Having cockroaches infesting your house is very frustrating.
These crawling insects will eat absolutely anything, not forgetting the mess they leave behind. Borax is an active compound made of sodium tetra borate.
It is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in fruits, plants, and the ground. The mineral is so common, and almost every household has at least one product with Borax as an ingredient.
Its refined product, boric Acid, is used in cosmetics, fire retardants, and as an antifungal compound, among many others.
Most cleaning agents such as detergents and cleaning sprays have Boric Acid as an ingredient. You are probably asking yourself how Borax kills cockroaches and whether it is safe.
In this article, you learn the biology of how it kills roaches within a short time. It may be toxic to cockroaches and other crawling insects, but its toxicity has little effect on humans.
How Does Borax Kill Roaches?
Naturally, Borax does not attract cockroaches. However, with the combinations of other baiting products, the roaches will ingest the chemical.
It is a white powder that, once it is consumed it attacks the digestive system and damages the exoskeleton.
The compound sticks on the roach’s body and legs, and when it tries to clean up, it ingests the Borax. The compound goes directly to the digestive tract and dehydrates the roaches.
Cockroaches naturally don’t have a lot of water in their bodies. Therefore, once they ingest Borax it quickly leaves them dehydrated, and they die.
The sodium in the Borax can also penetrate through the roach’s skin into the body, which then attacks the nervous system leaving the roach weak and eventually it dies.
Related reading: How to Get Rid of Heavy Roach Manifestation
How to Make roach killer with Boric Acid
Boric Acid is a refined compound of Borax. The word acid may throw you off as a dangerous product that can harm you.
That is not the case for humans; however, it is fatal to crawling insects such as roaches. Cockroaches are not attracted to Boric Acid, but they will feed on it and die with the inclusion of a bait.
You can use it with a bait of your choice as long they ingest the chemical. The most preferred bait is sugar. Cockroaches love sweet things.
Therefore, anything with sugar acts as the perfect meal for these creatures, and that’s how you get them. You can also use syrup in the place of sugar.
Related reading: How to get rid of roaches overnight
Boric Acid and Sugar Recipe for Roaches
Making this recipe is one of the most simple and inexpensive things you will ever do for pest control.
All the ingredients are readily available in your local store and hardware. If you can’t find Boric Acid from the closest store, you might want to check the hardware store.
Once you have all the ingredients in place, it is now time to do the mixing. The ratio for mixing Boric Acid to sugar is 1:1. For instance, if you were to use a spoonful of sugar, then the Boric Acid should also be a spoonful.
Mix the two ingredients until they are even. Ensure that the surface you are operating on is clean and free from any moisture.
Only mix the amount you require to prevent misuse of the ingredients. Remember you are trying to trap the roaches, therefore use limited amounts of the mixture, or else the roaches will avoid it entirely.
Another ingredient you can use to mix with Boric Acid is liquid syrup which you can mix in equal measures.
It will form a paste that you can use to set the trap. Boric Acid tends to lose its strength when mixed with water.
Therefore, store it in a cool, dry place, preferably a closed container away from the reach of children.
How to use Boric Acid Powder to Kill Roaches
As we have learned above, the only way that boric acid can kill roaches is to ingest it or when the sodium in boric Acid is absorbed into the body. Therefore use the recipe above to make the perfect bait for the roaches.
Place the mixture along the roaches’ travel lanes so that once they come into contact with the chemical, it starts working on them immediately.
When the roaches walk through the compound, it sticks on their body and legs through static electricity. Once they go back to their hideout, they will try to clean themselves by licking the powder.
Commercial pesticides also contain Boric Acid, and they all act the same way. The Acid attacks the digestive system and the exoskeleton, gradually killing the roach.
Once it’s dead, other cockroaches will start feeding on the dead roach, and they eventually die the same way.
You may fail to see the dead roaches, but you will notice their numbers have significantly reduced after a week.
When they feed on the bait, they carry some back to their nests, where other roaches also feed on them.
Related reading: How to Not Be Scared of Cockroaches
Related reading: How to Find a Roach Nest
FAQ
Which is better to kill roaches, Borax or boric Acid?
How much borax and sugar does it take to kill roaches?
How long does it take for boric Acid to kill roaches?
How does borax powder kill roaches?
Related reading:Laboratory evaluation
Bottom Line
Cockroaches are very annoying guests when they visit you. They come unwelcomed and often create a mess in your house. Calling pest control services is quite expensive, and after the exercise, your home will be full of toxic chemicals.
Using boric acid or Borax is an effective way to save money and avoid the hurdles of pest control companies. The ingredients required are readily available, and you can swing into action any time.
This practice is good for the environment because Borax is not a toxic chemical that may be harmful to humans and the environment. The results might take time but are very effective in controlling and finishing an infestation.
Related reading: Best bug bombs for german roaches
