Combined fungicidal and insecticidal composition comprising disodium octaborate, ethylene glycol, solvent and contact active insecticide/insect growth regulator

Compositions with combined fungicidal and insecticidal activity, comprising disodium octaborate (a fungicide), ethylene glycol, a contact insecticide or contact active insect growth regulator, and a solvent for the contact insecticide or contact active insect growth regulator which is miscible with ethylene glycol, have shown good combined fungicidal and insecticidal properties. When used on wet timber, these compositions have shown good penetrating properties into the body of the timber. The solvent used for the contact insecticide and/or contact active insect growth regulator is preferably selected from (a) ethanolamines (mono-, di-, and tri-); (b) non-ionic surfactants, for example alcohol alkanoates, e.g. alcohol ethoxylates, alcohol phenyl alkanoates, e.g. alcohol phenyl ethoxylates, and polyalkylene oxides, e.g. propylene oxide block copolymers, particularly preferred being iso-nonyl phenyl ethoxylate; and (c) cationic surfactants, for example benzalkonium chlorides. The solvent solubilises the contact insecticide and/or contact active insect growth regulator in the presence of disodium octaborate and ethylene glycol. The contact insecticide may be an insecticidal pyrethroid selected from permethrin, cypermethrin, cyfluthrin or deltamethrin. The contact active insect growth regulator may be flufenoxuron.