'Bugs News

We frequently get questions about the various borate products on the market to control insects around the home. These products are used to control ants , cockroaches and structural pests like carpenter ants , powderpost beetles and dry-rot fungi . General characteristics Borates offer a low toxicity alternative to conventional insecticides, but are slow acting and may take several weeks to be completely effective. Borates are also generally long lasting , if kept dry. And, borates are generally not used outdoors because of they are soluble in water . Borate is primarily an insect stomach poison and fungicide. Stomach poisons must be eaten by the pest to be effective. Borate Products Timbor and Bora Care (and a few others) are products for structural pest control (termites, carpenter ants and wood-boring beetles). Timbor is a powder of 98% disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, a sodium salt of boric acid, and Bora Care is a 40% solution of the same compound plus ethylene glycol . ...

Regular inspections of the exterior and interior of your house are one of the best ways to protect your investment and avoid costly repairs. Basic home inspections can be done by homeowners themselves and don't take very long to complete. Inspections should be done at least twice a year , once in winter and once in summer. The summer inspection should be done early in the day to avoid the heat of the afternoon when pest insects may go into hiding. Slowly walk around the exterior. Look for evidence of insect activity on the siding and especially the area where the siding overlaps the foundation. If you find large ants "trailing" into or out of the house capture a few for identification. Also check under the house, if possible, for termite and powderpost beetle activity. Anyone who has watched the TV show " This Old House " knows that water damage is far more important than insect damage in most situations. Winter is the best time to inspect for water and m...

I get many questions about the insecticide Timbor . Rather than answer individual e-mails I decided to post a page at our 'Bugs site about using Timbor for structural pests and to add a link here on the blog. Timbor is made from sodium borate crystals (borax). Borates have many industrial uses in addition to their use as insecticides and fungicides . Borate-based insecticides have been around for a long time. They act mostly as stomach poisons, which means they must be eaten to be effective, as opposed to contact insecticides which are absorbed through the insect's cuticle. In recent years a number of new borate products have been introduced as wood preservatives for dry-rot fungi and for structural pests like termites , carpenter ants and wood destroying beetles . Some products are liquids that contain a glycol base which is believed to help the borate penetrate further into wood fibers. Other products, like Timbor, are supplied as nearly pure borate powders which can ...

carpenter ant In early spring or late winter people often encounter these large black ants in homes. These big ants are different than the more common small, brown "nuisance ants" that plague kitchens. The big ants are called carpenter ants ( Camponotus spp .) and unlike their smaller cousins, nest above ground in cavities. Nest building and cavity expansion by these large, powerful ants can cause damage if nests occur in our homes. Most of the ants you find in homes are small, less than 1/4", and brown. There are several species of small brown ants that can nest in our home's walls or nearby soil and enter homes in search of food and water (see House Ants for identification and control). Nuisance ants are just that, a nuisance. They won't damage your home and pose no health threat of any kind.  There's another ant, however, that occasionally is found in homes that is much bigger (1/4"-5/8"), darker in color, nests in the walls, floors and c...