Termites spread through swarming—a process where reproductive drywood termites leave a three-to-four-year-old colony, find a mate, shed their wings, and crawl into a crack in a piece of wood to establish a new infestation.

For exterior wood, paint acts as a natural deterrent. Termites don’t like paint, and unless they find an opening, they typically die before successfully starting a colony. However, attics, garages, and crawlspaces often contain large amounts of unpainted, exposed wood. Termite swarmers can enter these spaces through vents and immediately begin chewing wherever they land. Once their colony is established, they excavate the wood and push out droppings—creating the small piles of termite pellets that inspectors look for.

Most homeowners don’t routinely inspect their attics or crawlspaces, so an unnoticed, localized termite infestation can grow into a larger problem that eventually requires fumigation.

How Borate Treatments Protect Your Home

The best way to safeguard vulnerable wood in attics, garages, and crawlspaces is through borate treatments.

• How It Works: When swarming termites chew treated wood, they ingest the borate, which disrupts their digestive system by killing the protozoa in their stomachs—making it impossible to digest wood, ultimately leading to their death.
• Long-Lasting Protection: Because borates are derived from boron, a naturally occurring mineral, they do not break down over time, offering indefinite protection against termites.
• Subterranean Termite Defense: While subterranean termites nest underground, borate treatments are effective here as well. If a home has a raised foundation with exposed wood framing or piers in the crawlspace, treating that wood prevents foraging subterranean termites from infesting.
• Best Application Timing: Borates can be applied to a home during construction (before drywall installation) or during a remodel when framing is exposed. Properly treated wood becomes virtually termite-proof.

Borate is a Safe & Eco-Friendly Solution

Borates are highly toxic to termites yet relatively benign to humans and pets. In fact, borates are commonly used in everyday products like toothpaste, soap, and detergents. Additionally, because borate treatments are typically applied to non-living spaces like attics and crawlspaces, direct exposure is minimal.

Borate is a Smart Investment

Applying borates to the exposed wood in your home is a cost-effective, proactive solution to termite prevention. It helps protect against expensive structural damage and significantly reduces the need for costly fumigations down the line.