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Bora-Care - Questions & Answers

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Bora-Care
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Displaying 281 to 300 (of 788 questions)
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  • Asked by Thomas from Darlington, Wi
    07/15/2014
    Q
    Saving Boracare Solution
    Can you save leftovers of Boracare if You mix too much?
    A
    No, you cannot save the diluted BORACARE solution. Once mixed, BORACARE should be used within 24 hours or discarded.
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    3 of 5 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Andy
    08/19/2014
    Q
    Can BORACARE be used full strength to penetrate better or is dilution required?
    A

    Boracare does need to be diluted depending on what you are intending to use the product for. For an active infestation of a wood destroying insect, you will use 1 gallon of hot water with 1 gallon of Boracare. The percentage of active ingredient is 23% in that dilution.

    2:1 parts water to Boracare – 16% - foaming or misting application for termites or carpenter ants; hardwood floors for some wood-infesting beetles

    3:1 parts water to Boracare – 13% - remedial control of Fungi and Algae on wood less than 4 inches thick

    5:1 parts water to Boracare – 9% - most preventative or pre-construction treatments.

    Please let us know if you have any additional questions.
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    3 of 4 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Richard from Sonoma, Ca 95476
    11/06/2014
    Q
    How do I exterminate powder post beetles?
    I am remodeling a bathroom, and I found powder post beetle residue behind shower stall.
    A
    For powder post beetles, we would recommend using Boracare. The wood you are applying this product to must be untreated, meaning no sealants. You will use 1 gallon of Boracare with 1 gallon of hot water. You can either spray the wood or paint it on. Once the product is dry, you can apply any type of sealants to the wood.
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    3 of 4 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Jose from Los Cabos Mexico
    12/12/2014
    Q
    Would Bora-Care work on Sheetrock or concreate to prevent mold?
    If so, can it be painted with latex based paints?
    A
    The regular Bora Care will not prevent mold growth. However, the Bora Care with Mold Care will kill and prevent future mold growth on a variety of surfaces including wood, cellulosic drywall (sheetrock), and concrete. You may paint surfaces after you have treated with Bora Care with Mold Care and allowed it to fully dry whichshould take about 72 hours.
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    3 of 5 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Robert
    12/16/2014
    Q
    What do I use for Powder Post Beetles and how much for 2500 square for house.
    I had a company drop a tent over my house and Deck to fumigate it for powder post beetles. From what I can tell they are still there, or new ones have taken their place. Does this product kill these things and keep them at bay for a while. If so how much do I need, how often to use it and what climate conditions, is it safe.
    A
    We are not very familiar with the process of tenting a home and how it affects the powder post beetles, their larvae thats in the wood, and if it prevents at all or just kills the ones within it. This would be a question you would definitely want to consult with the company that did the treatment on to find out how their treatment was supposed to work for your home. Typically if a customer was not tenting their home and had powder post beetles somewhere within it, you would only treat the wood that has them currently in it with a product like Boracare. Boracare is a wood treatment product that will absorb all the way into the wood and will kill any insects that are currently infesting it as well as last for the life of the wood to protect it from any future wood destroying insects like powder post beetles and termites. Boracare must be applied to raw wood only though so you cannot apply it to any beams or wood that has been painted, stained or finished in any way as it will not soak into the wood. If the wood you need to treat has paint or some finish on it, you would either need to remove it by stripping it or sanding it and apply the Boracare to the raw wood before refinishing it, or use a product like Jecta which is for sealed wood and is drilled and injected into the wood. Even after applying a product like Boracare to all sides of the infested raw wood (ideal situation) you can often still see signs of activity of the powder post beetles for a few years after treatment. This is because the product works through ingestion so as the larvae emerge from the wood (which is whenever they are good and ready) they eat the wood on their way out and ingest it and die. No new adults will be able to leave them in any holes in the wood as again, once they ingest it they will die. Normally tenting is used when the whole home is so infested with Powder Post Beetles that treating with products like Boracare and Jecta would be unreasonable. Please review over our article on treating for Powder Post Beetles and let us know if you have any questions.
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    3 of 4 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Jerry from Fayetteville, N.c.
    03/07/2015
    Q
    If a house is showing termite infestation, will Boracare rid my house of termites?
    termites activity has been seen in the house. This is a different house of which my first question was pertaining to.
    A
    Boracare will treat for drywood termites. First, we want to make sure these are drywood termites. Most folks will have a PCO come out and make an ID no charge. Once this termite species has been identified we can make the best recommendation for you.
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    3 of 3 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Tristan from Bay Area, Ca
    04/08/2015
    Q
    Will Bora-Care work on Ipe wood?
    My new Ipe deck has some kind of wood borer. The top is finished with Ipe Oil. The bottom is unfinished. I could spray the underside. The boards are only 3/4" thick, but Ipe is very dense. Do you know of anyone that has tried it on hardwood?
    A
    Bora-Care should be applied only on raw, natural wood with no finishes (stain, paint, sealant, varnish, etc). 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. We recommend waiting at least 3 days before sealing (but not longer than 6 weeks). Outdoor wood should be sealed after application of the product.
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    3 of 3 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Lawrence from Freeland
    05/04/2015
    Q
    Will Boracare application prior to staining be effective for powder post beetles?
    I have cleaned fir siding down to bare wood surface. I am now planning on applying TWP 1500 series stain.
    A
    Yes, you may stain wood that has been treated with BoraCare. You should allow areas treated with BoraCare to dry for 24-48 hours before touching or painting them. 
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    3 of 3 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Chad from Guerneville, Ca
    07/22/2015
    Q
    Does Boracare work on different species of wood boring beetles?
    Does Boracare work on all of the following wood boring beetle species, old world lyctus beetle southern lyctus beetle western lyctus beetle Pacific deathwatch beetle black Polycaon leadcable borer. Also, does the product need to be applied to the area of infestation only, or does one need to apply to surrounding areas to stop any spreading?
    A

    Boracare is labeled for the follwoing types of beetles, Old House Borers, Longhorn Beetles and Ambrosia Beetles, Anobiid and Lyctid Powderpost Beetles.  It is best to apply to the entire piece of wood and surrounding raw wood to treat current infestations and protect from future infestations.

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    3 of 3 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Bob from Christiana
    06/10/2022
    Q
    Does Boracare affect glue adhesion
    I've treated white oak with a 1:1 solution of Boracare. When I begin building furniture using this wood, will I have a problem with glue adhesion using Titebond III?
    A

    No, Boracare will not affect any glue adhesions, however, if you use Boracare over an area where there is already glue, it will not soak into the wood.

     

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    3 of 3 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by David from Clermont,fl
    03/06/2024
    Q
    Isn’t Bora-Care basically borax and ethylene glycol?
    A

    Bora-Care is a borate based product, a form of Boron like Boric acid but not the same, and ethylene glycol. You can see the active ingredients on the SDS sheet.

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    2 of 4 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Ryan from North Bend
    03/19/2025
    Q
    How hot does the water have to be to mix Bora-Care ?
    A

    When mixing Bora-Care, it is recommended to use hot water to make it easier to dilute it. The water should not be scalding hot, it should be a warm/hot temperature that will also be safe in case it splatters. It is recommended to dilute in a bucket first before putting it into the sprayer. The solution should not clog the sprayer if it cools but it would be best to use the mixture within 24 hours and not store or leave product in the sprayer because of the possibility of it being clogged after a long period of time.

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    2 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Louis from Cleveland Texas
    11/13/2015
    Q
    Does Boracare control carpenter bees?
    A

    No, Boracare is not labeled for carpenter bees.

    For carpenter bees, we would recommend using our Carpenter Bee Kit. It has everything inside of it to do a complete treatment for bees.

    Please also check out our Carpenter Bee Guide for wonderful tips on how to treat and prevent them in the future.

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    2 of 3 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Joelieanna from Orlando, Florida
    12/31/2015
    Q
    Does Boracare kill wood beetles or termites burrowed in a stained but not sealed tabletop?
    We were given an antique table from Puerto Rico. My husband stripped it and stained it. We brought it inside and we noticed dust accumulating in a section of the table. We were told it has wood beetles. He spent a lot of time restoring it, so we hope to save the table; however, we have wood floors and live in Florida.
    A

    Boracare will not be absorbed into wood that is stained or treated. If the wood is stripped down to the bare, exposed wood, then you could apply Boracare before re-painting or re-staining the wood. If this is not possible, then you may want to consider having a local pest control company fumigating the piece of furniture to kill any existing insects in it.

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    2 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Gary from San Diego
    05/08/2016
    Q
    How long do you boil when making Boracare?
    1 Gal Glycol, 4.5 Lb Borate, 3.5 Lb Boric acid
    A

    We sell the product Boracare and are happy to assist you with ordering and using that product. We are unable to offer advice on how to create or manufacture chemicals.

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    2 of 5 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Steve from Clear Lake, Mn
    05/23/2016
    Q
    Why does the Boracare label say it covers 1600 sq ft of 1/2" panel in writing and then 800 sq ft of same panel in a table?
    The following is from the label, please help me understand. For Siding and Paneling One gallon of Bora-Care concentrate (2 gallons of solution) will treat 800 sq. ft. of 1" thick wood by spraying only one side. If siding or paneling is 1/2" thick, 1 gallon of Bora-Care concentrate (2 gallons solution) treats 1,600 sq. ft. Table B – Panels, Siding and Plywood (1:1 or 2:1 mixing ratio) Thickness (Inches) 1 Gallon of Diluted Bora-Care Will Treat Up To Minimum Amount of Diluted Bora-Care To Treat 1000 Square Feet 1/4 1,600 sq. ft. 0.6 Gal. 3/8 1,067 1.0 1/2 800 1.2 3/4 533 1.8 1 400 2.6
    A

    We understand that the Boracare label can be tricky to follow. The text is referring to a gallon of undiluted solution, which makes 2 gallons of finished solution, while the chart is referring to diluted solution. So, one gallon of concentrate makes 2 gallons of finished solution when diluted at a 1:1 ratio, and that total amount of 2 gallons of finished solution covers 1,600 square feet (800 per gallon of dilution).

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    2 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Jason from Portsmouth, Virginia
    10/22/2016
    Q
    Is Bora-care flammable?
    I need to treat the ceiling in a garage with a water heater. Is there risk of combustion from the water heater pilot light?
    A

    Per the SDS, Bora-Care is not flammable. We would not recommend applying this product near open flames.

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    2 of 5 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Mike from Lakeland, Fl
    12/03/2016
    Q
    Will Bora Care work on doll/China cabinets that are painted or stained?
    My mother in law has two stained/painted cabinets that we have seen wings in. We live in Florida. I'm uncertain as to what type of termite this is and as to what method we should use. If I spray Boracare onto the two cabinets will it soak into the wood? The top and back of the cabinets are not painted/stained.
    A

    Bora-Care will penetrate through the wood and kill any insect eating the wood no matter where they are in the wood.  However, it can only be applied to raw wood so you would need to apply it to the side that is not painted.  It cannot be applied to wood that is painted, stained, or sealed.  If your wood is painted, stained, or sealed, then you will need to drill holes and inject Bora-Care or sand the finish off of the wood, treat with Bora-Care, and then refinish the wood

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    2 of 2 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by Don from Pittsburgh, Pa
    04/16/2017
    Q
    Can Bora-care be used in a bath type application?
    Replacing T & G Douglas fir exterior porch floor which is under roof. Would like to submerge each board 1 week prior to install. Is this the best way to treat all surfaces?
    A

    Boracare is a very viscous liquid that needs to be thoroughly mixed with warm -hot water and thinned out before application. The label states that it can be applied by sprayer or by painting or rolling the product on but we are not sure that submerging the wood in the solution will be a proper application as it should only be applied until wet and not to the point of run off or oversaturation. 

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    2 of 3 people found this answer helpful.
  • Asked by David
    05/31/2017
    Q
    What equipment can be used to mist wall voids with Bora-Care?
    The label for Bora-Care (and from Nisus themselves) recommends foaming or high pressure misting to treat wall voids. What equipment can be used to apply misting into a wall void? It (unfortunately) appears only the TrueTech 4000 and 7000 are capable of this? For reference, I'm treating an old house for Anobiidae beetles. The walls still have wood lath from the days of plaster. Foaming seems like it would miss much of the wood laths, while misting would be able to cover all the wood. Is my thinking correct?
    A

    Boracare cannot be used in misting equipment but could be used in foaming equipment, and we carry a few types.  The Foamer Simpson or Chapin Poly Foamer would be able to be used along with a foaming concentrate like the ProFoam.  Once foamed it will only penetrate the wood that it touches, so be sure applications are made directly in areas that contact infested wood or wood you are wanting to protect.  If foaming wall voids would not contact the wood you need to treat you will need to drill into the wood and inject following the instructions on the product label.

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    2 of 9 people found this answer helpful.
Displaying 281 to 300 (of 788 questions)