Q. We had our house treated for termites earlier this year. The termite company said it was safe to plant a vegetable garden within 3 feet of the treated areas, but my neighbor advised against putting any edible plants near the house at all. What do you think?

A. It all depends on the material used, but it is likely to be safe to grow vegetables near the treated area. Insecticide treatments form a long-term protective barrier and are thus stable. They are not easily taken up into a water solution, which is the way they would enter your vegetables. The pesticide band generally covers a narrow area next to the house. There is probably little, if any, risk of ill effects from eating the produce.

Find out what material was used and do some research. You can obtain the label and material safety data sheet on the Internet by searching the trade name of the product. These documents will specify any risks associated with the pesticide.