Expert: Dan Griffin - 11/1/2007

Question
Hello,
I would like to build a poison free log cabin on the island of Madeira, Portugal. High air humidity, especially during the winter, and termites are a problem. Therefore I wonder whether I should import expensive logs of the tidewater cypress or another termite resistant wood or whether to get cheap but suitable local pine or (more costly) Douglas fir logs and treat them with borate impregnation, and if so, how this would be done best.
In case you are not familiar with this issue, I would appreciate it very much, if you could let me know a contact where I might find an answer to this.
Many thanks in advance!

Answer
This is very much outside my area or expertise.

I don't know what you categorize as poison.  The southern yellow pine council suggests treated lumber:  http://www.southernpine.com/termiteinfo3.shtml#whole  
This is not building logs, this is framing lumber and I don't know what you have available in your area.  

There is a trend here to bait termites.  Here is a non commercial, fair discussion of the system: <http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef639.asp>