There are at least two products available to pest control operators that contain the active ingredient disodium octaborate tetrahydrate. Borate products can be used as a supplemental treatment against termites. They should never be used as a stand-alone treatment. 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.