Termites & presssure treated wood
rockinroger
| Posted in General Questions on
I am of the opinion, down here in New Orleans, that Formosan termites will go for pressure treated wood as they would any other. I used to see lumber that was treated with Borate, which they don’t seem to like? I don’t seem to be able to find it anymore. What’s the skinny on this?
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Replies
Roger,
Borate-treated lumber has one major drawback: it can't be used outdoors (or anywhere exposed to rain), because rain leaches away the borate, at which point the termites move in.
Lots of distributors and mills sell borate-treated lumber, including Home Depot:
Home Depot
Lonza Wood Protection, Atlanta, GA 30328
Pro Wood Lumber
Great Southern Wood Preserving, Abbeville, Alabama 36310
Western Wood Preserving, Sumner, Washington
Osmose Wood, Griffin, Georgia 30224
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A quick web search finds no evidence that formosan termites eat PT wood. Borate treated lumber might be a good idea for places not required to be PT.