave at least 12 inches between the ground surface and the wooden substructure of your dwelling. This gap is enough to prevent intruders from accessing access to the wood of the home. When ivy or another vine covers an outer wall, termites use the plant for a bridge to arrive at a supply of food, the property’s wood. Sometimes they walk right through plant stems and can’t be observed from the outside. Eliminate all plant structures which touch your home’s outside, and that important 12-inch divide will be maintained by you.
Ivy Can Mask Termite Damage
Like many problems, there is a termite infestation a lot easier to fix when captured early rather than later. Whether you hire a pest inspection firm or eyeball your house yourself, a thick veil of ivy makes finding evidence of termites difficult. The telltale”shelter tubes” the pests construct of spit, dirt and timber lead in their nesting area to their foraging area, and these tubes would be the most frequently seen evidence of a subterranean termite infestation. You will have a prospect of seeing the tubes in case your home’s outer walls are free of plant material. Ivy will hold water, making wooden walls more inviting for termite consumption touche.