Boracare is specifically designed to be applied to plywood and any other raw wood surface that hasn't been stained or finished with anything like paint or a sealant.
Yes, BoraCare may be used on wood that is currently and/or previously infested by termites. Please read the product label for complete use instructions.
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.
When treating an active infestation, Bora Care should be used at a 1:1 ratio on raw wood. It appears that the product may not have been applied at the correct rate to get control of the active infestation. Please be sure to review the product label for more information and complete application instructions. Also, please take a moment to review our Powderpost Beetles article here for more information on this pest. Boracare will last for the life of the wood but will only kill the beetles that are active and feed on the wood so you can still see activity as they can lay dormant for years until conditions are right for the young to hatch and become active.
When you apply Bora-Care, it is best to allow it to fully dry before being in the same room as the treated wood.
Drying times after Bora-Care can vary depending on the thickness of the lumber, humidty and air temperatures. It’s recommended to allow 72 hours for the Boracare to completely dry before sanding, painting or staining the wood. Once the application has completely absorbed throughout the wood and dried, there should not be any sticky residue left on the surface. Lumber that is greater than 10 inches thick do require 2 applications or if only 1 or 2 surfaces of the wood can be treated.
Please refer to the Lumber Bulletin and the Bora-Care Total Wood Preservative for Use Prior to Installation of Lumber Section on page 13 of the product label for more information.
Boracare can be used on ANY raw wood that is not painted, stained, or sealed. Since it dries on clear, there should be no problem with stain, paint, or seal when you are done or while applying a clear coat finish. Please view the full product label for more information.
BoraCare can be used anytime of year as long as the wood itself is not damp or high in moisture. To ensure your BoraCare application lasts the entire life of the wood, it is recommended to apply a water sealant, stain or paint within 30 days of the application.
The beetle activity you are seeing could be new beetles coming into the barn. We would recommend inspecting the wood inside the barn for any holes or debris to determine if there is activity inside the wood that has been treated.
If reapplication of BoraCare is determined necessary, we would suggest applying a paint, stain or sealant within 30 days to ensure the life of wood protection.
Bora-Care should be applied uniformly and evenly on all sides of raw wood either by spraying or painting on as directed on the label.