Kurt from Chantilly, Va writes
I was wondering how effective Boracare would be if sprayed on mulch beds to prevent/deter termites and at what intervals should applications be made. I was recently removing soil from under two bay windows that previously were top-dressed with mulch. When I dug down about four to six inches, I hit pockets of termites and there were mud tubes along the foundation wall. I assume the termites were feeding on the mulch.
If you are having subterranean termite activity, boracare is not the product you need to use. You need to treat the home with a product like Termidor and trench around the foundation. You can see all the instruction for how a homeowner would kill and prevent infestations on their own with the Termidor in our instructions for How To Do A Termite Treatment. Boracare is only to be used on wood in its raw natural state and applying it to mulch would not repel the termites nor would it stay in the mulch very long being exposed to the outdoor elements. The termites were undoubtably attracted to the home because of the mulch as it is a prime environment for them to thrive in a heavily moisture containing wood area. We always discourage home owners from using mulch around the house and if you must use it, you need to keep a 6 inch barrier of just dirt between the foundation of the home and where the mulch starts. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Answer last updated on: 06/04/2013
