Bora-Care - Questions & Answers

Boracare could be used on the underside of the bed where it is not stained.  It is safe when used as directed on the product label.  Since you are treating a baby bed we would recommend not using the bed until the product has completely dried, about 48 hours.  After that time it will be safe to use the bed again.  Bora-Care is a very safe product once dry and it is considered a green product as well.

Bora-Care starts working as soon as it has soaked into the wood.  When wood boring insects such as termites consume the wood treated with Bora Care, they will ingest a lethal dose which will kill them.  Bora Care will also remain active in the wood for the lifetime of the wood, so it will continue to protect the wood for it’s lifetime.

The insulation should be removed so that the Bora-Care can be applied directly to the wood. It is safe to place back once surfaces treated are completely dry. You can foam Bora-Care into the wall voids. The insulation may soak up a bit of the applications but here is how the pros handle it: You will need to use a stud finder to locate each stud. You should then drill a hole at the top of the wall on either side of each stud and you should drill a second set of holes at the bottom of the wall on either side of each stud. You will apply the foam using the top holes and you will know the foam has successfully coated the wood when it comes out of the bottom holes on either side of the studs.

When using Boracare as a foam it will penetrate into the wood, as long as there is not insulation to block the product from getting onto the wood. When foaming for termites, don't be concerned about foaming an entire wall void. You should only be concerned about getting the foam near the wood and studs. Drill holes at the top of the ceiling on either side of the studs and foam down the stud from the ceiling. This way you have gravity working in your favor and you are getting the foam against the wood which is all that matters.

You can turn BoraCare into a foam by mixing a foaming agent with it: Pro Foam. The amount you mix with it will determine if it will be a high or low expansion foam. You would need a foamer applicator to apply this product - Chapin Poly Foamer.

Using Termidor Foam is also an effective way to treat active termite colonies inside wall voids. This works different thatn Boracare as it will only sit on the wood and not absorb into the wood.

Bora-Care is only available in the gallon size.  Unfortunatly it does not come in any smaller quatities.  

Boracare is a very viscous liquid that needs to be thoroughly mixed with warm -hot water and thinned out before application. The label states that it can be applied by sprayer or by painting or rolling the product on but we are not sure that submerging the wood in the solution will be a proper application as it should only be applied until wet and not to the point of run off or oversaturation. 

Powderpost beetles can lay dormant for years in the wood and Boracare will not kill them until they are actively feeding.  Even after applying a product like Boracare to all sides of the infested raw wood (ideal situation) you can often still see signs of activity of the powder post beetles for a few years after treatment. This is because the product works through ingestion so as the larvae emerge from the wood (which is whenever they are good and ready) they eat the wood on their way out and ingest it and die. No new adults will be able to leave them in any holes in the wood as again, once they ingest it they will die.

Placing treated wood in a sealed bag will not increase the speed at which this happens.  If it is just one piece of furniture that is infested and you want a quicker kill, you can also contact local furniture finishers or pest control operators who may offer a heat chamber. Heating the furniture up to over 140 degrees for several hours will any pest that is inside where dormant or not.

You cannot apply Boracare to wood floors that are stained, sealed, or painted. The floor would have to be raw wood for you to apply Boracare. You can carefully spot treat existing holes using Jecta, which is a ready-to-use version of Boracare.

We recommend doing the treatment with the Fipronil or Altriset first, waiting 90 days and then following up with the Boracare. This will allow the termites to go back to the colony with the active ingredient on their body and pass it around the colony causing the entire colony to collapse. If you treat with Boracare first, you risk only killing the termites present and not getting rid of the entire colony.

Since all surfaces of the wood need to be treated, we would recommend you remove any item that is blocking the application from reaching the wood. You should drill through any layered beam to get the solution all the way to the next beam when necessary.

Typically Boracare dries in 24-48 hours and does not need to be rinsed before sealing. If there is any white residue left, you can remove excess Boracare using soap and water, but we would try to avoid doing this unless there is clearly too much product applied.  You only need to apply to wood until wet, but not dripping.

Yes! You can use Bora-Care for application on a log and it will protect this log against any future damage. We advise that since it is outside, you should seal the log after applying Bora-Care.  This will allow the product to last longer outside.  If an exterior piece of wood is exposed to weather over the years, water can force the Bora-Care out if it is not properly sealed.

Bora-Care can be mixed with an impeller-type mixer that would be used with an electric drill.

The only way to get Boracare into a wall void would be to use it as a foam. You will need to use a foaming agent and a poly foamer. The mixing ratio is 2:1, meaning 2 parts water to 1 part Boracare. We would recommend using the high expansion formula so there is less moisture. Keep in mind Boracare can only be applied to raw wood.
 

No, Boracare cannot be mixed with stain, but you can apply stain after applying Boracare. 

Boracare can only be mixed with water.  It would be recommended to apply Boracare first and then apply the linseed oil once the Boracare is dry.  

We do not recommend applying Bora-Care to firewood. Burning wood treated with any insecticide would release the active ingredients into the air. Burning the wood without treating with any chemical will kill anything in it.