Thread: Borax

You actually found a Borax packet that actually says the %Boron, well done, I've been trying to find out that for years

Back to your question, add as much as will dissolve into warm water, not hot. I find it is ~1kgs for 10litres. But, as it is very concentrated it will settle out in crystal form again. So once you have used it in your sprayer, empty remaining out, then wash out your sprayer well or it will settle in the components stuffing your sprayer.

We get ours by the 20kg bag from any of the local fertiliser suppliers.
The best ratio is 60 % borax to 40% boric acid, and make a saturated solution.

However for spraying logs I'd not recommend borax/boric acid mix due to leaching: if it rains the borax will just wash off. On logs I use an agricultural insecticide - usually Barricade S which is a cattle dip, but just about anything will do - but even just a good spray with diesel will keep the buggers out.
Borates are more suited to applying to sawn timber, either as a surface deterrent or as a full on timber treatment, once it's milled and in out the waether.

Thanks for the reply's

Whilst the borax solution seems good at 20 bucks for 1kg it would soon add up.
Now i'm not a tight *ss by any means but if I counted the logs available to me there would be at least 100. Some are not fresh cut.

Do you think the diesel option would deter the little buggers without damaging the wood. Especially if you wanted to slab the log.

Once I get set up out on the farm I won't have these problems, but for now the grape vine is in full force and logs keep apearing.
Trouble is I'm not ready and I don't want to deter the contacts I have made. I don't even have a mill yet.

The 2 spotty's in question are 4 and 5 T each, so can't be moved easily.
Maybe I'll get one of the 16 lucas millers in the surrounding area to come over and cut these 2 up.

Cheers

hahaha one of the 16 that is good density

Originally Posted by John.G

We get ours by the 20kg bag from any of the local fertiliser suppliers.
The best ratio is 60 % borax to 40% boric acid, and make a saturated solution...

I get Boron from the local fertiliser supplier, which is the better natural form that will fully dissolve and stay that way, but very expensive. Haven't seen the Borax there

Originally Posted by Barterbuilt

Whilst the borax solution seems good at 20 bucks for 1kg it would soon add up...

That sounds like the price of Boron, I get my Borax for $6/Kg from Bunnies, supermarkets sell it too

Originally Posted by Barterbuilt

Howdydoody Folks

Was up the back checking on some logs that I have stored and low and behold there is a pencil sized hole in one of them. Dirty little buggers.
Thanks in advance

Andrew

Andrew,
From my experience Borax solutions work OK for Lyctus borers, I.E. pinhoe borers, but if you have pencil sized holes, that is a different ball game. If it was up here it would be a Longicorn Beetle Borer and you would require some more serious spray. If the logs are small roll them over and run kero into the holes, and it will eventually drown the buggers, but they are usually in the bark when you cut it down, so for fresly felled logs, you need to spray with some of the poisions listed in previous posts.
rgds,
Crocy.

Why worry ? They don't eat much, only get into the sapwood and the time you spend trying to stop them will be largely futile and better spent milling.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

I get Boron from the local fertiliser supplier, which is the better natural form that will fully dissolve and stay that way, but very expensive. Haven't seen the Borax there



That sounds like the price of Boron, I get my Borax for $6/Kg from Bunnies, supermarkets sell it too

I'm definately getting Borax not Boron. 25kg bags run at around $40 each, which just shows how expensive it must be to pack it in them in those little containers huh? *eyeroll*

Borax is about $600 per tonne, when you buy 20 tonnes or more....you said you had a lot of logs, didn't you????