Anobia

Karin von Lerber inquires about structural and also artifact
treatments for wood destroying beetles.

One approach to the structural treatment that seems worthy of
consideration is the use of a borate based wood preservative.
Products such as Bora-Care or Tim-Bor might be considered. Both are
applied as liquids and, being absorbed into the wood, offer good
protection against wood destroying beetles, fungus, and termites.
They will leave a slight (whitish) discoloration which may, or may
not, be of concern. The treatment works best if the wood is slightly
damp, although this can be accomplished by slightly wetting the wood
prior to application. Afterwards, the borates provide very long
protection (upwards of 20 to 50 years), as long as the wood remains
relatively dry. In very wet climates retreatment may be necessary
every few years. Certainly another benefit of these compounds is
their relatively low toxicity.

I don't know about pesticide laws and suppliers in Switzerland, but
the manufacturer of Bora-Care is

    Nisus Corp.
    Cherokee Place
    101 Concord St.
    N, Knoxville TN 37919
    615-637-1226

while Tim-Bor is manufactured by

    U.S. Borax, Inc.
    26877 Tourney Road
    Valencia, CA 91355
    805-287-5400.

In terms of the artifacts, treatment is a little more problematical.
Various termiticides are listed for use, as are the borates just
mentioned. There are also a few gaseous fumigants such as Vikane.
And, of course, there are also anoxic techniques, as well as
freezing. All have their pros and cons and, unfortunately, none can
be considered a "silver bullet." Any detailed discussions are
probably of limited interest to the list, but I would be happy to
discuss options directly if there is an interest. Best wishes,

Michael Trinkley, Ph.D.
Director
Chicora Foundation, Inc.
PO Box 8664
Columbia, SC  29202
803-787-6910

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:72
                Distributed: Tuesday, February 24, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-72-003
                                  ***