Does anyone have a success story about using boric acid or borax for pest control and or cleaning tips with it?
Thank you,
Lighthouse from Winston - Salem, N.C.
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I had fleas once years ago in carpets. I put Borax powder (in soap section of store) and swept in with a broom, then vacuumed 3 days later. I did this twice and it really worked well! Also pour Borax near doorways to prevent ants and small bugs from coming in. The plus is this does not harm small pets.
Use to live in FL, where there is lots of bugs, including fleas. We did the same thing sprinkle Borax into carpet, rub it in with a broom.
Hi Annie you said in your comment:You swept it and vacuumed it after 3 days.Did you mean:You swept it to spread it even?.What kind of vacuum did you use?Thank you
Hi, The pest contol man gave me some little containers of boric acid. They really worked to kill off the ants that were coming into the house in the bathroom.
I moved to Florida in 1985. The day I moved in, tiny ants with about 20 different names (sugar ants, pharaoh ants,..) crawled down from the attic to look for food and greet me. An exterminator came and put borax in the attic. Never saw any more ants!
I moved to Florida in 1985. The day I moved in, tiny ants with about 20 different names (sugar ants, pharaoh ants,..) crawled down from the attic to look for food and greet me. An exterminator came and put borax in the attic. Never saw any more ants!
Used boric acid for fleas in the carpet, worked like a charm! As meoowmom said, the PLUS is it is safe for children and pets.
I had a great experience with the stuff. I moved into a house in california and discovered the garage was full of roaches. I bought some 20 Mule Team Borax and dusted it all over the garage floor. The next day you could see tracks in the borax. Next day, a few more but not many had been added.
Boric acid is not safe for people or animals. Please read the container for the warnings. It is different than Borax. Always read the entire label on any product, especially when you are not familiar with it.
Boric acid is no more toxic than salt. Actually salt is more toxic. Be careful the websites you reference as most are written by pest control companies that have a vested interest in their own business.
Boric acid worked great for me when I lived in an apartment infested with roaches and palmetto bugs. When I moved out I saw lots of dead, popped open bugs under the furniture. It works because when the bugs walk though it, it sticks to their bodies. Then when they return to their nest they eat it off each other to clean each other. Then it turns into gas in their stomach. They can't pass gas like mammals can, so the gas builds up and "pop!"
As far as the safety goes, boric acid is used as eyewash. It's safe enough to put some in your eye. (But don't do that too much.) However, some powders contain both insecticide and boric acid. That kind is probably more dangerous.
Hello a exterminator came yesterday and put borax on my floor wen can I wash it's because I have young kids and it's scares me
PLEASE! Borax is NOT safe around children and animals. While, yes, the toxicity is relatively low it is NOT harmless. Many years ago, I mixed Borax, sugar and cat/dog food (a recipe from U of Fl) for carpenter ants.
A 1 lb. can of 98% pure powder is about $7.00 at ACE hardware. DON'T GET THE KIND WITH SUGAR. It can make a mess and settle in the can so all you get is sugar and no boric acid. If you want to add sugar, mix in powdered sugar yourself.
PEST CONTROL - I've successfully used boric acid to control roaches. I pour a thick white line along the wall behind the fridge and oven where it can't come in contact with food and usually never see a roach again. In NC, I only had to do this once. However, in FL, the bugs are more numerous and come up through the sewage pipes, so I have to repeat every few months and also sprinkle under the sinks.
SKIN CLEANER - I have found it to be better than commercially sold salicylic acid skin cleaners for exfoliating skin and cleaning pores. Dampen your skin and sprinkle on with a powder brush or use a shaker to sprinkle on other body parts, such as your feet. In a few minutes, scrub with a damp washcloth. Then, rinse. WARNING - don't get it in sensitive areas. Don't breathe it in or eat it. It can have toxic results.
Plain old salt can get rid of fleas. Sprinkle all over carpet. Leave for a day or two. Vacuum.
I had two apartments in Manhattan with roaches.
I used borax powder to get rid of them, and it worked within a day or two.
Here's the method I used (with 20 Mule Team brand):
1. I emptied the area to be treated (entire room, shelves in cabinets, etc.).
2. I sprinkled the Borax all over the horizontal surfaces, trying for thin uniform full coverage.
3. Using a broom, I first swept the powder towards all the corners of the room, and of the shelves. Then I swept the powder out of the corners, and using my broom, I moved the pile of Borax around the floor (and shelves) so I had passed over every square inch, to make sure no cracks or small openings had been missed.
4. Sweep up the Borax. DO NOT USE any sort of vacuum or dust buster! Sweeping up the powder will collect almost all of it, but will leave it down in all the cracks and crannies.
5. The stuff is odorless and is not toxic to pets or kids, especially in the tiny quantities that remain after a sweeping it up.
And finally, sprinkling a 2 to 3 inch wide swath of Borax around the house next to the foundation seems to effectively discourage external crawling creatures. Good Luck
Boric acid and borax are NOT the same thing! Boric acid is the 'acid' part of boron and is a toxic chemical used for pest control.
Borax ("20 mule team borax") is made from the sodium component of boron and is usually found in the laundry detergent section at the store. This is the mild formula that people are talking about when they say it isn't harmful to pets. You can sprinkle it in the carpet and then vacuum it out to help with fleas.
I live in NC also west of Charlotte. I help a friend do a food ministry. I had no roaches until he began bringing in the boxes of food from area grocery stores.Then suddenly I had an infestation. I use mostly boric acid. $2.00 at Dollar General or Freds. I also use Bengal in those places I can't get the powder. It is working great for me. I put it on a few pieces of dog food in a jar lid and stuck in the back of the cabinet. You would not believe the difference it has made.
As far a pets and kids,,well I follow the old rule of " there's no need to put roach poison within reach of kids or pets, because they spend most of their time hiding anyway" I put it behind stuff or far back in the back of cabinets,etc.
Also look for their favorite place in your home. This may sound yucky, but today I moved the wooden knife block and there were hundreds. I took it to the shower and turned water HOT. I can't tell you how many I washed down the drain. Needless to say, that thing is outta here. Sorry to be so long. Take care and have a great day.
I've had a problem with ants in the past and nearly every product I've used has had borax as the active ingredient. While the percentage has been low at about 6%, it has worked well for me. If I have problems with ants this year, I plan to mix my own recipe of borax, sugar and water. I'll let you know how it works out.
From everything I have read, boric acid is safe to use around kids and pets. To be sure, I only use it under drawers and cabinets, and behind heavy furniture like dressers. Someone told me to remove the plate covers from electrical outlets and sprinkle the boric acid in there with a turkey baster, then replace the cover. Basically, use it wherever it is not easily accessible to pets and kids.
I used borax on my patio and put it between the blocks where ants were coming and and it got rid of them in about 10 days. It has been a month and they still have not come back.
When I was young my folks always had boric acid in the medicine cabinet. Boil it in water, cool and used as an eye rinse for stys etc.
I put powered boric acid in my walls under the insulation after it was framed. We rarely see any water bugs unless they come in after a rain from trees out side we live in SC near ocean, so lots of palmetto bugs are native to area. Had an exterminator friend say we would never get a roach infestation. Think the bugs walk through there and and can not reproduce.
My dog and apartment made it all summer without a single flea, then, in October, suddenly she had fleas. I took her to the vet and the vet herself told me to sprinkle borax on the carpet, mattress, furniture, etc, wait 30 min. to an hour and vacuum up. She said it works just as good and is safer than flea foggers. So far, so good.
I was told that Boric Acid powder was safe enough to use around pets. That they are not attracted to it. I lost my loving female Chihuahua because she licked up the wall where is was. It caused swelling of her tongue she could not swallow and dehydration, vomiting and sever weight loss. I know she was in a lot of pain and her eyes begged me to help her. Within one and one half days she was so bad and I could not figure out what was wrong. My Vet said she was poisoned and we put her down. Please don't believe them when they say it is green and safe for children and pets. You may loose your long time friend too.
Charie Tennant
Palatka, Florida
About once a year I get a raised, red rash on my lower leg. It itches like the worst poison ivy you can imagine. Many trips to the dermatologist always gets me a new prescription for another cortisone cream...which does not help. My dad gave me a bottle of boric acid and told me to make a paste (with a small amount of water). It healed my leg up every time in a few days.
Boric acid and borax are not the same thing. Boric acid is formed by the reaction of borax with sulfuric acid or another mineral.
Borax is used as a cleaner, Boric acid is used as a pesticide. Both are toxic when you ingest it. Borax is not as toxic as boric acid but still is toxic. Keep away from pets and children and be careful not to breath any of the two in. Also handle it away from any food human or pet.
Yes, it helped with my carpet bugs from Parrot food. Put it down and work it into the carpet. :)
the exterminator site says boric acid is not effective with mice; he is wrong. Guy in the hardware store told me to mix the powder with flour and peanut butter (wear gloves). Form into little balls and distribute where the mice run, etc. It was VERY effective. It is toxic for pets and you wouldn't want your child to ingest it so be mindful of that.
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