A tree stump does not draw termites in from far away, but it is food for the subterranean termites that already live in Carolina soil, and a damp, rotting stump is a common nesting site for carpenter ants. A stump at the back of the lot is mostly a nature question, while a stump close to the house, a deck or a shed is worth taking out.
The short answer, without the scare
Most of what is written about stumps and termites is written to frighten you. The plain version is calmer. Termites are native here, they live in the ground, and dead wood is what they eat. A stump is dead wood with its roots still in the soil, so sooner or later something will move in: termites, ants, beetles or fungi. That is how a stump disappears. Whether it is a problem depends on where the stump is and what stands near it. The facts below come from N.C. State Extension and Clemson Extension entomology pages, not from anyone selling a treatment.
Termites: what the extension services say
Clemson Extension states that native subterranean termites are common throughout South Carolina, and N.C. State says much the same for North Carolina: a single acre may support several colonies. N.C. State notes that colonies are often found near a tree, a stump, a wood pile or another source of food. Out in the yard and the woods that is no bad thing. Clemson describes subterranean termites in natural settings as beneficial insects, because they break down wood and other cellulose. So a stump does not create termites. It feeds the ones already there, and it gives them a reason to be working in that part of the yard.
Does a stump in the yard put the house at risk?
Not by itself. N.C. State says swarmers found outdoors near tree stumps are not an indication that your house is infested. They are a reminder that termites are always nearby. But distance matters. Its termite biology page says eastern subterranean termites can travel up to 200 feet from the nest to feed, and Clemson's advice for protecting a home starts with removing wood and other cellulose debris in or near the structure, wood piles and thick mulch included. A stump a few steps from the foundation fits that description. If you see mud tubes on the foundation or swarmers indoors, that is a matter for a pest management professional, whatever happens to the stump.
Carpenter ants like stumps even more
Carpenter ants do not eat wood. N.C. State explains that they tunnel through it to make room for the nest, and that they favor wood with a high moisture content. Its list of typical outdoor nesting sites reads like a description of an old stump: tree holes, tree stumps, logs and standing dead trees. Their foraging trails can run up to 300 feet from the nest, which takes in most houses on most lots. N.C. State's own summary is that with trees, stumps or other wood around a home there is always the potential for a carpenter ant problem. A rotting stump near the house is the easy part of that to fix.
Fungi, mushrooms and root rot
Mushrooms around an old stump are fungi feeding on the dead wood, and most are simply part of the rotting. One group is worth knowing about. N.C. Cooperative Extension describes Armillaria root rot, the honey fungus, as a disease of many trees and shrubs that perseveres in roots, stumps and wood fragments in the soil, and that can infect new plantings at the same site. So if the old tree died of root rot, think twice before putting a new tree or shrub hard against the stump. Your county Extension office can help put a name to what killed it.
What grinding changes, and what it does not
Stump grinding takes the stump itself down to below grade, usually four to eight inches under. That removes the big block of damp wood that ants nest in and termites feed on at the surface. It does not remove the roots. They stay in the ground and rot away over the years, which is what you want, and insects and fungi do that work out of sight. Protecting the building itself is a separate matter for a pest management professional. On the related question of new shoots, see whether tree stumps grow back after grinding.
Keep grindings and mulch off the house
The grindings are fresh wood chips, and where they end up matters more than the stump did. N.C. State advises never spreading mulch so that it touches the foundation or the lowest siding, and Clemson says to use mulch sparingly close to a structure and never against wood siding or door and window frames. So do not rake a stump's worth of chips into the bed along the house wall. Use them further out, leave them in a pile to age, or have them hauled off. Our guide to what to do with stump grindings goes through the choices.
Which stumps to deal with first
Rank them by what is nearby. First, any stump within a few steps of the house, a deck, a porch, a shed or wooden fence posts. Next, stumps where children play or where the mower runs, because a rotting stump turns soft and hollow. Stumps from trees that died of disease come next if you plan to replant. A stump out in the woods or at the far edge of a pasture can usually wait, and some people leave those on purpose for wildlife. If several need to go, one visit for all of them is the efficient way to do it.
Common Questions
Will termites in a tree stump spread to my house?
Not necessarily. N.C. State Extension says termites and swarmers around a stump are not a sign the house is infested. They can forage a long way, though, so wood close to the foundation is worth removing. For the house itself, an inspection by a pest management professional is the reliable answer.
Do carpenter ants live in old tree stumps?
Yes. N.C. State Extension lists tree stumps, logs and standing dead trees among their typical outdoor nesting sites. They do not eat the wood; they hollow out damp wood to nest in, and they can forage up to 300 feet from there. Taking out a rotting stump near the house removes one likely nest.
Should I treat a stump with insecticide or just remove it?
Removing the wood is the simpler fix, because it takes away the food and the nesting site in one go. Whether any pesticide is called for around a home is a question for a pest management professional or your county Extension office, and any product has to be used as its label directs.
What to Do Next
If a stump near the house is on your mind, send two photos, the stump with something for scale and the way in, plus your town. Call (828) 574-4474 and you will have a number before any work starts.