Will Termites Eat Cedar Siding

Heartwood contains less cellulose than the outer sapwood making it less nutritious for termites.

Will termites eat cedar siding.

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. Also keep in mind that the same issue with the drainage applies with any type of mulch including cedar mulch. Unlike carpenter bees and carpenter ants termites eat the wood they infest. The answer is simple.

Redwood is naturally resistant to termites and decay and often is used in outdoor projects. Termites can eat cedar but they tend to stay away from it because cedar wood has resin and oil that tends to repel them. Subterranean termites live underground feeding on wood surfaces buried below the surface. They travel through soil to reach wood seldom venturing into view.

As their name indicates subterranean termites live below ground in the soil. Termites are repelled by the resins in cedar lumbar. So termites will eat cedar if they have to. However over time these resins break down and cedar loses its repellent capabilities.

Same issue with cedar mulch. Over time the wood will begin to break down and the resinous decay will be attractive to termites. Broadly speaking termites dislike heartwood. Cedar is a type of wood that is somewhat naturally resistant to termites.

However as with all wood and even lumber resins and sap seep out of the wood over time. Now you may be wondering why they even eat wood at all. Cellulose is a substance contained in the cell walls of plants that gives them their rigid structure. This is the dry non living inner part of the tree truck.

These pests will stay away from cedar at first however this won t always be the case. A few woods are naturally resistant to termites including cedar and redwood. 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. Some scientists have even found that these resins are toxic to the termites that decide to ingest them.

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.