My house’s structure is made of wood and there are subterranean termites (non-formosan) in my yard and area. I am planning to excavate and insulate the slab perimeter in the interests of saving on heating, but am worried about creating a termite highway.

I figure XPS is right out, and I’m not sure about termite-treated EPS either. The availability, price per R, and ease of installation are attractive, but since the advertised termite resistance just comes from a chemical treatment, I worry that it will fade or leach out over time.

I’ve considered foamglas, which would be ideal due to its many desirable qualities, but it’s ridiculously expensive compared to the alternatives.

What about mineral wool? I see people online (including here) claiming it’s resistant to termites, but I’ve been unable to locate any real confirmation or denial of this. My sense is that the mineral wool industry would be advertising this if it were true (as the foamglas industry does). So what’s the skinny?