Forest Gardens, Mulch, and Termites: How close is TOO close?

Hey folks,

I'm living here in Zone 7b (North Alabama) and have been undertaking the food forest / forest garden project for the past year or so with gusto. My one concern as the corners of the property are more or less covered and I start moving toward the house: with mulch seeming like the be-all, end-all of food forestry for a permaculture soil solution (particularly here in North Alabama, where unamended soil is just red clay), should I be concerned about termites in the soil layer, and how close is too close - while I have termite bait stations around the house perimeter, I know they aren't 100% effective, and I don't want to create a target-rich environment for termites close enough to the home that it puts the house in danger.

Does anyone have experience with this?

The house we live in now is surrounded by at least 10 feet of gravel on all sides and still had termites when we moved in. I think it has more to do with how termite friendly of an environment your house is, how your house is attached to the ground, and what potential access points the termites would have. I would think more diversity, that includes predators of termites, around your house would help to keep them away, but I don't know.

In my experience, the most effective prevention against termites is keeping humidity low.