Boracare does need to be diluted depending on what you are intending to use the product for. For an active infestation of a wood destroying insect, you will use 1 gallon of hot water with 1 gallon of Boracare. The percentage of active ingredient is 23% in that dilution.
2:1 parts water to Boracare – 16% - foaming or misting application for termites or carpenter ants; hardwood floors for some wood-infesting beetles
3:1 parts water to Boracare – 13% - remedial control of Fungi and Algae on wood less than 4 inches thick
5:1 parts water to Boracare – 9% - most preventative or pre-construction treatments.The mixing ratio of Boracare depends on if you have a current wood-boring pest you are treating. If you do, we recommend mixing at a 1:1 ratio. If you are using Boracare as a preventative you can mix at a 1:5 ratio.
We ALWAYS recommend using a 1:1 ratio with Boracare because of 2 reasons. First of all, a 1:1 ratio is the strongest ratio and will ensure complete penetration through the wood and it will protect longer in the wood than any other ratio. Second, even though you are using new wood, or store-bought raw wood, it can still contain beetles and other insects from the mill. Applying a 1:1 ratio ensures that if there are any issues whatsoever, they are taken care of before they become a problem.
No, Bora-Care needs to be applied to raw, unpainted, or non-stained wood. It will not soak into the wood to protect it.
When mixing Bora-Care, it is recommended to use hot water to make it easier to dilute it. The water should not be scalding hot, it should be a warm/hot temperature that will also be safe in case it splatters. It is recommended to dilute in a bucket first before putting it into the sprayer. The solution should not clog the sprayer if it cools but it would be best to use the mixture within 24 hours and not store or leave product in the sprayer because of the possibility of it being clogged after a long period of time.
No, Boracare is not labeled for carpenter bees.
For carpenter bees, we would recommend using our Carpenter Bee Kit. It has everything inside of it to do a complete treatment for bees.
Please also check out our Carpenter Bee Guide for wonderful tips on how to treat and prevent them in the future.
Boracare will not be absorbed into wood that is stained or treated. If the wood is stripped down to the bare, exposed wood, then you could apply Boracare before re-painting or re-staining the wood. If this is not possible, then you may want to consider having a local pest control company fumigating the piece of furniture to kill any existing insects in it.
We sell the product Boracare and are happy to assist you with ordering and using that product. We are unable to offer advice on how to create or manufacture chemicals.