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

My garage was termite infested and I sprayed most of the wood with a 2:1 ratio. Was easy to mix with a drill in a bucket, with water from a hose. I started checking for termites a few days later and haven't seen any dead or alive since before i sprayed. Don't know how long it will last but so far 5 stars. Wish it wasn't so expensive, I would have covered all of the wood better.

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!!!!

Termite proof that pros use at a consumers finger tips. As a contractor who specializes in renovating and termite restoration I mix 1-4 in a bucket of warm water and spray with a big sprayer. I use this on my new house builds and renovation projects. I use this product to treat eves, plates and framing around door and window openings to control insects and ensure termites never come. The boric acid powder is non corrosive and has been used in my family for 60 years. Boracare is the modern solution which is easier to install, advanced solution with superior results as it adheres to framing above and below.

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!

Highly recommend for fighting termites. It's what the experts use. Save some money and fight them yourself.

I had termites in an outdoor building. Bora-Care Termicide took care of the problem. I thought I would have to treat it two or three times but one go round did the trick. It's been a couple of months and still no bugs at all.

Last June, I mixed 1 part Bora-Care and 2 parts hot water. A couple of times, I put the mixture in a 1-gallon garden sprayer then sprayed the inside of a tool shed (unpainted white pine inside) to get rid of power post beetles. As of May the next year, it seems to have worked well. The Boa-Care tends to separate from the water, I needed to shake it every time I before I used it. Don't mix Bora-Care with less than the 2 parts hot water because it becomes too thick to come out of the sprayer.

Easy to use.