Powder post beetle problem
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JWalters
Topic author - Posts: 113
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:34 pm
- First Name: Jason
- Last Name: Walters
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Touring
- Location: Missouri
- Board Member Since: 2000
Powder post beetle problem
I read that borax will get rid of them but will it corrode my car? I would rather not have to take all the wood out if I don’t have to. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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Loftfield
- Posts: 227
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:26 pm
- First Name: Thomas
- Last Name: Loftfield
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Touring, 1912 Express Pick-up
- Location: Brevard, NC, USA
- MTFCA Number: 49876
- MTFCI Number: 24725
Re: Powder post beetle problem
Borax will do the job, but getting octaborate is much better (several online sources or your exterminator store). A very good anti-termite, anti-powder post beetle spray can be made with octaborate and polyethylene glycol (NOT ethylene glycol anti-freeze). The polyethylene glycol is used as an anti-freeze in motor home plumbing systems and has other kitchen and food uses (available online or at RV stores).To my knowledge these items will not corrode anything. The octaborate kills the bugs, the polyethylene glycol kills any fungus and wood-destroying bacteria. Mix the octaborate and polyethylene glycol 50/50, then dilute about four or five to one with water, spray or paint on.
The other very good way to kill powder post beetles is to cover your car with a plastic sheet to make a secure enclosure, then leave old fashioned naptha moth balls exposed under the plastic for at least a month. Gassing with naphtha is ultimately more effective because it will get ALL the beetles, while the borate mixture is only effective where it touches the wood.
There are, of course, many "professional" substances available at ten times the price of what is suggested above.
The other very good way to kill powder post beetles is to cover your car with a plastic sheet to make a secure enclosure, then leave old fashioned naptha moth balls exposed under the plastic for at least a month. Gassing with naphtha is ultimately more effective because it will get ALL the beetles, while the borate mixture is only effective where it touches the wood.
There are, of course, many "professional" substances available at ten times the price of what is suggested above.
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Charlie B in N.J.
- Posts: 647
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- First Name: CHARLIE
- Last Name: BRANCA
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: "27 Tudor / "23 Touring
- Location: Brick N.J.
- MTFCA Number: 28967
- Board Member Since: 2010
Re: Powder post beetle problem
The big box stores sell an extremely effective wood boring insect spray. You can buy the mix type or right out of the bottle kind. No smell or stains. I’ve used it for years and highly recommend it.
Forget everything you thought you knew.
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Adam
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- First Name: Adam
- Last Name: Doleshal
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘13 Touring, ‘24 Touring, ‘25 TT dump truck, ‘26 Tudor, ‘20 Theiman harvester T powerplant, ‘20 T Staude tractor
- Location: Wisconsin
- MTFCA Number: 23809
- MTFCI Number: 1
- Board Member Since: 2000
Re: Powder post beetle problem
Heat.
Take the whole car to a body shop and have it baked in their spray booth a sufficient amount of time to bring all the wood up to temperature. 130 or 140 degrees was pretty common to force dry most paints and may be effective in terminating insects.
Take the whole car to a body shop and have it baked in their spray booth a sufficient amount of time to bring all the wood up to temperature. 130 or 140 degrees was pretty common to force dry most paints and may be effective in terminating insects.
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JWalters
Topic author - Posts: 113
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:34 pm
- First Name: Jason
- Last Name: Walters
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Touring
- Location: Missouri
- Board Member Since: 2000
Re: Powder post beetle problem
Thank you all for your ideas and help. Thomas I like your octaborate, polyethylene glycol mixture. It is essentially what is in bora-care from what I have read. I looked into what it would cost to make it and for the amount I needed decided that it wouldn’t save much. I ordered a gallon of bora-care. They claim it is non corrosive. I sure hope it’s not.
Charlie is bora-care what you’re using?
Charlie is bora-care what you’re using?
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jiminbartow
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- First Name: James
- Last Name: Patrick
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Coupe
- Location: Bartow, FL
- MTFCA Number: 50126
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Powder post beetle problem
Just like a house being tented to fumigate for termites, you can get a roll of visqueen (sheet plastic) and tent your car with it, being sure to seal it around the base then pump in a powerful insecticide. ...or call a fumigator to pump in same type of gas they use for killing termites. That stuff will kill everything under the tent. If your garage is infested, you might want to consider calling a fumigator and have them tent your garage with the Model T inside and treat both the source and your T. Jim Patrick