Scott Bauer, U.S.D.A. Damage to a nest of Formosan subterranean termites brings hoards of workers and soldiers with dark, oval shaped heads scrambling to repair the hole. Termites shown about 4 times actual size. Click photo for larger image. More on Web: Termites in mulch Louisiana termite quarantines

The story about mulch infested with Formosan termites probably hasn't been around long enough to be called an urban myth. But it's just as false as those stories that have been circulating for years by e-mail about cologne samples spiked with ether or venomous spiders hiding in gift boxes.

The e-mail claims that cheap mulch could be a haven for Formosan termites that stowed away in trees or homes felled by Hurricane Katrina. To add to readers' worries, they are assured that even if they buy high-quality mulch, their neighbors might buy the cheap stuff, and the termites could migrate over to feast on their houses anyway. To lend authority to the tale, a link to Louisiana University was provided.

As with all myths, this one started with a grain of truth. Twelve Louisiana counties damaged in the hurricane are known to have Formosan termite problems. However, Louisiana has no wish to allow this insect to spread and has enforced a quarantine on all wood from this area. No trees, wood products or debris can be moved without an inspection and treatment plan approved by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture.

"We've worked with the debris contractors, the [U.S.] Corps of Engineers and FEMA to handle debris and quarantines," says Bob Odom, the state's commissioner of agriculture and forestry.

The Formosan termite (Coptotermes formosanus) is listed as the most problematic pest in Louisiana. However, like many Southern species, it can't survive as far north as Pennsylvania. Although our summers are warm enough, they're too short for it to live and multiply.

This colony-living insect also needs to be in proximity to workers, soldiers and reproducers.

"They would die quickly because of the lack of social system so vital to termite survival," says Gary Bennett, an entomologist at Purdue University.

If a termite did somehow make it through the quarantine, it would probably be killed in the mulch manufacturing or storage process, experts say.

"I have never seen a case where termites have survived the grinding, screening, bagging and palletizing and shipping," says Dr. Ronald Shumack, dean of the College of Agriculture and head of the department of horticulture at Auburn University. "A shrink-wrapped pallet of bagged mulch, high temperatures, limited air and diminished moisture represent a hostile environment for termite survival."

So, it's highly unlikely that the mulch delivered to your home or bought at a garden center contains Formosan termites. But Northern termites, which have lived here for decades, could be attracted to mulch or firewood piled against your house.

To be safe, spread mulch no closer than 1 foot from the foundation, keep shrubs and trees pruned so they do not touch the house and check gutters and downspouts to make sure runoff is not accumulating near the foundation.