Will Termites Eat Cedar Siding

This is the dry non living inner part of the tree truck.

Will termites eat cedar siding. As their name indicates subterranean termites live below ground in the soil. Cellulose from wood or other plants is their primary food. They travel through soil to reach wood seldom venturing into view. While this is a good idea in theory the fact of the matter is that termites feed specifically on cellulose means they have the ability to feed on essentially any plant matter.

Cedar is a type of wood that is somewhat naturally resistant to termites. Redwood is naturally resistant to termites and decay and often is used in outdoor projects. However over time these resins break down and cedar loses its repellent capabilities. A few woods are naturally resistant to termites including cedar and redwood.

Now you may be wondering why they even eat wood at all. However as with all wood and even lumber resins and sap seep out of the wood over time. Trees and wood are their preferred diet and make up the majority of what they eat but termites can also feed on paper as well as other materials commonly used at home. The answer is simple.

Over time the wood will begin to break down and the resinous decay will be attractive to termites. Only certain parts of these woods are resistant the heartwood and occasionally the bark. Unlike carpenter bees and carpenter ants termites eat the wood they infest. Cellulose is a substance contained in the cell walls of plants that gives them their rigid structure.

Termites can eat cedar but they tend to stay away from it because cedar wood has resin and oil that tends to repel them. So termites will eat cedar if they have to. Termites are repelled by the resins in cedar lumbar. Some scientists have even found that these resins are toxic to the termites that decide to ingest them.

While they can eat any type of wood there are some species they prefer to avoid as much as possible. Same issue with cedar mulch. When they ve expended those food sources they often create feeder tubes hollow channels in your siding that destroy the structural integrity of the wood. Heartwood contains less cellulose than the outer sapwood making it less nutritious for termites.

Also keep in mind that the same issue with the drainage applies with any type of mulch including cedar mulch.