wood storage\termite Q

[music_boy]

     I've gotten access to an old tobacco barn to store\dry lumber. I removed the growth and will make some minor repairs, but discovered termite city  The old planks on the ground inside seem to be free from infestation, just the outside walls are infiltrated. Should I can this idea? Is there a precaution other than the obvious to take? Really need this storage space  :(

advice\suggestions
As always
Thanks
Rick

[Stan]

I have tried storin' wood in a termite, but he just took what he wanted and left me with some miniature wood pellets for my stove.  >:(

[woodhaven]

I'm sure they would just love some nice fresh cut wet wood. It seems like the EPA has removed all the really good termite killer from the market.

[music_boy]

I was wondering if I put plastic sheeting down, kept the wood 24" away from the edge, if the termites would not tunnel to it?
Anyone had any experience with that. If not, I'll let you know.
Rick

[Gilman]

You can get borax at your farming supply store, a 50 # bag for about $70.00 and it will last you a couple of lifetimes.  I dump a cup of borax into the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, add water and then poor the solution into a sprayer.  All of the borax won't disolve and the chunks will remain in bottom of the bucket.  If you get the chunks into your sprayer they can clog your sprayer tip.

Boron will cause termites, ants, and wood boring insects to starve to death by killing the fungus that grows in their tummies.  This morning I had som fir that wasn't stickered soon enough and started to stain.  While stickering the stack I sprayed all of the boards witht he borax solution.  I hope this will kill the staining fungus since it is only on the surface of the wood right now.

I also spray all new walls, roofs and cement foundations with this solution.  Once the water evaporates, there is a fine film of borax on everything.

[woodbowl]

 I dump a cup of borax into the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, add water and then poor the solution into a sprayer.  .........
Boron will cause termites, ants, and wood boring insects to starve to death by killing the fungus that grows in their tummies. .................

Gilman, now that a little time has went by, how has the borax worked out?

I'm in big trouble! I've been building a house for about 8 years .....  :-\ ..... and the bore beetles are having a feast on the untreated wood. It is dried in, sort of but the inside walls have not been wired, insulated or covered so everything is visible and accesible to spray.

You can hear the crunch, crunch so much that the crunches all run together and it sounds like it's raining. I thought about using Ortho termite and carpenter ant product, but not sure of it's reputation.

I'm wondering if anyone else has sprayed just, pure borax to treat for borers, how well it works, how long it takes and how long it sticks around.

[Gilman]

I'm pretty sure that all wood eating insects rely on fungus to digest the wood fibers.  The borax will stay on the sprayed walls indefinitely.  Once the water dries, the powder will be left behind.

I've most recently been using the borax to get rid of ants tearing up my sidewalk made from pavers.  It takes about a week for them to disappear, but I figure every one that walks though the borax is one more dose of poison.

You can really hear them crunching away Woodbowl?  That'd make you sick to your stomach.

[submarinesailor]

Gilman,

I completely agree with Woodbowl and you about the crunching sound.  About 25 years ago in Charleston, SC, I was enjoying a quite, cool spring evening standing in the garage doorway.  When, I keep hearing a crunching sound in the left garage door jam.  So, I went over to it and tapped it with my toe – a little too heavy.  About haft my foot disappeared into the jam.  Pulled loose some of the sheetrock and begin to wonder why the whole corner of the house hadn't fallen down.  They had eaten all the studs about 3' down the side wall.  Up and over the garage door header and all the studs for a about 4' past the garage door jam.  In 1978 dollars, it cost me about $30 to make all the repairs – ouch did that hurt because the wife had just delivered twin girls.

So now I pay real close attention to termite treatment and listening in the quite times.

Bruce

[woodbowl]

I'm pretty sure that all wood eating insects rely on fungus to digest the wood fibers.  The borax will stay on the sprayed walls indefinitely.  Once the water dries, the powder will be left behind.

Gilman, I just bought some Solubor from the local farm supply today. I'm not sure how to mix it though. Do you know anything about it? We've been talking about it on this topic.

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