Bora-Care - Questions & Answers

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  • Asked by Rose
    08/24/2009
    Q
    Where can I purchase Bora-Care, so that I can do my own pest control?
    A
    From us of course. We sell professional products to homeowners. www.DoMyOwnPestControl.com
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    12 of 13 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Phillip
    08/31/2009
    Q
    Can any person buy Bora-Care or do they have to have a private applicators license?
    A
    Bora-Care can be sold to any homeowner without an applicators license as long as they are using it on their own property and are not treating other peoples homes for profit. 
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    54 of 57 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Carolyn
    11/03/2009
    Q
    I plan on using Bora-Care in the crawl space. Can I also use it on the live palm tree without killing it? I have discovered a decay fungus in our crawl space under the tub and on the bottom of a nearby palm tree in our yard.
    A
    No, Bora-Care is a borate product, and borate products will kill any plant or tree life.  We have recently started carrying several fungicides for trees and other plants. We would recommend trying to contact a local college or university with a arborist program or a local lawn and turf company for a proper identification of the fungus. Please click on the link for the contact information for your local cooperative extension office.
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    10 of 10 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Richard
    11/14/2009
    Q
    Can Bora-Care be used on live trees in the spring to prevent ambrosia beetles from killing it?
    Last spring a young pecan tree die because of them.
    A
    No, Bora-Care,  like any other borate product cannot be used on trees or plants.  Borate's will kill any living plant, shrub, grass or tree.  You might want to look at Talstar P.  It is typically used on trees for beetles.  It cannot be applied directly on the product you are harvesting but it can be applied to the bark and tree and it will not harm the tree itself.
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    5 of 6 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Len
    11/24/2009
    Q
    Will Bora-Care kill severe black mold on plaster?
    A
    No, Bora-Care is not labeled to treat or prevent mold.  However, we do sell an upgrade version of Bora-Care called Boracare with Mold-Care that is labeled to treat and prevent mold on wood.
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    1 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Joe
    12/02/2009
    Q
    My house is approx. 2000 sq ft of crawl space. How much Bora-Care would I need for the job?
    A
    How much Bora-Care you need depends more on the size of the wood you are treating than just square footage.  Also, it's the lineal footage of the wood more than square footage.  Here is a link to a worksheet that you can fill out and it should give you the correct amount needed based on the size of wood you have and how much you need to treat.  Typically, each gallon of Bora-Care, after mixed 1:1 with water, will treat about 1000 square feet of space, but if you have larger sized wood (for example:  2 x 8 instead of 2 x 4), then one gallon of Bora-Care may only treat 800 square feet.  The worksheet should be able to get you an exact estimate.
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    145 of 155 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Lloyd
    12/17/2009
    Q
    Once Bora-Care is applied on raw wood, can the wood be painted at a later date?
    A
    Yes. Wood treated with Bora-Care can be painted, stained or sealed once it is dry which usually takes 24 hours.
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    188 of 194 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by E.
    03/02/2010
    Q
    What is the difference between Bora-Care and Timbor that makes the price of Bora-Care cost so much more?
    They both seem to control the same pests. Container size appears the same. Is Bora-Care more highly concentrated therefore dilutes to cover more? I am confused. Can these be applied by a novice? What protection must one take?
    A

    Bora-Care and Timbor are both borate products used to treat wood, but they could not be more different.  Timbor is in a powder form that is mixed with water.  It is much less expensive but it is intended more for protecting new wood only, or wood that you know does not have any issues.  Timbor will only penetrate the outer layer of the wood so it is more for protection or for treating fungus on the surface of the wood. 

    If you have an active infestation of termites, powder-post beetles or wood borers deep inside the wood then Timbor would not make it through the wood to kill these insects.  BoraCare is a liquid borate but has an additive, a glycol solution, which allows the product to penetrate through the entire piece of wood, therefore it should be used any time you have an active infestation because you are guaranteed it will kill anything in the wood no matter how deep it is.  Also, BoraCare will last forever in the wood so you will never have to worry about any infestations in the wood that you treat ever again. 

    Just to recap if you have an existing infestation, you should use Bora-Care.  If you are just treating wood to be used in new construction or surface fungus, then Timbor is fine to use.  Both products are very safe, virtually odorless and do not require respirators unless you are in a enclosed space with no ventilation.  You should always wear gloves and protect your eyes anytime you apply pesticides or herbicides.  All you need to apply either product is a one or two gallon hand pump sprayer.  Timbor is used at 1.5 lbs of Timbor to each gallon of water.  Bora-Care is mixed 1:1, one gallon of Bora-Care to one gallon of water which will make two finished gallons. Both products should be mixed in a 5 gallon bucket and then poured in your sprayer to use.  We sell these products to homeowners every day and they are very successful treating their issues and you can have great success too.  Remember that we are always here to help.  Good Luck!

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    863 of 889 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Caroline
    04/02/2010
    Q
    Should we spray the new plywood with Timbor or Boracare?
    We have a 40-year-old home with redwood plywood siding. The siding has worn & we are about to cover it with a new layer. Redwood isn't available; we'll use 11/32 " Breckenridge siding plywood, over builder's paper. Trim is heart redwood & will be replaced as needed. We plan to use a transparent stain, to "even out" old & new wood color. We've had many drywood termite attacks; entry has been through beam ends & trim. Professional Tim-bor treatment has controlled them. Should we spray the new plywood with Timbor or Boracare? Before or after staining?
    A
    Anytime you are treating exterior wood you should always use Bora-Care.  It will last longer in the wood than Timbor.  Also, when treating new wood with timbor it can leave a powdery residue because it is a powder.  Bora-Care dries clear and will look better after finishing the wood with the stain.  Since you have a rare opportunity to treat your new siding you should treat with the best, and Bora-care is the best.  When treating plywood that is close to 3/4" thick, you should apply at a rate of one gallon of Bora-Care to one gallon of water.  This will make two finished gallons.  These two finished gallons should treat 1066 square feet of siding.  Once you have applied the Bora-Care you should wait at least 48 hours for it to dry before applying any type of stain or sealant.
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    7 of 7 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by William
    04/03/2010
    Q
    What is the coverage of Bora-Care per gallon? I have to spray 66 lineal feet of 2x4's used for roof furring.
    A
    One gallon of Bora-Care mixed with one gallon of water will make two finished gallons.  These two finished gallons of Bora-Care will treat 1200 lineal feet of 2x4 sized wood, treating all exposed sides.  Remember you do not need to over apply the product, just enough to wet the surface of the wood.
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    106 of 119 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Thom
    05/17/2010
    Q
    Will Boracare treat mold?
    A
    No. Boracare by itself will not treat or prevent mold. Boracare with Moldcare will treat existing mold and prevent mold in the future. Boracare with Moldcare will not remove the mold stain however, for that you should use Mold clean.
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    43 of 45 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Robert
    06/11/2010
    Q
    Can I use Boracare on logs that have already been stained?
    I have a 9 year old Douglas Fir log home near Albany, NY and started noticing small flying insects boring many small round holes on all sides of the house. The logs have only been stained and not UV or water repellent treated yet so I'm hoping Boracare can be spayed now to soak in past the stain and then once dried I'll apply a special log wood sealant...
    A
    Unfortunately BoraCare will not penetrate through stain either.  You would have to sand the surface stain off of the wood, pressure wash it off, or drill holes into the infested area and inject Bora-Care into the center of the wood.  Those would be the only options. 
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    2 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Marilou
    06/12/2010
    Q
    Can i use BoraCare to treat fungus and termite infested pepper tree trunks?
    We have been cutting down our dead trees infested with fungus and termites. we were told we need to throw them all out but I wanted to keep them to make steps and foot paths around our property. can i treat them with any of your product and do we have to strip the bark off the trunks?
    A
    BoraCare will kill any living plants and trees, so you could only use it if they are already dead or you don't mind if they are dead.  You would have to strip the bark and let the wood dry as much as possible before treating with Bora-Care.  The Bora-Care will kill any insects in the wood and neutralize fungus.  You would want to seal the wood after treating with a water sealant if they were going to be outside and exposed to rain for a long time. 
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    1 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Richie
    06/17/2010
    Q
    Can BoraCare be shipped to New York State?
    A
    No, Bora-Care is not allowed to be shipped to New York at this time.
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    1 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Patricia
    06/18/2010
    Q
    Can I use Boracare indoors? Our wall is painted but doesn't have a sealant. Will Boracare work?
    We're finding tiny pellets next to our wall. In researching, it looks like termite droppings. We'll wipe it off but it reappears after a few days. I'm looking to apply the Boracare on the inside wall. If we apply it inside, will we have to leave the house?
    A
    BoraCare can be used indoors safely.  It is considered a green product and is made from natural products.  BoraCare is only meant to be applied on wood.  It can only be raw wood, meaning the studs in your wall.  It cannot be applied to painted wood, or sealed wood, only raw, untreated wood.  When treating drywood termites you would have to drill holes through your sheetrock where the holes are that the termites are kicking the droppings out, and drill into the stud.  This is where the termites are.  You would inject the wood with the boracare after mixing it with water.  Typically you would do this using a one gallon hand pump sprayer.  You should drill a hole every 6 inches up the stud to ensure good coverage.  If you have any specific questions, please feel free to call us at 866-581-7378. 
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    6 of 8 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Mimi
    07/08/2010
    Q
    How long does it take Bora-Care to penetrate wood? I know it depends on thickness, but in general how long?
    I sprayed Bora-Care under the garage. I now have mold, so I know it did not dry enough. I need to treat under house, and I want to dry it with fans. I want to get the mold growth, but I do not want to interfere with penetration of Bora-Care. How long should I wait before trying to dry it out? Bora-Care with Mold Care is too toxic for me to want to use.
    A

    Just so you know, Bora-Care will not kill, treat, or prevent mold growth. It only works for fungus or wood destroying insects, not mold.  Only Bora-Care with Mold Care will treat and kill and prevent mold.  Bora-Care will take at least 30 days usually to diffuse through the entire piece of wood.  This of course depends on the thickness and moisture content of the wood.  The outer layer though usually dries within 24 hours or at least is OK after 24 hours to treat again or apply a stain or sealant to the wood. 

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    19 of 22 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Kristina
    08/09/2010
    Q
    Can I use Bora-Care on my wood furniture?
    I have powder post beetles on my wood table. I believe I bought these tables from a reputable furniture store, and I don't know what to do. They are nice tables. Will this solution ruin the tables, or can I apply it to them? I have to do something because this is crazy to have bugs in a table I paid good money for? What do you suggest?
    A
    In order to use Bora-Care on your table, you would have to make sure the wood is bare or stripped. Bora-Care cannot penetrate into sealed or finished wood. After wood has been treated with Bora-Care, you can paint, stain or seal the wood with no problems.
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    8 of 11 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Pamela
    08/18/2010
    Q
    I have a log home that needs to be treated. How do I know how much Bora-Care to use?
    A
    To find out how much Bora-Care it takes to treat round logs, see page 7 of the product label and look at Table C for round logs and log cabins. Find the size of log you have and the chart will tell you how much BoraCare is needed. You are welcome to call us with any questions at 866-581-7378. 
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    1 of 1 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Jim
    08/20/2010
    Q
    Will Bora-Care kill moss growing on a shingle roof?
    A
    Bora-Care is not labeled to be applied to shingles or anything other than wood. Although, it is labeled to kill wood destroying fungus, it is not labeled for moss or other building materials.  Unfortunately, we do not carry any other fungus type products. We are sure a Home Depot or other hardware store may have something.
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    1 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Jerry
    09/17/2010
    Q
    How do I treat wood with Bora-Care that is underneath drywall where I see breakout points?
    I've been told I have drywood termites, but there is not much exposed wood (it's mostly covered by drywall). How can I treat this?
    A
    The only way to get Bora-Care into the wood is to either tear off the sheet rock or drill holes through the drywall into the wood directly. When drilling holes into a stud, you have to drill them every 6 inches apart and drill the hole into the center of the wood at a downward angle so when you fill the hole with Bora-Care it does not run out.  The wood will soak up the Bora-Care once you inject it.  The key to treating drywood termites is that you have to get the product into the void exactly where the termites are.
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    32 of 35 people found this answer helpful.
Displaying 1 to 20 (of 654 questions)