Bora-care for powder post Beatles in stock wood

[BOB HILL]

In a search I found mention of this product being used to treat wood for insects.  I have just cut some maple that has some great grain, but it also has some beatle holes just under the bark in a couple of places. Needless to say, I want to nip them in the bud. I am told this product soaks into the wood, instead of just being on the surface. My question is will this have any effect on the staining of the wood later. I figured someone here may know. Thanks in advance.
Bob

[smylee grouch]

Will the stock blanks that you cut be that close to the bark? How deep do the holes go into the wood?

[KentSmith]

I use bora-care on my log cabin logs.  No staining I can tell.  Use it once and supposed to last a lifetime.  Now I haven't tried to stain the logs so not sure later if the wood is affected but do not think so.  It is basically sodium borate in an ethylene glycol suspension.  Thick gooy stuff you can mix 50/50 with water for application.  The glycol carries the borate deep into the wood.  Tough on termites and carpenter ants but I am not up to date on powder post beetles. 

It was expensive and I treated the lower half of my cabin with it and bought anti-freeze (orange stuff) and 20 mule team borax and mixed those together and sprayed the top 4 layers of logs, inside and out.  I have found no evidence of anything but hornets and wasps building nests anywhere for 15 years.  Again, I haven't tried staining the wood but I do not think that after the glycol evaporates out, that the borate would effect the stain.

[WadePatton]

wormy wood, check!

it's Ash too     





Maybe it turns out without too much fuss.

Interesting about the cabin treatment. I soaked this mess with acetone. 

[BOB HILL]

Smylee, the ones I’ve seen seem to be just under the surface. It’s the ones that I’ve not seen that I’m worried about. Until you plane the wood it’s easy to miss one.  I have lost wood before that these things got into that had been treated with other insecticides.
Bob

[heinz]

Bob, looking at the material safety data sheet suggests that Bora-care is a mixture of water, ethylene glycol, and borax.  Everything but the borax will evaporate.  Borax is the bug killer.  The small amounts of borax left in the wood would not stop stain from penetrating although they may have some small effect on the color of the stain itself.

[BOB HILL]

Thanks, Heinz. I just found some info on the internet. It says can be stained or painted when dry. I am going to order some and give it a try.
Bob

[n stephenson]

I have nothing to add about the spray, but a few years ago, I found a worm in a stock I was working on . I placed it in a chest deepfreeze for about 3 weeks . I didn't find any more worms alive. I did find 2 dead ones. Nate

[Scota4570]

Borax works by attacking the cartilage in their exoskeletons and the mouth parts.  IF they are in the wood I am not sure how deep it would penetrate.

I have some figured wood with some worm holes. Ether kills bugs nicely.  Ether really soaks in and turns into a gas that penetrates every bit of the wood.      I made an aluminum foil covering for the board.  Outdoors!  ..... I then sprayed a bunch of ether  starting fluid  into the foil package, really soaked it.  I then wrapped  it in a trash bag and taped it airtight.  I let it lit like that for a couple of days outside.   I have seen no evidence of live bugs since.   

[Robert Wolfe]

What, no Fab Four jokes?!!

[White-tail]

O.K. here we go----I didn't think the Beetles were at Woodstock.

[BOB HILL]

Thanks for all of the advice fellows. I ordered the Bora-Care yesterday. If it works like they say, it should be a permanent fix. The company says it should not affect staining. This
Wood is green so I plan to coat now and reapply after the wood dries some for better penetration. Thanks.
Bob