Bora-Care - Questions & Answers

The Sealer should not have any effect on the Boracare treatment as long as you allow the Boracare application to dry before applying the sealer. We recommend waiting at least 3 days before sealing (but not longer than 6 weeks).

You can certainly use Boracare on your fence. Any areas that have an active infestation of powder post beetles will need to be treated at the rate of 1:1 and all other areas where there is no activity can be used 5:1. Once the Boracare has been applied to the fence, you will need to seal/stain/paint it to keep the rain from slowly washing it away over the years. If sealed, the Boracare will last for the life of the wood after application. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

If you treat any type of raw wood like your carvings with Boracare, it will eliminate the current infestation and prevent any new ones from starting a colony in those peices in the future. You will want to mix the Boracare at a 1:1 ratio and apply either with a sprayer or paint brush to the wood-whichever is easier for you- and do 2 coats if the wood is more than 4 inches thick in any area. It can take a couple of weeks sometimes for the product to move its way all the way to the center of the piece so you may still notice activity for a length of time after treatment as the product works its way through the infested areas. Any new termites that may come along will die from ingesting the treated wood immediately. The Boracare will last for the life of the wood so long as it is protected from the outdoor elements either to where it is kept or through a paint or sealant of some sort. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

You can use Termidor to if you can drill to the site of the termites to ensure the termites will come in contact with the termiticide. A second option would be to use a wood treatment like Boracare. Boracare can be painted, sprayed, or foamed and will penetrate up to 4 inches into the wood but the wood will need to be sanded first and treated. The wood could be painted, stained and sealed after the product dries. If sealed, it will last for the life of the wood. Please refer to the product label as to what  application and mixing ratios.

Bora-Care is a very safe product and it is considered a green product as well.  Typically, it takes about an hour for the surface of the wood to dry.  After application has dried completely, it should be perfectly fine for children and pets to re-enter the house.

You can use Bora-Care on any raw wood inside or outside your home, including hardwood floors.  However, it can only be applied on raw wood.  You CANNOT apply Bora-Care to any wood that is painted, stained, or sealed.  So unless your hardwood floors are unfinished, you cannot spray them with Bora-Care.  If your flooring is already finished with a stain and sealant, then you either have to sand off the finish and the re-finsh after applying Bora-Care, or you can drill holes into the infested pieces and inject Bora-Care.

Yes, you can still treat wood that is painted with Bora-Care by injecting it, however it does require quite a few holes.  You should drill holes every 6 inches apart in a diamond pattern into the center of the wood and inject the Bora-care into all of the holes.  It helps to drill at a downward angle so the Bora-care does not run out of the holes due to gravity.  So, you would drill holes in the center of the wood, and then also another row of holes near the top and the bottom which will form a diamond pattern.

You can use Boracare on pressure treated wood as long as there is no stain, sealant, or paint on the wood. If the wood treated with Boracare is outside exposed to the elements, then you want to apply a water sealant after the Boracare has dried.

For furniture your options are limited for treatment. If the wood is in its all natural raw state without any stains or finishes on it you can use a product like Boracare. Boracare will absorb all the way into the wood and eliminate any infestation that is there and last for the life of the wood. It does not stain the wood or leave behind any visible residue, but becomes one with the wood and any insect that ingests it dies. If the furniture has a finish on it, you would either have to drill holes throughout it and inject something like the Boracare or a foam, or the option most go with, hire a company to fumigate it. Please let us know if you have any questions.

The best process would indeed to be strip the finish and apply Boracare. This is the only product that will penetrate through the wood and eliminate the existing infestation and prevent future infestations.

Boracare does not emit any VOCs (volatile organic compounds) into the atmosphere. It is safe once dry. If you are concerned about eating on the wood, such as if a table is/was infested, the wood does need to be sealed before using it.

Boracare takes care of any active infestation of wood-destroying insects such as termites, carpenter ants, powderpost beetles, etc. It is possible for the wood to become infested again if it has been exposed to water, if the wood wasn't treated in any way, like if it wasn't stained, after the Boracare treatment dried or if not all exposed sides were treated. 

Although, from the information you provided regarding the termite tunnels, if you're talking about mud tunnels then you are dealing with Subterranean termites. Boracare will still affect them if the eat the wood but the method of treatment to get rid of the colony will be to do a trench treatment around the Perimeter of your home with Termidor. Termidor can't be used indoors unless it's sprayed/foamed inside an enclosed wall void.

If you are sure, however, that you are dealing with Drywood termites, we recommend that you call Nisus (800) 264-0870 to troubleshoot with them as they are the makers of Boracare.

When using Boracare to treat for an active infestation of wood fungus it is applied at a 1:1 ratio for wood that is 4" thick or greater. Use a 3:1 dilution ratio for wood less than 4" in thickness.  You can spot treat the areas that have active fungus and then use the 5:1 for future prevention in the non effected areas.  You should be sure to address the moisture issue in the area before or during treatment of Boracare and apply a vapor barrier after the product has dried. Please see the product label for complete application instructions.

We do not recommend to fog for termites in an attic. It will not penetrate the raw wood. In this case we recommend to treat using Boracare. Boracare will penetrate up to 4 inches into the wood and will last the lifetime of the wood. You can paint it, spray it, or foam it onto the raw wood. 

Yes, you can apply the rubberized flashing after application of BORACARE. Be sure to wait 72 hours to make the application. This will give Boracare enough time to penetrate into the wood and dry. 

Boracare is not labeled for roaches.  It would be best to use products that are specifically labeled for them, such as the ones that are found in our roach control kits.

If the dining table is raw wood with no paint or finish on it, yes Boracare can be used. You will use it at the rate of 1:1. This can either be sprayed on or painted on. You can also use Jecta in the holes where you have seen activity if the wood does have finish or paint on it. You must finish food-handling surfaces such as dining tables that have treated with Boracare.

BORACARE can safely be used on the board as long as you stain after it has dried.

Boracare should only be used to prevent carpenter ants. We do not recommend using it to treat and active infestation. You can treat and active infestation by using something like Carpenter Ant Bait or by treating directly with a product like Phantom Aerosol or Termidor Foam.