Customer Reviews for Bora-Care

Giving this 4 stars but really, it's only been a couple of weeks since applying the product. I used Boracare to treat a 130 year old hewn oak beam that I was making into a fireplace mantel. Wood showed signs of powder-post beetle infestation. I followed manufacturer's directions and gave two applications. Product was not hard to mix with a paint mixing attachment on a drill and using hot water. Product is about the consistency of honey. Gave it two heavy applications. Took about 5-6 days to dry enough to stain and poly the wood. It did leave a little bit of salty residue on some surfaces where it puddled and dried. I just brushed this off with a stiff brush and wiped the whole thing down with mineral spirits prior to staining, and seemed to have no adverse effects on stain color/absorption. Wish it came in half gallons, as I only needed about a quart for this project.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Mixing with warm water works well. For my application I used a brush which works fine for the tops of horizontal surfaces. A lot runs down your arm if you try to paint it on the underside of a horizontal surface. Time will tell if the insects are repelled/killed by the application. Price seems high, but DoMyOwnPestControl.com had the best price that I could find.

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5 of 5 people found this review helpful

The exact type of product I needed. Only time will tell how effective it is, but Boracare is simple enough to use and very specific directions provided for a variety of use-situations. A word to the wise - when they say mix mechanically with warm water - they mean it - when using 1:1 ratio for Subterranean Termite prevention. It's a very thick syrup consistancy. FYI - I was using it while residing and old church building that had prior subterranean termite activity, but no present activity.

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3 of 4 people found this review helpful

It would be hard to rate this product on effectiveness, as I don't have anything to compare it to. However, it was easy to dilute in hot water as instructed, and was easy to apply to bare wood with a weed sprayer and spray bottle. Product is clear, and after 2 days can be painted over. I used on exposed bare wood and facia boards before priming and painting, where previous wood had dry rot and termite damage.

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7 of 7 people found this review helpful

I can not, at this time, attest to the effectiveness of this product because it was just applied, but, can say that the price was reasonable and shipping was prompt. Have hopes that this relatively non-toxic product will prevent future destruction by wood destroying insects, particularly, termites found at the attached neighbors property.

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I have an old hip-roof barn which was probably built in the 1800's. When I acquired it the powder post beetles were pretty firmly entrenched therein! Boracare is the only thing that has slowed them down so far. Some of the beams were pretty big so I had to apply several applications but at least I'm winning the war now. Costing a lot of money but these old barns aren't being built anymore so it's money well spent. Thanx for the help!

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3 of 4 people found this review helpful

I especially liked the application with a paint brush.

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20 of 20 people found this review helpful

My thanks for your prompt service. The product mixes and applies easily. It dries well (it will dry everything it contacts including skin so don't forget to wear rubber gloves). I was expecting a greater level of penetration as that aspect seems variable with different woods and their respective moisture content at time of application. Thinning also plays a part in this equation. Time will tell as to it's level of efficacy.

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I bought BORA-CARE for dry wood termites in my home. I chose this over the others because I wanted a product that would stay in the wood to prevent future termites. When mixed according to directions, you won't have any problems with it crystalizing.

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3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I only gave it 4 because it hasn't been long enough to know how well it worked long term. Be sure to use warm/hot water to mix it as it comes out of the bottle the consistency of honey. Sometimes hard to tell where you left off, so use a push pin to mark your spot when refilling or taking a break. Rented a pressure washer ($50) plus cost of Boracare plus my time instead of a quoted price of $1000 to do the same job.

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5 of 5 people found this review helpful

We had a fairly bad infestation in 3600 SF of oak we have been air drying. We applied a 1:1 mix on both surfaces. After about a week we started seeing powder post beetle powder in a few places. We are going to give those locations another applications and see how well it workes.

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1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great product fast shipping, but when I opened the box one bottle was leaking a bit. I didn't feel like dealing with returning it so I used it anyway.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I applied this under my house because my neighbor found termites. I have kids so I didn't want them to be exposed to a pesticide. It is supposed to last forever. I like the fact that I should never have to apply it again. We will see as forever comes closer. 8)

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I acquired log furniture and in July of 2013, I discovered 3 dead powderpost beetles. Fast forward to this year 2014, the infestation is way worse.. I found 15 dead beetles.. I researched and found this site. The product was less expensive than other sites..Arrived no problem. Read label thoroughly.. It has the consistency of molasses, so mix it with hot water in a separate container before adding it to a sprayer, so it doesn't clog it up. Rinse thoroughly after use. Was easy to apply, will be sticky for a while.. be careful of over-spray,due to it's sticky nature.. Will see what happens next year..Supposed to kill the powderpost beetle coming out so they don't lay eggs, and kill what larvae is on the surface, so they don't penetrate back into the wood. I'd expect to have to do this again next year, depending on the life cycle, but am hoping to have less beetles next year, and stop future infestations.! Here's hoping!

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Product arrived in perfect condition, contrary to a few reviews that have mentioned leaking containers. My initial application was easy because I was spot-treating an infested wood countertop, so I mixed up a small batch and applied it with a brush. Very hot water is needed to dissolve the BoraCare but it stayed in solution once mixed. No trace of any powderpost dust since the application, and although it has only been a few weeks, this is a great sign.

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Domyownpestcontrol provided a great service both times I bought this product. This is the second time I am buying a batch to apply. I feel the termite growth has slowed down, but yet looking forward to achieve ultimate results. Last time I bought it was last year. This time the product feels greasier.

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I have an on going problem with powder post beetles and have used the product in the past. Shipping may not be Fast but I get my orders fairly quickly. Suggestions: Follow the directions and mix with a paint mixer it is the easiest and best way to get it in suspension. My old hand sprayer puked and I had to run into town and buy a replacement. I bought a cheap sprayer, don't, spend the money on a good one. The quality of your hand sprayer will play a big part on how well you cover the surface. I would up wasting to much with a cheap one.

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0 of 1 people found this review helpful

I can only comment on the application of this product since I just applied it. The stuff is like pure cornsyrup in consistency but actually is quite easy to use - definitley use HOT water to mix and use a painters aggitator and drill. Once mixed it is easily sprayed on the house but stays very sticky. Stain is easily applied over this once dry. Easy to clean up with water but stays sticky on wahtever is gets on.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I can't report Bora-care's effectiveness on past or present populations of powder post beetles (without a way to gage numbers before and after) but trust that it works if you follow the application directions. I mixed the product with warm water under the recommended usage ratio in a glass jar, shaking it vigorously, and funneled it into a hand plant mister for my small jobs. It considerably darkened my old oak beam, lightened, part darkened, then finally lightened again over time. My hand mister and backpack sprayer both became clogged if I wasn't careful to mix it well. With whatever sprayer tool you use, it's hard to know how much or how little to apply across the wood's area.

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left beams with a fine dust look.. not bad, but slightly noticeable. Otherwize it went on easy with a sprayer and cleaned up ok. We did wear a mask protector and raincoat since it was dripping off the beams. I would use it again.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Seems to be killing the bore weevils we are having from some Mexican furniture. I am having to inject into the wood with a syringe in cracks and holes they have made since it is heavily stained already. But am finding dead ones each morning and less sawdust. So maybe I will have them all gone before it get ruined.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

This stuff only works by saturating unpainted fresh wood.

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works well for the wood protection with new and old house .

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I do not know how good this but it is easy to apply. If it does work as well as I think then I'll know for sure within the next 6 months.

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I'd like to hold off on my final verdict concerning Boracare. I am using it to kill powder post beatles. They are not active right now so I won't know about the effectiveness of the product until this Spring. I will then try to do another review. Now about my experience with using the product. What ever you do make sure to use hot water😨. The stuff is like syrup but mixes well with the hot water. I used a cheap 2 gallon sprayer with no problems. Follow the directions! Use the precautions😷. This stuff is only 40% Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate (DOT). It's the other 60% I have concerns about. Heck! Timbor is 98% DOT and it's used a preventative. I plan on contacting Nisus Corporation again to ask about what makes up the other 60%. Also, Nisus has a great PDF file on figuring square footage to be sprayed. Is missed by a half gallon doesn't sound like much but at $80 a pop. This is a good site for how to use the product and figure amount. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://nisuscorp.com/images/uploads/documents-technical-bulletins/techbulletin_newconstructiontreatments.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwi9nuXXtP3OAhVL6yYKHVOIAScQFggoMAA&usg=AFQjCNFZED7OmXfBaRHH2HRdFtg0QvLG8A. This other link is the one I referred to when figuring number of gallons to buy. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://nisuscorp.com/images/uploads/documents-technical-bulletins/techbulletin_loghomes_dimensionallumber.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiKoYfhtf3OAhWEgCYKHY2wDy8QFggiMAE&usg=AFQjCNEokDVm9Qo6lgaR14Qx0NWCP0CWKw. Even though it says log homes it still deals with all measurements of timber. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Ric PS: The star rating may change, hopefully up😎

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Good product but a bit hard to mix because of thickness.Additionally, adding other pesticides doesn't work well, they sink to the bottom and harden. Buy more than enough to coat every piece of wood exposed or insects will find a home in the untreated wood. Bora Care does not treat pressure treated wood.

  Expert response:
Thank you for your comments! We would not recommend mixing any other products with Boracare unless it is a spray indicator. To mix Boracare, use a separate container from your sprayer and use an impeller-type mixer for best results. You will then pour the finished solution into your spray equipment to apply it. Please let us know if we can further assist you!

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6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Easy to use on oak planks I knew were infested with powderpost beetles. I used a foam brush after diluting the Bora-Care in warm water (1:1 dilution). Interestingly, the Bora-Care does not immediately dilute in the water, so I initially thought I was doing something wrong as it stuck to the bottom of the bucket. Once it did dilute in the water, it happened quickly and completely. It did turn seem to darken the rough cut oak to some degree-not significantly, but enough that I can't give it 5 stars in the review. I am going to let the boards stand for another week or so before I start to work on them just to be sure of deep penetration. So far, no new frass on the floor under the boards. I may treat again after completing my project, just because I want to be sure I am not giving a friend a beetle problem along with the coffee table I am making for them.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The sale went smoothly. Quick shipping. Dilution instructions on container could have been more intuitive for a DIY home owner, but application was easy. There will probably be no way of knowing for several years if the product works as described. I would recommend this seller if you want this product.

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3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I had some sweet mesquite that was laying out to dry in my barn. Saw the telltale dust piles and decided to try the Bora Care. Applied it with a pump sprayer. A week later I found that there are only a dozen or so dust piles still forming. Probably a 90% kill rate. My next move is to try injecting the treatment into the remaining bore holes with a syringe. To early to identify any reinfestation.

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0 of 1 people found this review helpful

I ordered 2 Galls of Bora Care after I found dry wall termite activity inside the walls I had opened during a remodel. I needed the stuff fast and Do My Own got it too me in two days. Well package no leaks... good job. I applied the product using a brush not the recommended process but it worked. Brushing put on a nice thick coat which took two days to thoroughly dry. It drys white so if you drip on other cosmetic wood it will stain. I like the product and hope it gets rid of the termites. I plan to coat all new wood from now on.... dont know why contractors dont spray during the construction phase of a house. Giving the product 4 stars because only time will tell if it keeps the termites at bay.

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5 of 5 people found this review helpful