07/31/2016
Home Tip: Let's talk about bark and we're not talking about what your dog does. While bark has a couple of landscaping benefits the negatives outweigh the positives. A positive of bark is that it holds moisture into the ground, which keeps plant roots and soil moist. Another positive is that bark will break down into compost which makes better soil. The negative of bark is it's a breeding ground for insects. Bark is full of ants, spiders, scorpions, centipedes and even the worse pest, termites. Termites in the desert you ask? Yes. Subterranean Termites are about 1/3 the size of a small ant but can do substantial damage to your home. In many areas of our beautiful desert we have 4 to 6 colonies of termites per acre of land. Like other insects, termites need two things to live; water and food (wood). Bark supplies both of these which makes the perfect living condition for termites. While termites love these conditions, termites decide to look for better wood, wood that holds up the structure of your house. About half of the homes I sell in Rio Rancho/ Westside of Albuquerque, that are older than 20 years, have termites. This causes sellers to spend $500 to $1,000.00 for termite treatment. Fixing the damages goes up from there. Keeping all moisture away from your home, installing a good drainage away from your home, and never using bark as a landscaping material, will prevent these little wood eating bugs from eating your home.
