Q: We had a huge river birch removed so now we have a huge pile of wood chips from the stump grinding. Can that be used in our yard for anything? Will it attract termites?

A: Yes, you can use the chips for mulch anywhere in your landscape as long as the layer is less than one inch thick. Termites aren’t exactly “attracted” to chips but they do love the moist soil underneath mulch. If a termite queen lays her eggs in the mulch, the workers will happily consume the chips but a pile of chips won’t bring in insects from other parts of your yard.