Bora-Care - Questions & Answers

Bora-Care will kill all types but might not be the best choice depending on the type you have.  Subterranean termites and dry wood termites are two very different insects that require two very different treatments. We recommend that you get your termite infestation identified before you select a treatment method to be sure you are choosing the proper treatment method. Here two articles that can help you learn the differences between the two types of termites: Drywood Termites or Subterranean Termites. If you are still unsure after reading the articles you can always call in a professional company. Almost all termite companies will offer a free inspection and they will tell you what type of termites you are dealing with and how they recommend treating for the. At that point you can choose to hire them or do it your self. Termidor SC is the top termite product on the market. Termidor is completely undetectable by termites and once termites touch it they contact, ingest and spread the termiticide until it eliminates the entire colony. Termidor controls all types of termites including Subterranean, Formosan, and Drywood termites though the application method will be different for each type of termite. 

You want the siding to be dry when you are applying Boracare per the label. It needs to be able to soak in to the dry wood.

Unfortunately, Boracare is not labeled to be used as a perimeter treatment on concrete. It is lableled to be used on cellulosic materials including wood, plywood, particle board, oriented strand board, cardboard, and wood composite structural componets only. 

Bora-Care mixed at 1:5 ratio would not be strong enough to eliminate an active termite infestation.  This requires a 1:1 ratio.  

You could sand wood that has been treated with BORACARE as long as it is completely dry.

When using Bora-Care children should be out of the area while sparying, and untl the product dries. We would recommend that for pregnant women as well.

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. 

Bora-Care should be applied by a hand pump sprayer or painted on as suggested on the label.  Bora-Care is a very thick product and when applied through fine nozzles like a mister or a paint sprayer, it has been known to clog the nozzles on these sprayers.  It is meant to be applied through larger openings in hand pump sprayers or painted on.

You will need to paint or seal treated wood that is exposed to the elements to avoid having the product degrade.

Bora-Care will take up to 30 days or more to penetrate all the way through the wood.  It will only kill active beetles that are eating.  If there are dormant beetles that are not active, but become active later, let's say next year, you could see new activity at that time, but they will die once they start eating since Bora-Care stays in the wood forever.  It is common to see activity at a later date since beetles are not all active at the same time.

The Boracare product label states that it does not have an odor.  

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.

Bora-Care is a very safe product and it is considered a green product as well.  Typically, it takes about an hour for the surface of the wood to dry.  After application has dried completely, it should be perfectly fine for children and pets to re-enter the house.

You can use Bora-Care on any raw wood inside or outside your home, including hardwood floors.  However, it can only be applied on raw wood.  You CANNOT apply Bora-Care to any wood that is painted, stained, or sealed.  So unless your hardwood floors are unfinished, you cannot spray them with Bora-Care.  If your flooring is already finished with a stain and sealant, then you either have to sand off the finish and the re-finsh after applying Bora-Care, or you can drill holes into the infested pieces and inject Bora-Care.

Yes, you can still treat wood that is painted with Bora-Care by injecting it, however it does require quite a few holes.  You should drill holes every 6 inches apart in a diamond pattern into the center of the wood and inject the Bora-care into all of the holes.  It helps to drill at a downward angle so the Bora-care does not run out of the holes due to gravity.  So, you would drill holes in the center of the wood, and then also another row of holes near the top and the bottom which will form a diamond pattern.

Bora-Care can take up to 90 days to completely penetrate through all of the wood to where all of the termites are.  Bora-Care does not kill the termites by touch.  The termites walking on the wood are not effected.  Bora-Care kills the termites by ingestion.  After the Bora-Care has moved through the wood, the termites that are still in the wood will die when they continue to eat and ingest the Bora-Care with the wood.  You should treat all exposed sides of the wood that you can get to.  One treatment is normally enough unless the wood you are treating is more than 8 inches thick.  The termites will not spread easily to other areas so that is not a concern.

You can use Boracare on pressure treated wood as long as there is no stain, sealant, or paint on the wood. If the wood treated with Boracare is outside exposed to the elements, then you want to apply a water sealant after the Boracare has dried.

You can certainly use Boracare on your fence. Any areas that have an active infestation of powder post beetles will need to be treated at the rate of 1:1 and all other areas where there is no activity can be used 5:1. Once the Boracare has been applied to the fence, you will need to seal/stain/paint it to keep the rain from slowly washing it away over the years. If sealed, the Boracare will last for the life of the wood after application. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

If you treat any type of raw wood like your carvings with Boracare, it will eliminate the current infestation and prevent any new ones from starting a colony in those peices in the future. You will want to mix the Boracare at a 1:1 ratio and apply either with a sprayer or paint brush to the wood-whichever is easier for you- and do 2 coats if the wood is more than 4 inches thick in any area. It can take a couple of weeks sometimes for the product to move its way all the way to the center of the piece so you may still notice activity for a length of time after treatment as the product works its way through the infested areas. Any new termites that may come along will die from ingesting the treated wood immediately. The Boracare will last for the life of the wood so long as it is protected from the outdoor elements either to where it is kept or through a paint or sealant of some sort. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

For furniture your options are limited for treatment. If the wood is in its all natural raw state without any stains or finishes on it you can use a product like Boracare. Boracare will absorb all the way into the wood and eliminate any infestation that is there and last for the life of the wood. It does not stain the wood or leave behind any visible residue, but becomes one with the wood and any insect that ingests it dies. If the furniture has a finish on it, you would either have to drill holes throughout it and inject something like the Boracare or a foam, or the option most go with, hire a company to fumigate it. Please let us know if you have any questions.