David from York writes
I have an ash dining table that has powder post beetles in one on the breadboards. Since it was already finished I sanded off the stain and poly from the underside of the whole table and applied Bora-Care (1:1) with a brush. It didn't seem to dry properly in my cool basement and stayed sticky. I read somewhere else about wiping off any residue which I did and applied a second coat (about 3:1). The same thing happened. I'm still seeing signs of activity and a couple live beetles but I guess this is normal?? I'm wanting to make sure the product penetrated the wood and didn't just sit on the surface.
We would recommend giving the Bora-Care at least 24 to 48 hours to dry completely. Factors that could prevent the Boracare from drying complete within that time frame include applying to finished or treated wood, failing to mix the product completely before application, mixing too much Boracare concentrate for the amount of water (less than 1:1 dilution), or extreme weather conditions such as a very cold or humid environment. If the wood is very old and the moisture content is very low, that would also prevent the Boracare from absorbing as quickly or easily. If you applied the Boracare to raw wood surfaces, then it should eventually dry. It is common to continue to see some beetle activity after Boracare application since the Boracare cannot completely prevent dormant beetles from emerging. If you still have concerns about the texture after several days, you can also give Nisus (the manufacturer) a call for assistance at 800-264-0870.
Answer last updated on: 01/09/2018