Borates can be sprayed, painted, or pressure injected into wood. The borates diffuse into the wood over a long period of time. Termites die after ingesting borate-treated wood. Borate treatments provide long-lasting supplemental protection. In areas where wood is shielded from the elements, borates can last as long as 40 years.
Borates protect wood against wood decay fungi and have long been used in wood preservation.
Borate-treated wood is also more fire retardant than wood that is not treated with borates. Borates are non-selective herbicides, so even a small amount of borate accidentally sprayed on landscape plantings will kill or damage. Termites from different colonies react differently after feeding on borate-treated lumber. Some termites die after a little feeding. Some termites can feed on larger quantities of treated wood and persist for many weeks, further reinforcing the need to use other control methods in conjunction with a borate treatment.