Bora-Care has been around since 1987, and testing so far supports the company’s claim that it will continue to provide protection from wood-destroying insects and wood rot fungi for the life of the home, as long as the wood is not subjected to rain or flooding. The primary ingredients are a borate salt and glycol. When insects ingest the borate salt in treated wood, it destroys the ability of their digestive tract to absorb nutrients and they starve to death. Glycol enables the chemical solution to soak deep into  wood fibers.

    Bora-Care also deters subterranean termites from building mud-tube tunnels over the surface of treated wood. They require a moist environment to survive, and mud tubes are the mini-expressways subterranean termites need to protect them from dehydration in open air as they move upward in a wood structure.

    Bora-Care is normally applied only to wood near the ground, as a barrier to keep termites from reaching untreated wood higher up. A color dye in the solution shows where the wood has been treated. The fact that it is not pumped into the ground like other treatments, which may allow the chemical to migrate into the groundwater, is considered an advantage.

   The drywood termites species is able to enter a home from above ground level, such as through attic or soffit vents, and does not require the connection to soil that subterranean termites need to survive. This means they are able to bypass a Bora-Care treatment and infest a home starting at the top. So regular wood-destroying organism (WDO) inspections are still a good idea for homeowners. 

    Also, see our blog posts Is a borate treatment effective for termite prevention? and What are the building code requirements for making a house termite resistant? 

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To learn more about termites, see these other blog posts:

• Should I be worried about termites if my neighbor's house is being tented?

• Is the WDO (termite) inspector allowed to poke holes in my wood siding and trim? 

• Do carpenter ants cause structural damage to houses in Florida?

• How long before closing can you have a WDO (termite) inspection done?

• Why is it a mistake to store lumber in the crawl space under a house?

• Does the presence of carpenter ants in a house indicate that there are probably also termites? 

• How do termites infest a house and remain hidden while doing major damage?

• Are homes in Florida required to have termite protection? 

• If termite damage appears to be old, does that mean that termites may no longer be present?

• Can a mobile/manufactured home get termites?

• Do I have to tent the house if I have termites? 

• What is the difference between a subterranean termite and a drywood termite?

• What are the green plastic discs in the ground around the house? 

• What is a termite shield?

• How do termites get into a concrete block house? 

• Do termites eat concrete?

• What is a clean WDO?  

• What do termites eat?

• What's causing those holes in the fascia?

• Does wood chip mulch in the yard attract termites?

• I think I have termites. What does a termite look like?

• I'm buying a concrete block house. Do I still need a termite inspection? 

• I saw a little termite damage on the baseboard. Should I be concerned?

   Visit our TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND PESTS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.