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Termites in Hydrangea Roots: Not the Cause of Decline

Q: I found termites in a hydrangea root. Do termites attack live plants?

A: Termites cannot digest living tissue—they only consume dead, decaying wood. Their presence indicates the root died first. Termites didn't cause the decline; something else did.

About Gardening: Banana and Grapefruit Questions: Edibility and Ripening; Screening a Houston Water Pump: Why Live Oaks Are Wrong and What to Use Instead; Managing Live Sphagnum Top Dressing for Sarracenia and Venus Flytraps During Dormancy; Termite Tenting (Vikane) and Houseplants; Mailing Live Plants Safely: Asparagus Fern from Canada to Kentucky; Roaches in Houseplants: Detection and Removal; How to Plant Live Aquarium Plants: Rooted and Bunch Types; Organic Blueberries: Nutritious, Delicious, and Chemical-Free; Termiticide and Garden Plants: Chemicals Don't Move Into Vegetables, But Keep Edibles 5+ Feet Away; Plants Japanese Beetles Avoid: Designing a Resistant Landscape

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