How to Use Boric Acid to Remove Insects and Pests

All species of home-dwelling cockroaches can be killed via boric acid.

Boric acid has been used as an effective insecticide for most of the 20th century and is still considered very effective. It is lethal to many insects and arachnids, including cockroaches, ants, termites, beetles, fleas, and silverfish. Baits can be easily made that encourage insects to ingest the boric acid, or a fine dust can be distributed that, when walked through, is ingested during grooming. Once ingested, the insect dies from dehydration and starvation within 3 to 10 days. Boric acid is also abrasive, damaging insect exoskeletons. It is odorless, nonstaining and when used properly, has low toxicity to humans and pets.

Things You'll Need

• Disposable gloves
• 8 to 16 oz. boric acid
• Sugar
• Water
• Cotton Balls
• Bowl (not one used for food preparation)
• Mixing spoon (not one used for food preparation)
• Flour1/2 small onion (optional)
• 1/4 cup cooking oil or bacon drippings
• Empty food container lids
• Vacuum with disposable vacuum bag
• Plastic squeeze bottle with narrow applicator tip
• Disposable towel

Instructions

Insecticide Recipes

1. Exterminate ants by mixing 1 tbsp. boric acid with 1 tsp. sugar and 4 oz. water. Soak cotton balls with the solution, and then place them in areas where the ant population treads.

2. Exterminate roaches by mixing 8 oz. boric acid with a half cup flour; half of a small onion, finely chopped; 2 tbsp. sugar and a quarter cup of cooking oil or bacon drippings. Cream the boric acid, flour and sugar. Add the onion and oil, forming a soft dough, adding more oil if necessary. Roll mixture into marble-sized balls and place balls in warm, moist dark areas where cockroaches frequent.

3. Mix one part boric acid to four parts flour or sugar. Add to food container lids and place in areas where insects are seen. When insects walk through the mixture, it adheres to their legs and body.

4. Sprinkle boric acid into carpets and use a carpet comb to push the powder into the carpet fibers where fleas and larvae reside. Wait one week, keeping children and animals off the carpet. Vacuum the carpet, disposing of the vacuum bag outside. The powder will destroy the adult flea exoskeleton and poison the larvae that ingest it.

5. Fill a plastic squeeze bottle with boric acid. Spread in crevices, cracks and openings most frequented by bugs. With a moist disposable towel, wipe up excess powder until none is visible in the surrounding areas.

Tips & Warnings

• Boric acid is poisonous if swallowed, so be sure to place it in areas where pets and children can't reach it or crawl over.

• Wear gloves because boric acid can irritate the skin, especially if it gets in open wounds.

• Wear a face mask to avoid inhalation of powder (Resource 1).

• Do not place boric acid around areas where it can come in contact with food.

References

• The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture: Cockroach Elimination
• Dog Health: Boric Acid
• "Good Housekeeping"; Ask Heloise: Anti-Roach Recipe: April 2009
• National Pesticide Information Center: Boric Acid General Fact Sheet
• EPA R.E.D. Facts: Boric Acid