The first use of borates as an insecticide
was in 1922 when P.F. Harris invented the Roach Tablet. It evolved into
many products including today’s “Roach Motel”. By 1985 there were over 200
registered pesticides containing borates. Borates have been used in Australia
since 1938.
In 1955 framing lumber in New Foundland
began being treated with borates to control an epidemic of termite destruction.
Since then, none of the homes using borate treated wood has had any infestation
of termites or wood decay.
In the 1970’s Europe and the US began
studying borates for wood preserving properties. There was a huge lawsuit
involving an US lumber company that put tropical hardwoods in over 1000
homes. The hardwood had beetles in the wood. The homes were treated with
borates and the hardwood mills in South America began pre-treating their
wood with borates. Since then there have been NO problems with beetles.
Tim-Bor & Bora-Care - there have been
over 30 papers on BTW ( Borate treated wood ) since 1984. One study showed
that Bora-Care diffuses about ¼” in new wood at less than 12% moisture
content and about ¾” in old wood at less than 12% moisture content. Temperature
and humidity affect penetration of borates. Diffusion does not take place
at moisture contents of less than 30% but penetration of 1/8” to ½” can
be achieved. As such, Bora-Care gives a better coating initially
because it is viscosity and can cling better to the wood. Bora-Care
wets the wood better thus allowing better break in surface tension. Ultimately
this allows for better initial loading as well as initial penetration. Hence,
Bora-Care is usually better for application where wood is below a 30%
moisture content. Reveresly, Tim-Bor is OK when the moisture content
is above 30%. As such, pressure washing will get the outer ¼” to ½” wet
enough ( above 30%) to allow for the use of Tim-Bor. It should be
applied at a 10% solution with about 20 minutes drying time between coats.
The surface should be damp, but not wet! There has been a study performed
by Ken Grace in Hawaii that demonstrated that Bora-Care was 1.5 times
more effective than Tim-Bor against termites. Grace also found that in wood
with less than 20% moisture content, Bora-Care had moved 2 times
further into the wood than 2 applications of 10% Tim-Bor after 6
months. This was not due to any glycol effect. As such, the use of Bora-Care
is recommended whenever thickness exceeds 2” and or if there is an active
termite infestation.
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DIFFUSION
- wood needs free water to allow for diffusion to take place. Whenever
you have this condition or can artificially create it, you can have diffusion.
The presence of borates in wood is verified via the use of a “curcumin”
test. The curcumin test shows the presence of boron at .2% BAE and higher.
However studies have shown efficacy of borates as low as .07% BAE.
JECTA: Jecta should be used whenever
the moisture content is below 30%.
IMPEL Rods should be installed whenever the wood’s moisture content
is higher than 30%. During the conference it was disclosed that Jecta
was brought into the market due to the requests of PCO’s. PCO’s wanted
a product that would allow them to retreat more often. As such Nisus came
up with a system which utilized injection “ports” or valves thus creating
the need for retreatment. In other words IMPEL Rods lasted too
long. PCO’s who make their living via service contracts and retreats.
Therefore, a product like IMPEL Rods that lasted 5-10 years was
counterproductive from a business standpoint.
INJECTION OF BORATES: With the use
of 50 PSI and the correct tip size liquid borates ( Tim-Bor or Bora-Care)
can be injected into insect colonies and “rot pockets”. B&G sprayers and
a small air compressor can accomplish this task very effectively. Borates
can also be sprayed into wall voids even with the insulation still in
place. Foaming technology is used to reduce the amount of water one is
injecting which eliminates seepage through the sheet rock and into carpeting
and hardwood flooring. Notes; whenever spraying borates always rinse equipment
thoroughly to eliminate crystallization in tanks, valves, and hoses. Also,
remember that tip size controls flow rate. To reduce the liquid flow,
use a smaller orifice size.
CRAWL SPACES & PRE-TREATING: 1000
square feet of soil produces 13 gallons of water every 24 hours. This
creates very damp conditions in basements and crawl spaces. Orkin has
added a blue dye into their borate solution as an indicator to help the
technician (and the homeowner) see what has been treated. This indicator
fades in about 6 months or when hit with ultraviolet light. (1/4 oz./gallon-“Locate
Blue” by Oldham Chemicals). Orkin treats the entire sill plate and 24”
above the sill as well as 24” of floor joists and sub-floor around the
perimeter. Pipe and HVAC entries are also treated. The going rate (1997)
to pre-treat new construction is $.50-.60/square foot. Good coordination
is required to insure that all surfaces are treated. The custom home market
is a superb area of opportunity since most homeowners are willing to spend
the extra money to protect their investment. For bidding purposes the
square footage of the floor space time 9 will give you the approximate
sq. ft. of wood you need to treat. 200 SF. per gallon of borate material
should be used as a coverage rate regardless of product (Bora-Care
or Tim-Bor). Apply 1 coat of Bora-Care , 2 coats of Tim-Bor.
PCO’s use material cost times 10 = bid price.
- 66%
of consumers believe pesticides cause cancer!
- 77%
of consumers are concerned about pesticides!
- 85%
of PCO accounts want NO odor!
- 83%
of PCO accounts would pay more $ to see results without the use of pesticides!
- 65%
of American
households have pest problems!
- 10%
OF AMERICAN
HOUSEHOLDS CALL PEST CONTROL OPERATORS!!
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