Studies done at the University of Iowa and University of Maryland show no correlation between the use of wood mulches of any kind and the presence of termites...unless the termites were already there. ;) They are underground dwellers so using any kind of mulch can indirectly create a cool moist habitat that they would like but wood chipped mulch dries out faster than many others so the risk is considered less with its use than with plastic or gravel.

To prevent problems it is generally recommended that you just be sure that it does not touch the foundation of your house, the siding, or any other wood structures such as deck supports, or steps. Keep the mulch about 18" away from the foundation of your house.

Dave

I live in FL where there is a saying about houses. "There are those that have termites and those that will have termites." Anyway, termites are active year round here and there are many that fly and get into houses from the attic vents but that is kinda beside the point.

Termites like moist dead wood, they will also make tunnels up a foundation to get into the wood structure of a home. Keep the area right around the foundation clear so you can inspect.

I have actually seen termites in large chunks of wood mulch. I don't know that it attracts termites but if they are there and it is moist, they will like it.

All that said, I use lots of chipped up trees around my house as mulch, I just try to keep it a foot or so away from the foundation. It is good to inspect along the foundation for their tunnels going up looking for a way in. And take care of moisture problems since termites and carpenter ants have far more trouble eating dry wood than they do moist wood.

Just so you know which grain of salt to take with my two cents, my house is concrete block with wood roof and wood interior structure. I might not be so willing to use wood chip mulch if my home were log or timber frame.

Termites do not have the olfactory sense (smell) that we do so a fragarant mulch is not going to attract them. The termites you might find around you will only eat dry wood, so the damp mulches are not going to attact them either except maybe, possibly as a place of abode since they do need someplace to live that is moist and cool. However in 34 years of mulching with various materials I have not found termites (they are around here) in the mulches. I have found termites eating away at the dry wood scraps the previous owners tossed in the crawl spaces of this house, however.