thanks

First, you don't state if you think the damage is currently active or if it's old damage you are now noticing. This is actually quite common. In other words, the beam could have had an insect infestation some time ago. Maybe 50 or more years ago. At some point the insects died and the wood has held together without anyone noticing the extent of which it had been consumed till now. I have seen this happen many times so it's not unusual.

But if you think there is activity or are unsure if it's active or not, a treatment could be warranted. The first thing I would do, however, would be to determine if the wood which is badly damaged is actually important or not. In other words, is it load bearing or important to the structural integrity of the house? If not, then no replacement may be needed. But if it's taking weight – like a sill plate or a floor joist – it could very well be important enough to either replace or reinforce. If you are not able to make this determination yourself, you need to get the advice from someone that can. Once this is known, you can then decide if treating with the BORACARE would make sense.

If the wood isn't important and if damage is limited to a small section, I would recommend treating it to insure there isn't anything alive causing more damage. As explained in our POWDERPOST BEETLE ARTICLE, there are many wood destroying insects which can go unnoticed for long periods of time. Boracare deals well with these organisms and when applied right can provide long term protection against a wide range of pests.

But if the wood is important structurally and will have to be replaced, it would make no sense to treat it. I would then consider protecting the other local infrastructure depending largely on what was exposed when any work was to be done. This way if live insects were detected, you could proceed confidently knowing for sure what you were treating and with a direct purpose of making sure they could not survive. But without this knowledge, it's hard to make an exact determination right now.

So in summary, I'd say to get another opinion if you're uncertain as to the extent of the damage, whether it's currently active or old, and whether the wood damaged is actually important structurally. If the damage is significant and from old activity, there could very well be nothing alive right now. More importantly, if the wood damaged isn't important to the structure, it could very well be ignored. But if you have reason to believe there is something alive now in the wood and that you might have to have some repairs done, a treatment could be warranted to make sure this doesn't continue. Give us a call if you need some help determining what to do. As you can tell from my response, it is hard for me to make an exact determination since there are so many choices and variables involved. But if you get to talk with one of our in house specialist, chances are we'll be able to further determine a course of action that would make sense to follow.

jonathan

www.bugspray.com

I AM READING AND STUDYING YOUR INFORMATION SHEET ON MOLD, MILDEW, DECAY FUNGUS, ETC.

I NEED HELP, HOWEVER, UNDERSTANDING WHAT CONDITIONS OF MOLD, MILDEW, DECAY FUNGUS, ETC. REQUIRE PLAIN BORACARE AND WHICH NEED BORACARE WITH MOLD CARE.   PLEASE ADVISE.

THANKS…..

This is a great question and one we get asked a lot. As explained in our POWDERPOST BEETLE CONTROL article, Boracare is a unique product that penetrates wood and once inside the "grain", helps to prevent decay fungus and insect damage. Since wood can be infested by such a wide range of insects, it was determined many years ago that a product which would penetrate through and through the cellulose would work best. As expected, wood treated thoroughly with Boracare may enjoy less attention and attack from wood seeking pests like termites, powderpost beetles and old house borers.

But in recent years there has been a rise in damage due to a new predator: decay fungi and mold. Decay mold and fungus has proven it too can take advantage of vulnerable timber used in home construction. And though the original BORACARE formulation can help prevent the establishment of such fungus, the makers of the product felt they could do better. BORACARE WITH MOLDCARE was then brought to market. With more additives that target the surface of the wood, Boracare Moldcare will both protect the inside and outside of cellulose like nothing on the market.

So to answer your question, if you're treating an attic or second level space in the home for powderpost beetles where it's dry, original Boracare will be more than adequate for the job. But if you plan on treating a crawl space or outside structure that is prone to being exposed to high levels of moisture, Boracare Moldcare would be the best option. Applied the same way with the same tools, there is little you'll do differently to apply either product. But when it comes to long term control and mold prevention, Boracare Moldcare will prove to be the better product overall. Hope this helps understand the difference between the two and remember, if you have any question about these or other pesticide products, just pick up the phone and give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290.