The advantage of doing a tenting treatment is that it will kill all the insects in the home at the time of treatment. Since drywood termites have one colony all in one place, this would eliminate all colonies present without necessarily having to locate all of them. Obviously cost and time can be a concern with this type of treatment. Plus, tenting does not provide any kind of prevention, so a Boracare treatment on raw wood is a great idea for prevention. If you are going to treat yourself, then you would use signs like frass and kickout holes to locate where the live termites are in the structure, and you would spot treat each of those areas. I recommend using a foam termiticide such as FUSE Foam to spot treat live termite activity in the structure. It is not recommend to spot treat only using Boracare. Boracare is a unique product in that it absorbs into the wood and stays present for the life of the wood, so it is really one of the only things you can do for prevention of drywood termites.
We have more tips in our Drywood Termite Treatment Guide here.
You would indeed remove all food products from the cabinet. You would need to apply the Boracare to the raw wood, let it dry for at least 48 hours and then seal the wood with stain, paint, etc. After that has been completed you can put food products back in the cabinet.
Bora-Care cannot be used on trees or plants. It is for cut lumber only. Borates will kill any living plant, shrub, grass or tree. Termites do not attack live, healthy trees. If you have termites in a tree you would need to treat the nest directly by drilling holes into the dead parts of the tree where the colony is infesting. This can be done with something like Dominion 2L or a foam like Termidor Foam.
No, Boracare will not kill spiders or any other crawling pests except those that would chew on treated wood. We would suggest using Delta Dust in the crawl space for spiders.
There is no reason why BORACARE would not work when applied over Concrobium. We always recommend to take care of the mold first then treat with Boracare.
If you can treat all sides of the wood when applying Boracare, that is best. However, if you can only access one side, then it would still be recommended to apply two coats of Boracare at least 20 minutes apart. If the wood is still very fresh, then it is best to let it cure for at least a few days before applying Boracare.
Keep in mind that for prevention you can dilute Boracare at the 5:1 ratio with water, per the product label.
Boracare really is designed to only be applied to raw wood that has no finish or treatment on it of any kind. The linseed oil may prevent the Borcare from penetrating into the wood of the door. If you can sand some of it off (depending on how deep the oil penetrated into the door), you may be able to apply the Boracare with sucess, however we cannot guarantee it will soak in the way its intended since the oil has been applied.
Boracare is only labeled to be used directly on wood so this should not be used on a concrete wall or paver. For your concrete areas against the home, you will need to get the termiticide underneath the concrete against the foundation. To do this you will need a hammer drill with a 1/2" x 18" drill bit. You drill holes throughout the concrete about 3-4 inches away from the wall or foundation, and about every 10"-12" apart. Once the holes are drilled, you fill at the same rate you did the trench, 4 gallons per 10 feet. To fill these, we would recommend using the one gallon sprayer on a "pin stream" setting so you can force the liquid down the hole and not splash it everywhere. You can also use a funnel and pour the termiticide down the holes. It is difficult to get 4 gallons per 10 feet in the holes, so it is important that you use a long drill bit, at least 18" long so you can bore out enough dirt to hold the termiticide. Once the holes are filled all you need to do is patch them with a concrete patch filler you can buy at Home Depot or you can use our Trebor plugs that will close the hole with no concrete mess.
Boracare should come off with a soap and hot water mixture and a little scrubbing to make the pavers look normal again. It will not harm the pavers and will degrade over time as it is only meant to bond long term to wood surfaces.
If you have subterranean termites, we would recommend doing a trench around the home. You will dig a 6 inch by 6 inch around the structure of the home. We would recommend using Termidor SC. You will use 0.8 fl. oz. per gallon of water. You will use 4 gallons of solution per 10 lineal feet. The termites travel in the walls and will be eradicated within 90 days.
No, Boracare is not labeled for carpenter bees.
For carpenter bees, we would recommend using our Carpenter Bee Kit. It has everything you need to do a complete treatment for bees.
Please also check out our Carpenter Bee Guide for more tips on how to treat and prevent them in the future.
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.
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.
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.
We cannot guarantee the effectiveness of BORACARE past 3 years. We would recommend to purchase fresh product.
Bora-Care is safe if it is applied to raw wood when the pets are not present. Once the treated surfaces have completely, it is safe for them to returned to the treated areas/surfaces.
Yes, allowing Boracare to freeze can make it ineffective. It should be stored in a controlled temperature area out of direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. You also want to avoid applying any product in below freezing temperatures because the water part of the mixture can separate and freeze
You really want to avoid applying any product in below freezing temperatures because the water part of the mixture can separate and freeze.
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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.
