# Wood worm treatment



## shumakerscott

I have a real bad case of wood worms. Most of the beams have already been cut up for firewood. There are a few I need to use over and are in pretty good shape but have been eaten into a little bit. I have read that Borax based treatments or Linseed oil works well, I want to stay green and cheap. Is the Borax that they sell for laundry in the grocery store a type of treatment? How well does Linseed work? I have looked on the net but wanted some feedback here. Thanks for following along. Scott Shumaker aka SHU


----------



## mark942

Hi Shu
I am not sure if there is a green way to get rid of wood worms.Wood worms are a larva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodworm
With that being said,I have had good luck with a product named Bora Care.It is a great product.I have used it on my log home.Powder post beetles and old house borers is what I was targeting.To date I have no chewing sounds and have found quite a few large and small beetles that this product has killed.This product is a brush and leave on product.It will turn your wood a milky white.Then after it has been on for a few months I washed it off.Easy on and easy off.I can not say any thing about Linseed oil other than I have used it with pigents for decks and rails.Hope this was of some help. Here is a link http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com Since you are from Europe I am not to sure where you would find it.But I am sure you can. Again Good Luck to You. :thumbsup:


----------



## shumakerscott

That Bora Care sounds just what Borax would do, go on milky white and wash off. I would say the "Bora" in the name stands for Borax. I have some time to keep coating the beams before I actually get them in a closed house. Thanks for the links. I find borax based and refined products but nobody actually comes out and says that normal off the shelf "cheap" borax is the same or is going to work. They might want you to buy their product. I guess I will have to try it because I can't afford the expensive stuff. Once the treatment is done then I will seal the beams with Linseed Oil. I will give my ideas a try and post the results. Thanks, SHU


----------



## mark942

Bora Care has 40% Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate
borax = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borax

So I would "guess" your right on the money. I always learn some thing when I post in here. Thank you Shu for making me have a look see. Borax off the shelf is a far cry less expensive than Bora Care.Seems like a Salt solutin might as well work to.Lots of Sodium......lol


----------



## Lion

*Question*



shumakerscott said:


> I have a real bad case of wood worms. Most of the beams have already been cut up for firewood. There are a few I need to use over and are in pretty good shape but have been eaten into a little bit. I have read that Borax based treatments or Linseed oil works well, I want to stay green and cheap. Is the Borax that they sell for laundry in the grocery store a type of treatment? How well does Linseed work? I have looked on the net but wanted some feedback here. Thanks for following along. Scott Shumaker aka SHU


Hello shumakerscott,
Can you refer me to a shop near to Basel/German border where I might be able to buy BORAX ?
I would like to get a few litres or make a few litres of this with water etc. I Have quite a lot of wood that are being attacked by these worms

Thanks
Bern Switzerland


----------



## DangerMouse

hi dorf dude....
20 mule team borax right from the laundry section is what you want, yup. 
i'd add some 99% boric acid (roach/ant/bug killer powder) to the mix too.

happy hunting!

DM


----------



## shumakerscott

Lion said:


> Hello shumakerscott,
> Can you refer me to a shop near to Basel/German border where I might be able to buy BORAX ?
> I would like to get a few litres or make a few litres of this with water etc. I Have quite a lot of wood that are being attacked by these worms
> 
> Thanks
> Bern Switzerland


I get mine from the store on the Army Base here. I have not seen it "On the Economy" I have not looked very hard either because I knew where to get it. In America it is used as a washing powder. As of yet I have not done my beams with it. I need to get other things finished first. See "German House Rebuild". Dorf Dude...


----------



## Lion

*Thanks*



shumakerscott said:


> I get mine from the store on the Army Base here. I have not seen it "On the Economy" I have not looked very hard either because I knew where to get it. In America it is used as a washing powder. As of yet I have not done my beams with it. I need to get other things finished first. See "German House Rebuild". Dorf Dude...


Hi shumakerscott,

Thanks for the initial info.
Did you buy the BORAX in a box with a brand name?
Any suggestion how I could start searching for it?
Would greatly appreciate more help leading to where I can buy it. Could you also tell me the price per a certain quantity? Honestly speaking I am quite desperate with my house condition.

Thanks


----------



## shumakerscott

*Contact*

Lion, you don't have enough posts for me to PM you. It is "20 Mule Team" brand. Like I said I have not done mine with it yet so I'm not 100% sure that it will work. I think adding some salt wouldn't hurt. Salt works for so many things. I been told that blood was used in the old days to preserve beams. Keep posting back with me here until you get enough posts to private message. I can probably help you out. Dorf Dude...


----------



## Lion

*Thanks*



shumakerscott said:


> Lion, you don't have enough posts for me to PM you. It is "20 Mule Team" brand. Like I said I have not done mine with it yet so I'm not 100% sure that it will work. I think adding some salt wouldn't hurt. Salt works for so many things. I been told that blood was used in the old days to preserve beams. Keep posting back with me here until you get enough posts to private message. I can probably help you out. Dorf Dude...


Thanks shumakerscott,
I understand now that "20 mule Team is the Brand "
I didn't realise that.
I just got another mail from a friend where to find it. I wonder if this is a good price ?
http://www.mediverse.de/shop/produc...izieren.html?gclid=CI2GxIC5o5oCFc6T3wodc1EG-g


----------



## DangerMouse

don't forget the boric acid powder.... if it crawls or wriggles, it'll kill it, and it lasts 20 years and more...
and you could also add some diatomaceous earth to the mix too.....

DM


----------



## Lion

*Email*



shumakerscott said:


> Lion, you don't have enough posts for me to PM you. It is "20 Mule Team" brand. Like I said I have not done mine with it yet so I'm not 100% sure that it will work. I think adding some salt wouldn't hurt. Salt works for so many things. I been told that blood was used in the old days to preserve beams. Keep posting back with me here until you get enough posts to private message. I can probably help you out. Dorf Dude...


Forgot to write it in previous post.
My email is [email protected]
No problem sending me any messages through it.
Thanks


----------



## Lion

*Thanks DangerMouse*



DangerMouse said:


> don't forget the boric acid powder.... if it crawls or wriggles, it'll kill it, and it lasts 20 years and more...
> and you could also add some diatomaceous earth to the mix too.....
> 
> DM


Thanks Dangermouse,

I will try to look for the Boric acid too.
My problem over here is finding a place/shop to buy them. It's a tiny country where small retailers are hard to find. The big commercial shopping centres are expensive and their products are usually branded. 
That is why I had ask for info to purchase it over the French or German border.


----------



## MOCHOA

From What I have read Bora Care dries clear where as Borax is going to leave the surface white. Can anyone who has used Bora Care confirm this? 

I am building furniture with some Red Oak I got a good deal on and later found out it had worms. I want to make sure I kill them but can still use the wood for my projects. 

Thanks,

Mauricio


----------



## DangerMouse

i just cut around the wormy spots... it heats my home well.

DM


----------



## JGod

*US Navy Borax / Boric acid formula*

doGJ yB devomeR


----------



## JGod

*US Navy Borax / Boric acid formula*

The US navy has done a formula for timber preservation, 60% Borax 40% Boric Acid, If you search for "Borax Boric Acid US Navy" you will find it.

Having done a bit of research myself, down to the chemistry level, there is a distinct advantage in adding a proportion of Glycol to this mixture, up to 50%.The glycol is a solvent for Borate compounds, and is absorbed both deeper and faster into timber than water, it carries between and along the timber fibres, and is in itself toxic, but when dry, emulsifies, and will not wash out, but as a word of advice wear a mask, and dispose of sawdust safely when cutting timber treated with this mix.

The recipies on the net seem to be about the same, but I have found that I get a residue in the liquid mix if I try the quantities to water they show.

This is probably because I am using "Technical Grade" components, and the recipe writers seem to be extremely generous, or my concentrations are higher, so not as much will disolve, as their's may have a "bulking agent", or more water of chrystalisation.

The white residue you get when you apply borax, or boric acid, can be dusted off with a wire brush, but avoid the dust.

If the timber you have if infested with bugs, use standard glycol to kill it, make a trough in plastic sheet, and liberally spray a few times, turning over each time. Allow the top to dry between sprays, three good wet sprays should do it, stand in a buket overnight to get up the grain from each end. The bugs will last one life cycle at best, then find something nicer to eat, (put a sacrificial plank nearby).

The solution should be warmed to mix and use, and if stored, re-heated to ensure no chrystals exist. (Filter or allow sedement to settle before spraying as it will clog your sprayer). Wear a mask gloves etc use a long lance, avoid drips on you, set the spray so it DOES NOT MIST, wash sprayer thoroughly and best to use a completely plastic sprayer to avoid the acid eating the metal components.

At a push you can use car antifreeze, but test to see if the dye stains the wood - try three coats, as just one will not show up.

JG

Owner of a Woodworm Zoo in West Denmark
Slowly evicting them

p.s. leave a sacrificial timber in loft to check that it works, spray it the same as the timber, for half its length, the other half untreated, look at it every couple of years, and renew (burn the old one in a bonfire outdoors), as it should be the only timber the insects can lay eggs on, so it doubles as a trap. Note also that this mixture, is not that friendly to nails e.t.c. when wet, so WD40 any Bolts etc before spraying.


----------



## shumakerscott

*Where to buy in europe?*

Thanks for the info. Where do I buy the glycol here in europe? At a reasonalbe price that is. I know the apoteke has it but at a crazy price. I'm just now turning the corner and going to get really bust on my beams. I will use a mix of? borax, glycol and?? Thanks, Dorf dude...


----------



## JGod

*Where to buy.*

To be honest I get it from Mistral in Ireland ( www.mistral.ie) , (shipped to the house in England - then over in the car) try ebay, and search "boric acid" (uk ebay that is), can't remember if they ship accross the ditch. Buy them seperately, not combined as the combined is the premix, but much more expensive.

There is a mention of using diatomaceuos earth with the borax - chemically this is not much use, and potentialy deleterious, as the boric acid will react with the DE in solution, you can however use one then the other, but in that case the borax element must be second, and use glycol only. However, nothing will ever get near the wood.

Mistral do Technical Grade chemicals, which is as near to pure as possible (99.5%), so it will be dry and possibly dusty, be very careful. They have very little water of chrystalisaton, in their products, so is "stronger". Over the counter stuff has agents to make it "flow" for packaging (washing powders), and other bits and bobs, to bulk it out - basically you could say its "cut" with a. n. other substance - 99% can mean that the Borax is 99% pure, but there can be 10% other stuff in the box, but it may be a mix and "trace" does not always have to be labeled.

JGod



If you want to be realy naughty, they sell copper sulphate, which will kill fungal growth too, but use that then rinse off, then treat with Borates. (check out cures for fish fungus) if you want to know what else it is used for, there would have been no Salem witches if they knew about CS then !


----------

