My sister in law sent me this a little while ago...

"If you use mulch around your house be very careful this year. After the Hurricane in New Orleans many trees were blown over. These trees were then turned into mulch and the state is trying to get rid of tons and tons of this mulch to any state or company who will come and haul it away. So it will be showing up in Home Depot and Lowes at dirt cheap prices with one huge problem; Formosan Termites will be the bonus in many of those bags. New Orleans is one of the few areas in the country were the Formosan Termites has gotten a strong hold and most of the trees blown down were already badly infested with those termites. Now we may have the worst case of transporting a problem to all parts of the country that we have ever had.

These termites can eat a house in no time at all and we have no good control against them, so tell your friends who own homes to avoid cheap mulch and to please find out were it came from before buying it.

Louisiana agricultural dept. web site...

Shortcut to: http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/termites/

Good advice - thank you.
I wonder if it would make its way as far north as Canada?

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/termites.asp

Please read here. Interestingly, it is noted at the LSU website that areas of New Orleans were quarantined specifically to prevent such an eventuality as these termites being trasnported to new areas, and there are stringent controls on how ANY wood from New Orleans is being handled. Not only that, but a number of entymologists have noted that these bugs would most likely not survive the process from tree or house parts to packaged mulch. AND major home stores are the most likely to observe quarantine and other rules, so are the least likely place to find such mulch even if it reaches the market. The LSU website doesn't actually support the email. Their efforts are preventative, not meant to cull a problem already in the works. Of course you should always be careful of potential hazards with regard to mulch, etc., but don't go overboard yet.

I only posted this notice because it seemed timely [ since spring is here - at least in the states] but also because it seemed within the realm of possibilty. Something to merely consider - I don't think anybody meant to cause a sensation with it.

Well, no, and I understood that. I just thought that a little more info was a good thing to add.