Customer Reviews for Bora-Care

Recently a friend gave me a beautiful 19th century cabinetmaker's workbench made of thick, heavy maple timbers. My friend warned me that it might be infested with ants but two days later the appearance of fresh frass on its surface indicated an infestation of powderpost beetles. Running the face of one of the vise jaws over my jointer revealed a network of canals and living powderpost beetle larvae. Not wanting to convert this great antique to firewood, I searched the internet for any possible remedy. My search was initally quite discouraging until I started running across recommendations for Boracare. Despite the glowing reviews I read, I was not inclined to spend so much money on a product that sold for around $100 a gallon on some web sites. Persistence finally brought me to DoMyOwnPestControl.com which advertised the same product for about three-quarters the cost of its competitors with the added incentive of FREE SHIPPING. Since the workbench itself cost me nothing, I decided to risk $77.45 on the outside chance that the piece could be saved and placed my order. I then prepared the workbench by thoroughly power sanding every exposed surface to remove any dirt, old glue, dried finish, the 100 or more year old oxidation patina, and anything else on the surface that might prevent the solution from being optimally absorbed. Several days later when the Boracare arrived, I followed the directions that came with it and gave the workbench two complete coats of the solution. That was two and one-half weeks ago and I have since seen no signs of any insect infestation. However, I will continue to give it close daily inspections before initiating any restoration work. So far I am greatly encouraged but still not absolutely convinced that the powderpost beetle infestation is a thing of the past.

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45 of 53 people found this review helpful

When the little termite guys decided to move into my construction site my husband and I wanted to find a DIY but safe method of evicting them. We purchased Boracare and within a day of spraying all of the trails went dead. No deadly to human chemicals needed, so needless to say we were very happy with the product! To add to that the customer service from DMyOPC is exemplary! Cheers and Thank You!

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I've been collecting reclaimed lumber for 5 years and learned a few hard lessons about treating it immediately! This last batch I got I staged and sprayed after seeing termites and beetles. The next day I inspected everything and as expected the Boracare worked perfectly! I mixed mine in a 3:1 ration in hot water and applied it with an Ortho backpack sprayer using a wide broadcast sprayer. Will definitely be buying more!

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I saw what everyone told me was powder post beetle debris. So after looking into pest control... I decided to try it myself.. I found Do My Own Pest control on the web. After a little research I decided that Boracare was the product I should use.. I ordered it, at a fair price compared to others.. and I used the standard shipping.. and it came fast.. I used the produce per directions and sprayed the area I thought would be where they were... It went on easy... with a hand sprayer.. I have a Cape Cod house. with the grey cedar shingles.. and the spray made them a bit darker... which scared me... but after about 5 days they were back to normal.. and I haven't seen a trace of the beetles yet... So I am very happy with the results AND the company... Great job Guys....

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this is way easy to treat and prevent termite to do your self, I also ordered premise foam termiticide, you can use needle loacated termite nest, then drill a small hole, use foam termiticide the pressure will force termiticide into wood and spread out, when termite contact it, they will die. after couple days wait wood dried, I use liquid wood fill up termite damage area. it is so easy and save lot money to hire some one to do it. most of all, this company has excellent customer support, my first package was broken and Bora care leaking out, and foam termiticide was missing. after I contact them, they resend my order very fast and with out charge any thing. very good products and excellent customer service.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Container was strong, but no special dispenser method. Just a pour spout for what reminded me of a clear pancake syrup. Instructions were good and I used a 1:1 mix. I would advise against residential sprayers, especially if the container tubing is too small in diameter. This stuff will clog quickly as it is very thick at 1:1. It is not meant to spray on any painted surface as it will stain. It also stays tacky wet for several days. It's gooey and will leave foot prints on your house floors from your shoes. Don't get it on wires or plastics. I'm not sure I would use again for remodel, but new construction or crawl space / attic applications (Bare Wood) I will. I just hope it works as the product boasts!

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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

I was surprised at how easy this product was to use. Rather than pay a pest company to tent our home we chose to spray our entire attic with Bora Care. Why?? Because we don't want future infestations of termites! Bora Care information says that once sprayed, termites cannot exist in the wood. It is very important to take sprayer apart after each use and rinse each part as otherwise it does harden in the sprayer. Because it takes time to soak in, we won't know how effective the product is for some period of time. But I am tracking to be able to share results in the future.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Ordered product one afternoon & received the next day. Very much appreciated in the fast processing & shipping. Since there are so many untrustworthy companies online, I verified, from the product manufacturer itself, that the product was legitimate. This uncertainty also came from a local company that told me the online companies sold 'Knock-Off' products. Also the local company'a product price was more than double. So I contacted the manufacturer & they confirmed that Do My Own sold their products. Do your homework! Do Your Own gave me guidance on the application process. Thanks

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The Boracare arrived very quickly so I was able to use it as soon as I was able. I followed the mixing instructions, which recommended a drill attachment stirrer for this viscous product. Application with a sprayer went well and the only downside is that I'll need another case to be able to finish the job. I was using the Boracare on an old barn and the coverage was only about 200 sq. ft. per mixed 1to1 gal. recommended for active infestation control. I can't tell the effectiveness of the product yet on my application as I only used it the day before yesterday.

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Before using Bora-Care, home sawn red oak and black cherry lumber had damage showing within two weeks of cutting. At that time, Bora-Care was applied to that lumber at a 1:5 dilution in water and no further damage was found. Since then, we use Bora-Care immediately after sawing any oak - red and white, black cherry, hackberry, and soft maple. Over 150 logs have been sawn and no evidence of damage from powder post beetles has been seen. We won't start the sawmill without enough Bora-Care solution ready to spray the lumber cut that day.

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I especially appreciated how quickly this product arrived JIT to use before my contractor covered over the area I wanted to spray. I had carefully researched this relatively non-toxic to humans product, and sprayed it on my sills and studs and sheathing before nailing the ply sheathing into place on my cripple wall in my crawl space as a seismic precaution. If it works like it says it does, I wont have to worry about what I now can't see because the plywood covering that now obscures my view of any termite tunnels. Use hot water to mix! Worked with a cheap 16$ sprayer and with a paint brush. A gallon goes a long way.

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I say "appears to be great" because I have only applied it just a few days ago and I'm assuming that if any critters munch on the studs of my kitchen they'll soon be meeting their doom now that I've applied this. I'm renovating the kitchen, hence the ability to spray Boracare on open studs. A word of caution...this stuff is thick and will clog your sprayer if you aren't careful. Thus, as this website will tell you and as the label on the container advises... (1) use warm water when mixing, (2) spray soon after you mix it, and (3) thoroughly rinse after you use it. It's not hard...just know that the product is designed to harden like glue and will do the same in your sprayer if you're careless. As for the the shipment and overall satisfaction with this website (domyownpestcontrol), I couldn't be happier. I have ordered TONS of stuff from these guys and I'm telling you...there is no better company out there! Incredible customer support, fast shipping, and great packaging. Everything you'd want in a great customer experience!

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Domyown.com was terrific! The ordering process was easy, it arrived earlier than expected. A big name pest company wrote in their formal pest report that my home needed to be tented and gased. That not only I, but my tenants would need to be out of the house for 5 days! All this because I saw TWO, small holes with sawdust in my new hardwood floors. The pest company stated they would first spray Bora-Care in the basement, under the area of the, only two, posthole beetle holes. My son went under the house in the crawl space, saw no evidence of beetles, saw no sawdust. I decided to order Bora-Care and treat the areas myself. In reading about the product, it seemed fairly non-toxic. I purchased a glass eyedropper, mixed a few table spoons of Bora-Care as directed. I got down on my bedroom floor, carefully directed the Bora-Care into the 2 holes. Unbelievable...I saw the beetle start trying to climb up out of the hole! It didn't live long, I watched it die right there in the hole!! :). I killed it!! Needless to say I felt highly successful, but also mad the pest company would report I needed a $5000 tenting for the situation!! So far so good, haven't seen any other posthole beetle activity. Need to add, I am a 64 year old woman! Thank you DoMyOwn.com for providing the exact product the pest company was going to use!!!

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I don't know why the wood adjacent to my bath tub wet wall was moist?  There were no leaks and the plumbing vent to the roof was well sealed.  Condensation?  The bath drainpipe and water inlets come up through a hole in the slab. The subterranean termite varmints tunneled 10' or 40' under the house slab and surfaced at this point of exposed earth attracted by the moist wood. They swarmed the first warm days in Spring. I treated the exposed earth area with the Dominion 2L termiticide and then filled it with sand. I treated the slab, wood framing, floor and molding with a 2:1 mixture of BoraCare. I sprayed BoraCare down from the attic and drilled holes in the walls where there was no other access. I will finish by treating the ground around the house with Dominion 2L. My problem appears to be solved for under $200. Thanks DoMyOwnPestControl.com!

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141 of 149 people found this review helpful

Our small cottage experienced water damage in the crawlspace. A result was wood rot fungi in the outer wall and on the crawlspace joists/beams. After replacing most of the outer wall, we found the joists/beams to be 'sound' so researched finding a solution for the fungi. Bora-Care came highly recommended so we gave it a try. Wow!! Wish now I had taken photos of the before and after. Horrible, orange fungi literally died and turned black within a day or two and started peeling (oozing) off. Now that the joists/beams are clean (I ended up wiping some off with paper towels as I was crawling around under there), I'm going to go back and give everything a 'protective' treatment just in case (also treated the new wood as well and installed a dehumidifier). Amazing product.

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5 of 5 people found this review helpful

these maggot termites had infested my wood in my laundry room of all places after cutting into the nest with a sawzall i sprayed them mounds of them kept accumulating under the area every day i repeated this spray,mound ,cleanup thing then i watched them crauling to a spot and started digging into this rotten peice on the floor there was a hole in the concrete where there was once a anchor i sprayed the hole and all of the wood and the termites instantly stopped appearing around my laundry room siding and studwork and shelves and no more termite maggots crawling across the floor all gone ez ez extermination the place was tented in 2013 but thats for a different termite

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1 of 1 people found this review helpful

There were tiny holes in my ceiling sheetrock and little termite pellets falling and accumulating on the floor every day. I really didn't want to tent the house so I decided to research and try Boracare. After crawling around in my attic and trying to spray most of the wood, and especially the areas where I could see termite damage, the pellets have stopped falling. I was especially interested in this product because I read that the termites can't detect it and take it back to their friends, killing the whole lot somehow. So this makes me think/hope that even though I wasn't able to spray it everywhere, it will somehow end up getting them all.

  Expert response:
We are glad that you've had success with your Boracare treatment! While the active ingredient in Boracare does have a fairly slow kill and will likely kill some of the other termites in a colony, it does not have labeling to indicate this transfer effect. You can always spot treat with a product such as Termidor Foam that will have this transfer effect: http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/termidor-foam-p-3528.html

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21 of 23 people found this review helpful

After noticing some saw dust like shavings in an open out building and some large round fly like critters entering some holes about 3/8" dia in the wood, I decided to do something about it. I sprayed BORA-CARE on the wood around the area and had some over spray on other wood. the next day I noticed a completely different fly like critter all over. Old house beetles had exited and were caught in the windows. I then sprayed it all and couldn't believe the exellent results of elimating both of types of beetles. This is the best and easiest product to use and I will keep some on hand to use when necessary in the future. I just ordered another BORA-CARE. Thanks so much for your promt curtious service and professional advice.

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7 of 7 people found this review helpful

I ordered boracare because I have had success with another borax based product, Terro Ant Killer. Terro Ant Killer was cheap (3-4 dollars) but it was a small bottle. I tried every other ant killer on the market with no look. I searched the Internet and borate was the answer that seemed to make the most sense to me. I tried Terro and within a few days an ant problem that had plagued my house for years was gone. Because of this experience, I have faith in borate based pesticides. I was doing a renovation in an upstairs bedroom. I had all the drywall down in two rooms and mixed the product with very hot water and used a drill with a mixing paddle. The stuff is thick but goes into solution with hot water nicely. I used a large pesticide spray can to apply. I was able to fully treat about 100 feet of wall from top to bottom and still had enough left over to do a re-treatment of the sill plate in my basement. I cannot speak to the effectiveness because I don't currently have termites and unless I get them in the future, I cannot say if Boracare prevented problems or not. I do have faith in the borate based treatments so I feel good about the product. As I say, $70 a gallon seems a bit pricey but compared to the cost of a yearly service, I could treat the whole house for the cost of one years service. If I were to ever build a house new, I would have all the first floor walls treated with this stuff after framing and before walls went up. Delivery was prompt. I am happy with the service. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the price. But the price was good compared to other sellers, so I cannot complain.

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2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I posted my original review of Boracare nearly a year ago (Sept 16, 2010) after using it in an attempt to save my antique cabinetmaker's workbench from a severe powderpost beetle infestation. I actually thought the situation was hopeless but bought and tried the product anyway. At that time I gave it a three-star rating because I had no way of knowing if it would work as advertised, or even if it would work at all. As I wrote then, I was "still not absolutely convinced that the powderpost beetle infestation is a thing of the past." Only time would tell. Now, nearly a year after giving my my workbench the Boracare treatment and using it every day, I have seen absolutely no further evidence of any insect infestation. Boracare DOES work as advertised and I couldn't be more pleased with the product. I am therefore upgrading my original rating from three to five stars. Well done and an hearty thank you to Boracare and DoMyOwnPestControl.com.

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95 of 98 people found this review helpful

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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