Protection of construction materials from pests

A method of treatment useful for preventing damage to construction materials by biological agents that comprises contacting the material with a composition comprising (1) from 65 to 95% of an aliphatic solvent composed primarily of C7-C16 straight chain aliphatic, cycloparaffinic and isoparaffinic hydrocarbons, that contains less than 0.5% aromatics;

• (2) a protective amount of at least one natural product oil selected from the group consisting of almond bitter oil, anise oil, basil oil, bay oil, caraway oil, cardamom oil, cedar oil, celery oil, chamomile oil, cinnamon oil, citronella oil, clove oil, coriander oil, cumin oil, dill oil, eucalyptus oil, fennel oil, ginger oil, grapefruit oil, lemon oil, lime oil, mint oil, parsley oil, peppermint oil, pepper oil, rose oil, spearmint oil (menthol), sweet orange oil, thyme oil, turmeric oil, oil of wintergreen, juniper oil, tall oil, pine oil;
• a synthetic natural product oil mimic that comprises at least one synthetically produced or isolated chemical identified as a component of a natural product oil elected from the group consisting of almond bitter oil, anise oil, basil oil, bay oil, caraway oil, cardamom oil, cedar oil, celery oil, chamomile oil, cinnamon oil, citronella oil, clove oil, coriander oil, cumin oil, dill oil, eucalyptus oil, fennel oil, ginger oil, grapefruit oil, lemon oil, lime oil, mint oil, parsley oil, peppermint oil, pepper oil, rose oil, spearmint oil (menthol), sweet orange oil, thyme oil, turmeric oil, oil of wintergreen, juniper oil, tall oil, pine oil and the balance further comprising at least one (3) silicone based polymer that forms a film in the presence of a catalyst and water comprising at least one component selected from the group consisting of (A) a copolymer of silicone units having the general formula:
• (MaDbTcQd)x where M is R3SiO1/2—;
• D is R2SiO—;
• T is RSiO3/2—;
• Q is Si(O1/2)4—;
• R is a generalized organic radical selected from:
• linear or branched hydrocarbon radicals of 1-8 carbons containing 0-1 degree of unsaturation, or phenyl, or trifluoropropyl radicals;
• a, b, c, d are real numbers and further provided the ratio of a/(c+d) is between 0 and 4;
• the ratio of b to the rest is not subject to limitation provided the final base viscosity is between 50-3500 cSt;
• and at least one R group of each molecule must be a hydrolysable group;
• and (B) (MaDbTCQd)x formula the following parameters apply:
• the ratio of a/(c+d) is between 0 and 4;
• the ratio of b to the rest is not subject to limitation provided the final crosslinker viscosity is below 350 cSt;
• and R is a generalized organic radical selected from:
• linear or branched hydrocarbon radicals of 1-8 carbons containing 0-1 degree of unsaturation, or phenyl, or trifluoropropyl radicals and at least one R group of each molecule must be a hydrolysable and (C) a catalyst;
• and maintaining the contact for a time sufficient to establish a change in the wood that provides a decrease in the hydrophilic quality of the pore structure of the wood relative to untreated wood from the same species.