Robert from Mount Dora, Fl writes
In your Subterranean Termite Treatment Guide your pro tip says "Using the Boracare first can cause the outdoor colony to branch off in a different direction" implying that boric acid is a repellent. Yet quoting https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef614, " Unlike many insecticides, boric acid has no repellency to insects". Can you please resolve this seeming discrepancy for me? Is boric acid repellent or not? This is a very important issue to clarify for choosing boric acid treatment or not. Thank you very much.
Boracare contains borate, a form of Boron, that is different than boric acid products. Borate products are water soluble and are used in wood treatments as it can penetrate into the wood and/or used as a dust if using Timbor. Boric acid (dust) is not water soluble and is only for crack and crevice treatments. Both forms are not repellent but when dealing with subterranean termites Boracare is not the best product to use as it will only kills the termites that physically ingest the wood. This can cause the termites to start dying off quickly which sends a signal to the queen below ground that the area is bad and this can cause them to move to another location that is possibly untreated or inaccessible. It is a great product for Drywood Termites which are all in the wood they are infesting. When dealing with subterranean it is best to use a product like Termidor SC or Dominion which will be a slow kill and have a transfer effect so that it can kill the entire colony below ground.
Answer last updated on: 02/22/2016
