Bora-Care Termiticide Insecticide and Fungicide Concentrate, Wood Treatment for Termite and Beetle Prevention, 1 Gallon

After showing three different exterminators winged creatures and their "frass" inhabiting 12 linear feet of outdoor kitchen cabinets, my cabinets were diagnosed with terminal "dry wood termites". Although there was some interest by the exterminators in spot treating the cabinets, their enthusiasm was lackluster, mainly because the cabinets presented access problems to critical areas. So, I decided to take on this project myself. I discovered Bora-Care, a fairly safe product, that is labeled for inside and outside homes and other buildings for use on dry termites, as well as other wood-boring critters. So, in my case, the product would be safe to use on cabinets on a covered patio connected to the main house. Dry wood termites live in colonies inside of the wood and treatment usually requires finding and drilling into their colonies to inject the pesticide. They "kick-out" frass (excrement) from their colonies which helps in locating them. However, my cabinetry was not fully accessible to successfully find and spot treat their colonies. I needed a more general approach -- a safe product to spray all of the cabinetry as best I could. I did have a 8-10 inches of access to spray behind the cabinets and access to spray underneath once a toe-kick was removed. Drawers were also removable. Raw, non-pressure treated wood was used to build the cabinetry, as well as plywood and masonite. Bora-Care was the ideal product since I could spray almost all of the wood. It was developed to permeate the wood to kill dry wood termites (you didn't need to locate their colonies precisely), and prevent future infestation. My only problems were stained cabinet doors made from cypress, and the inside of the cabinets were coated. This would not allow wood penetration by Bora-Care. However, the cypress cabinet doors did not seem to appeal to the termites anyway. And, the coated portions of the cabinetry were still treatable from their opposite, uncoated sides. The Bora-Care label allows treating one or more sides of the wood, if needed. So, we would have penetration on at least one side. I would still treat the doors since the staining did not seem to be completely impenetrable to liquids. I diluted the concentrated Bora-Care with water 1:1. So, 1 gallon of concentrate is diluted with 1 gallon of water to make 2 gallons. This is the ratio recommended for dry wood termites. The label should be read carefully for dilution ratios for other targeted pests and different applications. I sprayed the infested wood and susceptible wood with a professional quality hand sprayer. If you know where the colonies are, you can also drill wood to inject the chemical. My sprayer could inject foam into drilled areas to fill voids, but I didn't see the need (unless I see future activity). A foaming agent could be added to the mixture. The product is viscous and must be mixed thoroughly before spraying or it will definitely clog a sprayer. The label recommends dilution with hot water, which I did, with success. I used almost the full gallon on the cabinetry. A lot was wasted and pooled on coated cabinet interiors or paver flooring. This is not a product for very expensive indoor cabinets, although we did not have any significant damage. You will need to protect nontargeted areas and clean any oily residue that may not dissipate. Care should be taken with personal protection, such as safety glasses, gloves, and any other advice on the label. This is a relatively safe product, but you shouldn't use it, if you are uncomfortable with chemicals. RESULTS: After one week, we do not show any dry wood termite activity, such as evidence of frass. We had carefully cleaned the cabinets of frass,! so that it could be monitored for new activity. I will update in a few weeks, if there is any activity, and what steps, if any, I took as a follow-up. Bora-Care is a fairly permanent solution that will prevent future infestations. So, once you knock 'em out, you're done for good. UPDATE Oct 28, 2015: No evidence of any termite activity. Success!!!!

Bora Care is an excellent product. I have used this to treat my house during a major renovation and have used it on all prior homes. It has protection features for water exposure and most importantly for me, Termites. This product is non toxic, you can safely roll, spray or brush it directly onto wood that is not damaged to protect it. Or you can use it on wood that already has some activity, providing the wood still has structural integrity. This will eliminate the current activity and protect the wood from further invasion. Unlike other methods of treatment, Bora care has been shown to last for a very long period of time. It gets absorbed into the wood, in the event termites attempt to eat the wood, that will be the end of them. Low areas of the house are the best spots to treat, start at the sill plate and go up the wall studs two feet. It is also great for garages and sheds which tend to have wood placed closer to the ground. It may leave behind a slight white tint, that is the salts in the product and not of concern. This is a great product and frankly cheap insurance to protect your largest investment, without flooding your grounds with toxic chemicals.

This product is a must have for any outdoor project. Its a little pricey but your projects will last much longer than without it. It is worth the money. I just finished putting on 1/2 acres of fencing.

I've purchased it after getting a quote from Terminix to treat some powderpost beetle damage. It wasn't clear whether the infestation was current or an old one, but this product is great for both active infestations and preventative care. Terminix charge $.50 per square foot, so my quote was $350 (700 square feet -- a basement, and two small-ish crawlspaces). The sales guy was assuring me that I can't get this stuff anywhere on my own; I knew better, and sure enough Amazon had some. I don't know how much Terminix guys dilute when they apply; Supposedly, they apply it at 1:2 or 1:3 concentration. At that rate, I still came out ahead, having spent $90 on the chemical itself and about $40 on supplies (sprayer and disposable coveralls) to treat my 700 sq. ft. One gallon of the concentrate diluted 1:2 was barely enough for that area though. I was spraying the heaviest on the sill plate an the lightest on the overhead space between the joists. Still, at that rate, I used the 1-gallon bottle to the last drop. Some advice: Get a 2-gallon pump sprayer with a wand (such as the RoundUp brand found at a home improvement store for around $20). Get a set of disposable coveralls ($10 at the store), latex gloves and a lexan face shield (or protective goggles; A full face shield is preferable, though, since you want to protect your bare skin as well. According to the MSDS it will hurt your eyes and it *will* penetrate through your skin). To dilute, use *very warm* water (not hot, as it will most likely damage your sprayer) and shake it REALLY WELL. This stuff is like a thick maple syrup or honey, so if you don't dilute it properly, it will clog the sprayer feeder tube. If it does, use a 14-gauge solid copper wire to clear it out (on my RoundUp sprayer 14-gauge bare copper wire did the trick; Your results may vary depending on the model). Do not let it sit too long diluted in the sprayer; It will thicken, or even crystallize like other reviewers said. Spray away! Like other reviewers also noted, it WILL leave a sticky residue behind if you overspray, so cover whatever you don't want ruined with some drop cloths or tarps. Any hard surfaces, though, can be wiped down later with damp paper towels or rags. According to the data sheet, it will still work even if lumber is treated by the chemical only on three or even two sides, so don't stress about the back side of the sill plate or any other hard-to-get-to studs and joists. It will NOT work on painted or varnished lumber. All in all, Bora-Care is fairly safe and easy to apply, and it's supposed to work really well. This is a simple, inorganic compound, so there is very little smell, and it's supposed to last once applied for years and years. It will make the lumber completely inedible to termites, powder post beetles, and many other wood-boring insects. All in all, applying it myself saved me about 40% over the Terminix quote. Weigh your options, though. Depending on how heavy you might have to go, the extra 30-40 percent MAY be worth it for you to have someone else apply it. Of course, that also depends on how generously (and thoroughly) THEY apply it. Just keep my numbers in mind (1 gallon of 1:2.5 solution will treat about 400 ft2 if sprayed generously, vs. $1 per square foot when applied by Terminix; Call around for quotes from other pest control businesses, too. Beware of pushy salespeople looking to sell you plans, and telling you that the sky is falling. Large chains like doing that. Good luck!

Works great

This can be used in various concentrations depending on the situation from treating an active infestation to something as basic as a preventative measure.. If there were no budget restraints, I'd spray all my building lumber, stored and in an existing structure with this stuff, at 1 to 1 if not undiluted. Set it and forget it. Once and done. Even $1000 worth of this stuff is cheaper than building repair due to rot, mold and insect damage. When I build my large shed/workshop, you can bet I'll be soaking that dude before I close up the walls. Mold spray and insect spray. Cheap assurance. I have a moisture issue on my outside walls from lack of air circulation between in the brick cavity. Having carefully abated all of the 55 year old thermafiber and its crusty/flaky kraft facing, I thoroughly sprayed the entire cavities with Concrobian mold control and shut the door to allow the glycol to slowily penetrate deeply. Next morning, zero mold odor. Next step after cross blocking the entire cavity is spraying the appropriate mixture of boracare to obtain long term if not permanent insect proofing. This stuff is not cheap and a gallon can me mixed 1 to 1 for 2 gallons or diluted up to 5 to 1. I haven't determined which dilution knowing that 1 to 1 would be the end all be all but considering I have an entire 1500 sqft homes perimeter wall and likely floor joists and possibly interior wall cavities. Again, this stuff ain't cheap. But then again, building repair/placement is ridiculously way more expensive. Being a firm believer in over-engineering, I highly recommend boracare for insect prevention as well the concrobian for mold irradication/preventation..

Great product, higher price than I’m used to, but worth it.

I don’t know if the product works, but what I can tell you is, that is really messy. I applied this product on top of my kitchen cabinets and it dripped down, and end up on top of my counter top, and is really hard to clean because is thick and sticky like glue, two days later still getting drops on top of my counter top. This product is so thick that it doesn’t spread nor penetrate the wood. I think use motor oil works best for me I have always used to tread my wood fence.