I live in Texas where it's not a question of if you get termites, but when you'll get them ;-) I use shredded cypress on advice of the pest control company. He said to use cypress, cedar or stone and avoid hardwood mulches near the house. Cypress fits the budget and I have been trying to use shredded fall leaves too, but I feel bad about not using all of the leaves in the compost heap. Pam

Not much you can do and I wouldn't worry about,...honeybees love to fly much farther then your boundaries, around 4 miles. What bees are you seeing currently, also honey bees?

Tree stumps were buried under the soil and gravel by the pervious owner that we didn't know. As the neighbor's trees grow taller and bigger block most of the sun, only a few weeds and hosta can grow at the backyard, and soil erosion exposes the stumps that was how I've found out. And on the other side of the fence, my neighbor has a huge firewood pile there for more than two years. My lot is very small. I'm just wondering was the previous owners knew about that, was that the reason they mulched the area next to the driveway with gravel and under the deck, and when they built the deck, they used compiste wood and mental posts? It's not common using these materials in my town. From my own experience, I made a compost pile next to the termite colony (I didn't know about the termites) last spring. This spring I removed it and used the area for new plantig area. When I dug holes there were no termites or signs of their activities. But,I grew up in a big city (my home was on 21st floor). I have very little knowledge about insects. The mulch at the foundation bed is completely composted, it was done by the previous owners. I usually don't rake up the leaves at fall until next spring to give the plants extra protection. When I read the contact of the termite service, they terms state that any cellose debris will affect the treatment effectiveness. In our area, one in 3 homes has some termite demages. Now I'm in a tough position. Even compost mulch still provides a perfect condition for them to live. Even the treated woods still can be a potential food for the termite down the road. Sholud replace the fence with the plastic one? Should I stop gardening for that reason? Then my life would become all about termite. I've got to live a little.

Ok- Here are some color combos I came up with. I am trying to avoid white...too plain for me. I would like some honesty here please. If you think any look awful, please tell me. I will not be offended. Keep in mind we plan on adding a brick porch in the front with covered roof like in the link below. http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n196/eaglesgal/yellow.jpg http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n196/eaglesgal/lightgray.jpg http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n196/eaglesgal/darkgrayblue.jpg Here is a link that might be useful: