Q: We recently bought a newly constructed house. Why is there a row of pine straw between the house and where they stopped laying sod going down both sides of the house?

A: It may have something to do with insect control. Termite expert Dr. Dan Suiter says “The area from the wall out to eighteen inches is sacred ground for termite control practices. The standard treatment procedure for liquid termiticides is to dig a trench next to the wall and fill it with termiticide. This zone of treatment should never be disturbed. If broken, it can provide a bridge for the termites to travel over to enter the structure. Many termite service contracts include this as one of the homeowner responsibilities.”