What is a Borate Based Wood Preservative?

Borate wood preservative defends wood against termite attack and other wood-decomposing organisms. The preservative is absorbed into wood and acts as a barrier that termites cannot cross, eliminating wood as a food source. Applied during the construction process, borate wood preservative works with all wood and wood composite materials. The treatment does not stain or discolor wood or make the material more difficult to handle. Primarily used in vulnerable areas like floor joists, studs, sill plates, and floor beams. Wood treatments prevent wood-damaging insects from reaching non-treated interior wood.

Technician applying a borate wood preservative to the frame of a home under construction

Structures containing non-treated wood face the constant threat of attack from subterranean termites and other wood-damaging insects such as carpenter ants and wood boring beetles. Able to go undetected for years, pests can quietly navigate through wood throughout the home and cause thousands of dollars in damage.

How Do Borates Control Pests?

Borate is a natural method of controlling insects. Made of a chemical compound of oxygen and boron, borates come from mineral deposits around the globe. When applied to wood with pressure treatment, borates soak deep into the material to provide long-lasting termiticidal benefits.

When termites feed on treated wood, the borates disrupt their metabolic functions and prevent them from correctly processing food. Essentially, the pests die slowly from starvation. Because borates act slowly, termites feed the substance to other members of the colony before dying. This increases the effectiveness of the control method. Though termites may feed initially on treated wood, the insects never tunnel far into treated wood before realizing the material is detrimental to the colony and moving to another food source.

Borates also effectively control carpenter ants, which do not consume wood but burrow tunnels into the material. The ants collect borates on their bodies after coming into contact with treated wood. When the pests self-clean, they consume the borates, which collect in their stomachs and disrupt their digestive processes.


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Three Easy steps

to comfort and confidence

Trained HomeTeam technicians apply borate-based termiticides during the building process to create a long lasting pest barrier.
After the application has dried, all treated wood can be used normally, as the durable termiticide is saturated within.
Since our borate-based termiticide is highly efficient less is required for effective treatment and protection.

Just a part of
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Wood pretreatment for termites is only the beginning. HomeTeam brings a nationwide network of expertise in every area of pest and termite control to ensure that every home we treat remains secure, comfortable and free from unwanted pests of all kinds. HomeTeam delivers great value, ultimate professionalism and in-depth knowledge all dedicated to making every house we service a secure, comfortable family home.

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What is Taexx?

*Installation method is customized to construction types, and may vary.


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