We inherited a very good piece of Mexican colonial furniture that turns out has a significant termite infestation. Is there a way to rid the furniture of termites? It is important that the piece be saved if at all possible. Thank you so much.
As long as there are some sides to the piece which is unfinished, you should be able to save it. As our TERMITE ARTICLE explains, furniture with termites can be treated with BORACARE which is a unique product in that it can penetrate wood up to 4 inches from just one side being treated. So if the piece is like most furniture in that the wood is mostly 1-2 inches thick, you should be able to get it properly treated with the Boracare.
As you can see on the Boracare product page, this product won't penetrate a finished surface so that's the only limit to it's use. But furniture will usually have a back side, bottom sides and insides that are not sealed where the Boracare can be applied. But even if it doesn't, sanding off the finish will allow the treatment to be done properly and in some cases worth the time and effort - especially when it comes to old antiques. And once the Boracare soaks in and through the grain of the wood, the termites will feed and die out within a few weeks of the treatment being complete.
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Boracare: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/boracare-gal
Termite Control: http://www.termites-swarming.com/termite-control
