A stack of firewood against the house is a carpenter ant colony with a covered walkway to your framing. Ten feet away and off the ground, it is just firewood.
Mulch depth
Two inches is landscaping. Four inches held against the siding is a permanently damp band at exactly the height ants and termites want it.
The gap that matters
Six inches of clear foundation between the top of the mulch and the bottom of the siding is worth more than any perimeter treatment we can sell you.
