Borates: Agencies, Builders Recognize Bora-Care's Benefits

Bora-Care has been recognized by both the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and by the Southern Building Codes Congress International as a suitable termite pretreatment product. In January 1999, HUD changed its 99A form to allow direct wood treatment with Bora-Care as a primary tool against termites in new home construction. And in March 1999, the SBGGI listed Bora-Care as a termite pretreatment product. Bora-Care is also the only termiticide evaluated by SBCCI as a suitable alternative to soil treatments.

STAMP OF APPROVAL

Being recognized by HUD and SBCCI has been an important selling point for the product with builders. Mike LaFever, president of Belle Mead Exterminating Co. based in Nashville, Tenn., notes that since HUD and the Southern

Building Codes have listed Bora-Care, builders accept it as a suitable alternative to soil pretreatments. "We have picked up some builders because of that," LaFever said. Contractors also like the environmental friendliness Bora-Care offers over traditional soil termiticides. "They like the fact that it has no odor," said Mark Sturgeon, service manager of Envirosafe Termite and Pest Control, Louisville, Ky.

AN OPEN CALENDAR

Most importantly, builders like the convenience of Bora-Care, since they no longer have to coordinate schedules between PMPs, cement companies and landscapers. And because it is applied directly to the wood, construction crews never have to leave the job site. In traditional soil treatments, workers are required by law to leave the job site during application — and stay away until the chemical has dried. Therefore, Bora-Care helps reduce construction delays and unproductive waiting time, in effect saving time and money for both PMPs and contractors.

"Not only is it easier for me, but it's also a lot easier to schedule the treatment," says Don Lackey, owner of the Orkin franchise based in Conyers, Ga. "It's much more convenient for me and the builders... they love it and we love it too."

Especially appealing to PMPs is the fact that borate-based products provide long-lasting protection, since borates, which are mined from the earth, offer excellent chemical stability over time. According to Schwalb, Bora-Care can protect treated wood as long as the wood is in service.

"It's been in the ground a long time already," observes John Rentz, president of J.C. Rentz Termite Service of Moultrie, Ga. "I figure it'll outlast the houses I'm treating." And in the pretreat business, long-lasting protection is critical.

"When we put [Bora-Care] into walls and treat the wood, it's going to stay there a long time," says Bobby Townsend, manager of Atlantic Inc. Pest Management, headquartered a in Charleston, S.C.

A PRETTY PENNY

Perhaps most importantly, the combined cost and convenience benefits real of Bora-Care mean pest management professionals have the potential for greater pretreat profits.

"There are lots of companies out there that just don't charge enough on pretreats to put down enough chemical and make a profit," said Rentz. With Bora-Care, he added, "I can go out there and compete with a good product. It gives me a good competitive advantage."

Bora-Care Provides Long-Term Control in Field Trials

Bora-Care has more than nine years of efficacy in research conducted at the Harrison Experimental Forest in Mississippi and Mississippi State University's Forest Products Laboratory. A variety of tests have proven that wood treated with Bora-Care repelled termite attacks and prevented subterranean termites from tubing over treated wood. Bora-Care was also proven effective against Formosan termites.

A DECADE OF RESEARCH

The ongoing study began in October of 1991, when test units were installed by USDA Forest Service personnel in various plots at the Harrison Experimental Forest near Saucier, Miss. The tests consisted of two experiments designed to evaluate the resistance of Bora-Care treats wood to tubing and feeding by subterranean termites. The first experiment utilized individual wood units that were designed to simulate typical crawlspace construction. The units consisted of two treated wood headers and two treated wood joists attached at right angles and placed on top of two cement blocks. Untreated "bait blocks" were then places on top of the joists.

Builder and PMPs appreciate the elimination of scheduling problems and weather delays

CALLBACKS NOT A CONCERN

PMPs who have been using Bora-Care for their pretreatments are confident about its long-term efficacy, saying there have been very few, if any, callbacks." With the program we have in place," said Bert Snyder, vice president of Palmetto Exterminators, Charleston, S.C., " I foresee a significant decrease in callbacks with Bora-Care," Palmetto uses Bora-Care exclusively during the construction phase and supplements it with a soil treatment after the final grade is complete

THE NEXT LEVEL

Bobby Townsend, manager of Atlantic Inc. Pest Management, Charleston, S.C., said the company recently added Bora-Care to a pretreat regimen that includes a baiting program and a liquid termiticide in high-risk areas. Although it's too early to tell whether Bora-Care will reduce the company's callbacks, Townsend says he's confident the product will perform as expected. "It's another tool in our box of tools that allows us to treat a property to a higher level," Townsend said. "It's another step up of delivering a better product."

The second experiment was a stake test using treated wooden stakes as well as untreated control stakes, both topped with untreated bait blocks of wood. The stakes were erected length wise a few inches off the ground, utilizing a 1-inch PVC pipe driven into the ground.

The test lots, located in areas with "extreme" termite pressure, have been monitored over 110 moths at regular intervals. In all that time, over nine years, termites have never consumed the Bora-Care treated wood. Additionally they have not tubed over the Bora-Care treated wood to reach the untreated wood on top.

In fact, in the ninth year termite pressure was so intense that several of the untreated control stations had to be replaced because they were completely destroyed from termite infestation. "For over nine years, under severe termite pressure, Bore-Care has proven it will protect the wood", added Ron Schwalb, Nisus national technical manager.

MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY EARNS ACCOLADES

In addition to an outstanding record in the field, Bora-Care also comes with one of the only product warranties in the business. Nisus stands behind its product with the Bora-Care Limited Warranty, the industry's first manufacturer's warranty covering damager repair, replacement product and retreatment labor. The warranty is offered to licensed professional pest control companies that have completed a Bora-Care Training Program and have become a "Bora-Care Authorized Company." One the company is authorized, each technician then completes an auto-tutorial training program to become a "Bora-Care Treatment Specialist."

The limited warranty pertains to new construction treatments with Bora-Care to single family residential structures only. Each treated structure must be registered within 30 days of treatment with Nisus.

The warranty is valid with Bora-Care as a standalone treatment or when used with other termite treatments such as baits of soil treatments. As long as Bora-Care is applied by a Nisus Warranty Certified Professional, Nisus will stand behind the job.

POCKETBOOK PROTECTION

In the unlikely event that a home treated with Bora-Care requires retreatment, the Nisus five-year limited warranty provides up to $2,500 for damager repair, replacement product and retreatment labor. To qualify, PMPs and their companies must have completed the Nisus Warranty Certification and Training process, applied Bora-Care according to label directions, registered each treated structure with Nisus, and conduct and report annual physical inspections of the home to Nisus.

PMPs say the warranty is just one more reason to use Bora-Care for pretreat work. "I think it is a tremendous benefit to the contractors," said Ron Burroughs, vice president and general manager of Midsouth Pest Control Services in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. "It's something that no other company has ever done for us."

Bert Snyder, vice president of Palmetto Exterminators, Charleston, S.C., agrees. "Nisus was the first to come out with a damage warranty to back their product," he said. "When you promote that to a homeowner, it means a lot."

More information:
- Borates Boast a Legendary Track Record
- Borates Offer a Competitive Edge For McCall
- Borates: a "Solid Choice" for the Pretreat Market