Boric Acid for Roaches

Roaches infestation is quite a common problem that nearly all homeowners require professional pest controllers to get rid of them. Being nocturnal, they do not like light and prefer hiding in dark places. Hence, if you notice a single cockroach in the kitchen cabinet, chances are high that there are lots of them in your house, may be in terms of hundreds or thousands. But, it is never late to take action against them. One such effective conkroach control home remedy is using boric acid.

Boric Acid and Roaches

Cockroaches are stinky and at the same time, spoil our foods, clothes, etc. Even though they are not associated with diseases, they are known to carry disease causing microbes. Contrary to the common belief that roaches live only in unsanitary conditions, they can survive in any dark and heated area of the house. And the worst problem is that they can feed on anything, ranging from food debris to paper and clothes. Among the various species, the German cockroach is found to be the most prevalent household pest in the United States.

Applying boric acid is an ideal solution to eradicate all types of cockroaches. It acts as a stomach poison and kills the roach immediately when the chemical enters the digestive tract. Boric acid is also absorbed by the outer covering (exoskeleton) of the roaches and causes dehydration of the insects, thus killing them. Commercially, it is available in the form of paste, gel or white powder. Similar to any type of pest control chemical, boric acid is lethal to pets and humans. Thus, it is recommended to keep boric acid away from the reach of children and pets.

Boric Acid Recipe to Kill Roaches

Boric acid is an inexpensive chemical used frequently in the formulation of insect control products. Boric acid paste that contains flour and food ingredients is considered as the best way to attract roaches. Or else, you can prepare boric acid recipe by using powder form. You can simply sprinkle boric acid over a saltine cracker and place it on the kitchen cabinet or areas that are frequently visited by roaches.

Another boric acid recipe to kill roaches is to mix 2 parts each of boric acid powder and flour and ½ a part of confectioner's sugar. Add enough water to the mixture, until you get a malleable dough. Prepare small balls (about 1 inch size) out of the dough and place them behind appliances, counter tops and near garbage cans. Once boric acid is ingested by a roach, the chemical intoxicates its stomach and kills it. Also, the roach carries some traces of the chemical to its nest, which are then eaten by other roaches.

In addition, a female roach after eating boric acid lays eggs that die instantly after hatching because of the chemical intoxication from the mother roach. Unlike other chemical pesticides, roaches do not develop resistance to boric acid even after using it for several years. Nevertheless, while using borax products or boric acid for roaches, make sure you follow certain instructions, as directed in the leaflet of the product.

Roaches control is not so easy as other household insects. Besides using boric acid to get rid of roaches, you need to keep the rooms extremely clean, particularly kitchen cleaning and bathroom cleaning should be given utmost priority. The only limiting factor with using boric acid for roaches eradication is the slow action of the chemical, which at times, requires 2 - 3 weeks to get positive results. Hence, it may not be a good choice to apply in a heavily infested home. For such a case, you can take help from a professional pest control service to get rid of roaches.