Q: Our hydrangeas have always struggled. This year I dug one up to replant it and I noticed the main root had termites. Is this common for a live plant to get termites?

A: Termites don’t have mouthparts or a digestive system that can eat living tissue. They are present in the root because it died and began to decompose. I don’t know why your hydrangeas declined but I do know that termites weren’t the cause.