wood treatment/borate salts/insect and fungi control

Gustavo · February 27, 2007, 09:28:07 AM

someone can help us with your knowledge??

we are reading about the borate salts in insect controls and black/blue spot of the woods-

it looks very interesting ,cheap and non toxic , we are eggs farmers too and non toxic product is very important for us

coments about it will be very useful

thanks aganin

Ron Wenrich · February 27, 2007, 05:16:41 PM

Here's a place to read up on it: http://www.ufpi.com/product/borate/pwborate.htm

It doesn't control blue stain, to my knowledge. I've seen where it has been used in a dip tank type of operation, although the above link talks about vacuum and pressurized tanks.

Also, you don't want to use it outside. Borates will leach out of the wood.

kelLOGg · February 27, 2007, 09:44:39 PM

I have used aqueous solutions of Timbor (a borate salt) unsuccessfully on existing powder post beetle infestations. Such an aqueous application is intended to prevent infestations, not to kill them. I understand to kill them the salt must be dissolved in propylene glycol (very expensive) which penetrates deeply in the wood and presumably will then kill the beetles but I have no experience there. Don't know if this helps in your intended application - I am just passing on my experience. Good luck.

SPIKER · February 27, 2007, 09:53:55 PM

I believe that the polypropylene glycloal stuff (anti-freeze) is used more to keep the borate in a liquid solution and the bugs then get into the liquid which is sweet smeeling to most critters they then eat it and ingest the dissolved borate. (This is from reading up on using it for treatments on termites which got into womans house, 3+ months of orkin they still were alive 2 weeks after I used 10 boxes of "20 mule team" in water I haven't seen a sign of one and no ants other than rare little red pizz ants.) TOUGH I'm not 100% sure on treatments in live standing timber.

markM

PineNut · February 27, 2007, 10:19:23 PM

I have used a mixture of borax, boric acid and antifreeze. When I first started treating, I use just borax and boric acid but this left a lot of crystals on the treated wood which means that the chemicals did not get into the wood. The antifreeze keeps it moist longer and there is not the problem with crystals on the surface. Also the working solution using the antifreeze mixture will not crystallize in the sprayer like the non-antifreeze mixture even though it is much more concentrated.

No, this will not kill the powder post beetles in the wood but serves as a barrier to prevent infestation. I just got a kiln working and heat-treated my first load of wood to kill the beetles. That is a big relief for me.