Bora-Care mixed at 1:5 ratio would not be strong enough to eliminate an active termite infestation. This requires a 1:1 ratio.
If wood treated with Boracare is regularly exposed to moisture, then this exposure can absolutely start to break down the Boracare residual and leave the wood vulnerable to fungus or other damage. For best control, you should always aim to permanently correct any moisture issues in the area.
You can use the wood as a cutting board after applying Bora-Care, as long as you apply a water sealant on it after the Boracare is dry.
Yes, Bora-Care will work on pressure treated wood. Bora-Care will become a second layer of protection and it might make the wood look aged but it will work.
Yes, you can treat the same wood with the Boracare. The previous treatment with Timbor will have no affect on the absorption. Both products are borate-based and become one with the wood after application.
Yes, you can use Boracare on any raw wood. Boracare protects wood from wood-infesting insects like termites, carpenter ants, and wood-boring beetles, plus wood decay fungus. You can apply Boracare at a 5:1 dilution rate with water for preventative wood treatment. Apply with a sprayer, paint brush, or roller. When treating exterior wood such as a fence, you should apply a water sealant after the Boracare has tried completely.
Bora-Care can be mixed with an impeller-type mixer that would be used with an electric drill.
No, Boracare will not affect the romex wiring when applied to raw wood. The rate is 1:1 for an active infestation.
565 PLUS XLO will kill termites or any other insects on contact. However, keep in mind that most swarming termites will die on their own in about a day. You should determine what kinds of termites are in the area (either Drywood or Subterranean) so that you can address the larger issue at hand, which is that there is a mature termite colony in the area. Bora-Care should only be applied to raw, natural wood for treating wood destroying insects. If you are treating for swarmers, we recommend spot treating voids with Fuse Foam and using Taurus SC in a trenched and drilled holes for termites. Please take a few moments to review our treatment article on How to Get Rid of Termites for a successful treatment program.
Boracare would be the best product to treat any accessible raw untreated wood for drywood termites. You can apply Boracare by rolling, painting, pressurized hand pump sprayer, or foamer. Please refer to our How to Treat for Drywood Termites Guide for step by step instructions on how to do a full treatment (Identify, Inspect, Treat & Prevent).
If you are seeing white residue after applying Boracare, then there are a few possible causes. What usually happens is that either the Boracare was not mixed properly before it was applied, or too much product was applied to wood. Another possibility is that the Boracare did not have enough time to dry completely before the poly coating was applied. Typically Boracare dries in 24-48 hours. 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. Another condition that could cause strange drying is if you are trying to apply Boracare to wood that has already been treating with paint, stain, sealant, oil, or another finish.
Bora-Care should only be used to prevent carpenter ants. We do not recommend using it to treat a current infestation. Once the ant gallery has already been establsihed Boracare will not be very effective. You can treat the current infestation by using our Carpenter Ant Kit indoors and Taurus SC (against the exterior of the structure) and Advance Carpenter Ant Bait around trailing sites, trees, structure, wood piles, etc. Please take a few moments to review our article on How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants for a successful eradication program.
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.
Bora-Care does not have an odor.
Once the BoraCare and BoraCare with Mold Care have had time to dry, spraying a general purpose insecticde over the area would not affect the BoraCare application.
The raw, natural wood can be treated and dried completely prior to the application of Bora-Care or Timbor without disrupting the absorption.
Bora-Care should only be applied to raw wood. It will not penetrate through any wood that has been pre-treated. Polyurethane is equivalent to applying paint, so the best process would indeed to be strip the finish and apply Boracare as this is the only product that will penetrate through the wood and eliminate the existing infestation and prevent future infestations.
We have spoken with the manufacturer of Bora-Care, Nisus, and they have stated that there is no problem with aluminum or any other metals with a Bora-Care application. There have been over 1.5 million houses treated over the past 15 years with no reported adverse effects and we have also done direct corrosion studies with Bora-Care and aluminum that show no corrosion. Bora-Care is not labeled to be applied to shingles.
