Borate Termite Treatment
Borate termite treatments are a preventative treatment used to treat the wood in your home. Many termite treatments focus on killing the termites once they have already invaded your home or wood structure. These treatments will kill the termites, but too often the damage is already done. Borate or sodium borate solutions aim to kill the termites before they can create a colony in your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Effects
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Borate is a naturally occurring mineral salt that has been used since the early 1990s as a treatment for termites. Termites damage wood structures by eating the wood. Bacterial protozoa in the termites digestive tract break down the wood into nutrients for the termites. Borate works by killing the protozoa in the digestive tract so that the termite is not longer able to digest the wood. The termite essentially starves to death.
Application Process
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Borate is sold in a powder form. It is mixed with water and is applied to bare wood with a pump hand sprayer. Usually two applications are necessary on separate days. The depth of penetration and effectiveness of the treatment depends on several factors, such as the temperature and moisture content of the lumber, species of wood and the number of applications applied.
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Advantages
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Borate termite treatments are highly toxic to termites. They will render the termite unable to digest wood. They have a low toxicity to humans and animals, so they are safe to use in the home. Borate treatments last the life of the lumbar, so reapplication is not necessary. Borate is non-corrosive to metal, so it will not affect metal fasteners, screws and nails that are used in the construction of a home.
Disadvantages
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The most important disadvantage of borate termite treatments is that they need to be done as the home is being built. Borate must be applied to the bare wood before it is covered with insulation and drywall, in order to be effective. Another disadvantage is that moisture can affect the borate treatment. For example, water form a leaky roof could wash away the borate form the wood, leaving it susceptible to termite damage. This is why borate is not used on exterior structures such as decks and outdoor posts and railings. Rain would dilute the level of borate in the wood.
Considerations
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Lumbar distributors sell wood that has already been preserved with borate. This type of lumber is used in new construction. These products come with a lifetime warranty against termites.
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References
- Photo Credit wood frame housing image by Daniel Gillies from Fotolia.com
