Mulch

Thoughts about mulch.

There are two large piles of mulch, made from the tree trimmings the power company created, sitting around. I  noticed this morning were giving off steam in the cold. To my mind that means that they are decomposing. Now no addition of biomass to the farm is a real loss but it does seem like a waste to have it rot away to nothing.

I am not sure what to do with it other than just spread it around. It seems like it would make an surface for paths etc in the short term but I don't want it near buildings because I don't want to attract termites.

I read that Thomas Jefferson used woodchips and manure to create "hot beds that he used to start early peas during the cold of winter. Anyone uot there experimented with this? Have any thoughts or tips?

K