August 30, 2004

Termites and Mushrooms

Hello Tim,

A neighbor told me that mushrooms in my yard are a sign that I have termites. Can you tell me if there is any truth in this statement? Thank you,

James

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James,

There is no truth whatsoever in this statement. It leads me to believe your neighbor might have eaten one of them and it is the type that produces hallucinations. Mushrooms are fungal growth that often are based in decaying wood in your yard. The source could be an old branch or a twig. The mushroom is actually the last hurrah of the fungal growth. The mature mushroom cap releases millions of spores so the fungas can continue to propogate.

Termites do eat wood, but they do not produce mushrooms.

Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
http://premium.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB

Posted by Tim Carter at August 30, 2004 11:20 AM