How does boric acid work on cockroaches?
It is worth noting that this inorganic compound was practically forgotten a few years ago, despite the fact that 30-40 years ago our mothers and grandmothers used this substance. This is due to the appearance on the market of a large number of insecticides, organic compounds that help to cope with cockroaches in a short time. However, modern insects very quickly adapt to various toxic substances, and rapid adaptation to organic matter is observed.
How boric acid works on cockroaches:
- Thanks to addiction, the chitin layer becomes denser, the toxic substance does not penetrate inside the skin, and edible baits are increasingly avoided. This is due to the fact that females can fast for a long period of time and not eat foreign food, the taste of which is unfamiliar to her. Males are more voracious, so most of the dead insects are males.
- Due to the rapid adaptation of insects to organic, modern insecticides, most scientists have again taken up research on boric acid and its effect on the insect body. It was found that dry crystals that settle on the surface of the body and legs of insects dry out the chitinous cover, thereby increasing its permeability, exacerbating the effect of other toxic substances that are used in combination with boric acid. In addition, an insect on the surface of which boric acid accumulates is forced to clean it by eating a small part.
- As a result, the poison enters the stomach of the insects, corroding it from the inside. Boric acid dries out the surface both inside and outside, causing dehydration. With constant use of boric acid for two weeks, males develop sterility. That is, in fact, they become infertile. In females, a similar situation is observed, because the ovaries, with prolonged exposure to boric acid, also produce fewer eggs capable of fertilization.
Lures
Drug safety
Boric acid does not irritate the skin of the hands and does not leave chemical burns on them. This product is used to bait cockroaches, even if there are children or pets in the house. The acid poses little danger and was previously used as a disinfectant, but has since been replaced by other means. Basic caution must be exercised when working with the chemical.
Children under 3 years of age are prohibited from coming into contact with boric acid. Contact with the product should be avoided by women expecting a child, nursing mothers, people predisposed to allergic skin diseases, and those with kidney disease.
If animals get to the bait, nothing bad will happen to them, but it is better to exclude such a situation and remove the product away from children and animals. The powder may cause an allergic reaction. If acid enters the body, the following symptoms may appear:
- headache;
- nausea;
- vomit
Acid powder is less dangerous than other chemicals for baiting pests, and therefore is often used for urgent treatment of premises. What are the properties of the substance?
How long does it take for cockroaches to die from boric acid?
Small insects eat the excrement of their older brothers, thereby becoming poisoned. After about 1-2 days you will not see any results. The insects ran around the kitchen and scattered to the sides when the light was turned on, and will continue to do so. In about a week, the insect population will be reduced by about half.
How long does it take for cockroaches to die from boric acid?
- After 2 weeks there will be practically no insects left. This is due to the fact that boric acid has a cumulative effect; gradually its amount in the body of insects increases, causing dehydration, sterilization, and loss of the ability to reproduce.
- With constant use of boric acid, insects become infertile. That is why their population is decreasing. You should not wait for results approximately 1-2 days after using the drugs. For many, this is a significant drawback, because when using organic toxic agents, the effect is observed almost immediately.
- That is, the next day you can collect handfuls of dead insects; when exposed to boric acid, such an effect is not observed. Many may say that this is an absolutely useless substance, because 2-3 days after using baits, the number of insects does not decrease. Actually this is not true. Insects do not really die immediately, but at the same time they accumulate boric acid, which will certainly lead to their death in the future.
Cockroach
Precautionary measures
In general, the substance does not fully correspond to the universal concept of acid. Under the influence of boric acid, there are no chemical burns on the body. However, certain precautions must be taken when using the product.
The use of such poison is allowed even when children and pets are present in the room. Boric acid is not as dangerous when compared with Karbofos and Executioner, and for some time it was used as an antiseptic. Although in some cases, when using the substance, an allergy appears.
The drug, in comparison with specialized insecticidal products for protection against cockroaches, practically does not harm children, however, children under 3 years of age should not come into contact with it. If a cat or dog eats “bait” with boron powder, death does not occur, however, it is recommended to avoid such a situation.
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Contact with the drug should be avoided during pregnancy and lactation, as well as people suffering from kidney failure, skin ailments of inflammatory etiology in the acute stage. If the powder gets inside, the development of vomiting, headaches, and rashes is observed. Do not forget that when choosing a drug to exterminate parasites in a residential area, you first need to think about the safety of the people living in it. Proven, harmless, fragrance-free insecticides are Global and Forsyth gel preparations.
Where can I buy boric acid for cockroaches?
It is worth noting that boric acid can be purchased both at a pharmacy and at a hardware store.
Where can you buy boric acid for cockroaches:
- You can choose either powder or solution. It all depends on the recipe you were going to use. Many recipes exist both using a solution and dry powder.
- The main difficulty is getting cockroaches to eat boric acid. By itself, it is not at all attractive or edible to insects. There are several ways to use it.
Powder
Application area
Boric acid is used not only for household purposes, but also for medical and cosmetic purposes. The solution helps in the treatment of fungus, pediculosis, eye diseases and intimate diseases in women. In cosmetology, the product is used to eliminate acne, rashes and oily skin. In the household, in addition to fighting cockroaches, boric acid is used as fertilizer and top dressing.
Boric acid is an antiseptic drug; it is sold at pharmacies in powder form, in water and alcohol liquid. The substance dissolved in 70 percent ethanol is boric alcohol. The destruction of cockroaches with boric acid in alcohol is not carried out, because they are afraid of its aroma.
How to remove cockroaches using boric acid?
The simplest method is to pour the product into a bottle, close it with a lid and make several holes in it. It is necessary to apply a thin layer in areas where insects pass. That is, along the points where they usually go for food.
How to remove cockroaches using boric acid:
- Powder paths. It is best to track the routes of insects in advance. It is in these places that a thin layer of boric acid is poured. Please note that in no case should you make fireplaces out of slides.
- In this case, insects will simply go around the embankments, since it is completely inconvenient to walk along them. It’s another matter if it is a thin layer of powder that does not interfere with the movement of insects, but will accumulate on the legs and in the upper part of the chitinous layer.
Preparing the balls
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
It is necessary to use boric acid pest control methods after first familiarizing yourself with the consequences and precautions.
Advantages:
- low price and availability;
- copes well with bullying if you started using poison immediately after noticing the first individual;
- does not emit an unpleasant odor;
- the methods for preparing baits are very simple, and the products included in the composition are available in every home;
- helps get rid of not only cockroaches, but also ants or bedbugs;
- does not repel, but kills the pest.
Flaws:
- does not cope with bullying when the situation is already too advanced and there are a lot of cockroaches;
- prepared baits must be distributed only in areas inaccessible to children or animals;
- does not destroy cockroach eggs;
- with frequent use, it sometimes causes addiction in insects;
- It is recommended to take precautions when preparing poison.
Why does boric acid sometimes not work?
It happens that cockroaches eat poisonous bait, but in the end only a few individuals die, while the rest remain safe and sound. This happens because the pests have access to water, because if the insect drinks after eating the bait, boric acid will not work. To prevent this from happening:
- be sure to follow the recommendations for removing any type of moisture from the kitchen;
- check the serviceability of the water supply and sewerage system;
- wipe not only the kitchen sink, but also the bathtub, toilet and sink;
- Dry the washed dishes thoroughly.
Ultraviolet rays have a detrimental effect on the properties of boric acid. Do not expose the poisonous bait to sunlight, even for a few hours.
Why doesn't boric acid work on cockroach eggs?
The female lays eggs in a special hard cocoon, which reliably protects the offspring from physical or chemical influences. To completely exterminate the entire family, replace old baits with fresh ones at least once a month.
What else can you mix boric acid with for cockroaches?
The substance is consumed in large quantities, but its cost is very low. Therefore, a jar or bag of boric acid weighing 50 g is enough. Most of this acid will not be eaten by insects, but the part that ends up in the stomach can quickly be found.
What else can you mix boric acid with for cockroaches, recipes:
- There are many recipes for using boric acid, the main task of which is to make the bait attractive to insects. As mentioned above, boric acid itself is completely inedible and unattractive for insects, so they won’t just eat the powder. The main task is to add ingredients to boric acid that are attractive to insects. Among them are potatoes, yolk, boiled or raw, kefir, vanillin, sunflower oil, powdered sugar.
- All these components are mixed together or separately, forming small balls that are scattered over the surface of the kitchen, introduced behind baseboards, and in places where insects are located. That is, in the cracks in which insects hide during the day.
Eating bait
Existing methods of controlling cockroaches
At the current level of technology development, there are three types of cockroach control. The first is with the help of chemicals (all kinds of aerosols, gels, crayons, and more). In the second, the active ingredients are natural products that do not have a harmful effect on anyone except insects. The third method is various electronic devices based on ultrasonic and magnetic resonance repellent methods.
Chemicals - their pros and cons
The destruction of cockroach families with chemicals has only one advantage - the speed of action. But this method is dangerous for people and pets; if it gets on their mucous membranes, it can cause severe poisoning. It should be added that cockroaches quickly get used to chemicals.
Traditional methods of removing cockroaches - pros and cons
Old-fashioned means of fighting cockroaches are harmless to people and animals, but are characterized by an action that lasts for 2-3 weeks. As an undoubted advantage, it is worth pointing out the cheapness of the means at hand that are used to prepare the poison. The effectiveness of such methods has been tested for centuries and gives excellent results.
Electronic devices against cockroaches - pros and cons
The use of electronic repellers does not harm people and pets (as manufacturers claim), affecting only Prussians. Their operating principle: special ultrasonic and magnetic resonance waves are captured by the antennae of insects, forcing them to leave the room. You just need to plug the device into a power outlet. At first glance, everything is simple and good, but the area of action is only one (maximum two) rooms. In addition, cockroaches may return again.
Boric acid with boiled egg yolk from cockroaches: recipe for balls, proportions
Expect the bait to be eaten within 2-3 days. Within another 7 days you will see the first victims of insects. After about 2 weeks, almost the entire insect population in the house will disappear.
The most popular way to use boric acid against cockroaches is to mix it with eggs.
Boric acid with boiled egg yolk from cockroaches, recipe for balls, proportions:
- With kefir. You need 30 g of boric acid, this is about a heaping tablespoon, mixed with two boiled egg yolks. You need to crush the yolks with a fork until you get small crumbs. It is necessary to obtain a homogeneous mass. Next, a small amount of kefir is poured into the mixture to make a very thick dough, like for dumplings or dumplings. Roll the resulting dough into balls and scatter them around the apartment. Particular attention is paid to the places behind the baseboards and on the table in the corners.
- With vanilla. It is necessary to mix boric acid with powdered sugar, in an amount of one to one, add a bag of vanillin, and beat in the egg yolk. It is worth mixing to get a mass similar to dough. Roll it into balls and scatter it in places where insects are located.
Dead insect
Preparatory stage before processing the premises
Treating a room against cockroaches must necessarily be preceded by a preparatory stage.
First of all, all rooms should be cleaned to deprive insects of food. It is necessary that the bait be the only source of food. After each meal, be sure to remove the remaining food so that there is no food left on the table. You can store food in containers or in the refrigerator. You should not leave crumbs on the table, otherwise they will attract parasites. The trash bin must be kept clean
Take it out and wash it every night. For cockroaches, water is more important than food, so it is important not to give them the opportunity to drink. Keep plumbing and water pipes in good condition
Wipe the sink, washbasin or bathtub until it is completely dry each time you use it.
How to poison cockroaches with liquid boric acid?
Neither liquid nor dry boric acid is attractive to cockroaches. As for boric alcohol, unlike powder, it repels insects with its alcoholic smell. Accordingly, using it to kill insects is ineffective.
How to poison cockroaches with liquid boric acid:
- Typically, a solution is prepared based on boric alcohol and used to treat the surface. However, a low concentration of boric acid in alcohol will only repel insects and not kill them. But using boric acid in liquid form has its advantages.
- After all, there is no need to scatter boron powder, which spoils the appearance of the kitchen; this is a good way of prevention. Alcohol adheres well to surfaces and is absorbed into them, so the smell that repels insects remains for a long time.
- You can also use a liquid solution of boric acid. This is due to the fact that insects, particularly cockroaches, cannot live long without water. So you will have to work. To do this, you need to wash the sink, close it with a lid, put some water into the spray bottle, and add boric acid. Using a sprayer, apply the resulting solution to the surface of the sink.
- Usually insects resort to drinking water at the sink, but if there is a solution of boric acid there, they will be forced to drink it. After drinking such a solution, the insect will eventually experience dehydration.
Dichlorvos
Useful tips
To increase the effectiveness of boric acid in the fight against domestic insects, we recommend using the following useful tips:
- A cockroach that has been poisoned by drinking water can cleanse its body and remain alive. Therefore, it is necessary to completely limit access to the premises of water. You can outwit the Prussians and dissolve boric acid in water. Then containers with this liquid should be placed in places where pests like to hide and move.
- Cockroaches are attracted to anything bright. You can take this fact into account and make the bait look more eye-catching by adding food coloring to it. The insect will certainly pay attention to it and will not be able to pass by.
Boric acid against cockroaches with potatoes: recipes
Boric acid can be used not only with yolks, but also with potatoes. After all, as mentioned above, boric acid itself is not at all edible for insects and does not attract them.
Boric acid against cockroaches with potatoes, recipes:
- To prepare the poison, you need to boil one potato in its jacket and make a puree from it. Add me some unrefined vegetable oil for flavor. Add boric acid powder and mix until you get a dough. Do not add too much water and oil to prevent the dough from becoming too runny and sticky. Roll into balls and place near the sewer pipes and on top of the cabinets.
- Boil the potatoes in their jackets, puree them, add a small amount of vanilla sugar, powdered sugar and add beer. Add boric acid and stir until smooth. Roll small balls from the prepared lump and place on paper.
- If you have pets in the house, hide the paper away from your pets during the day, and at night place it again in places where insects most often accumulate. After two days, it will seem to you that there are much more insects, and they are no longer afraid, they come out even during the day. This is exactly how boric acid works. Insects lose their vigilance, boric acid is very drying, so cockroaches are forced to get out of secluded places in search of water, resort to the sink or even to flower pots to drink water.
Traps
Recipes for making baits
Poison for cockroaches with boric acid is prepared only with a powder product. Alcohol tincture is not used for these purposes. The simplest method of using the drug is to create a thin path near baseboards, sinks, furniture, sewerage and water supply. However, this method of use is characterized by insignificant effectiveness. In this regard, it is recommended to make poisonous “bait” with a powdery substance. How to prepare poison for cockroaches?
With added egg yolk
The most common way to exterminate cockroaches is to prepare bait from egg yolk with boron powder:
- Hard boil one egg.
- Grind the yolk with a fork.
- You need to add boron powder into the resulting slurry at the rate of 20 g of the substance per 1 yolk.
- The composition is mixed with vanillin or vanilla sugar for flavor.
Boric acid has no taste or aroma, so you can safely use it to make poison - cockroaches will not smell it.
The resulting mixture is laid out in the form of small pellets in those areas where there is an accumulation of parasites, and kept for 7 days.
With potatoes
You can make bait with potatoes in a similar way:
- you need to boil 1 medium potato and mash it;
- to make the composition viscous, add 1 raw egg;
- 40–50 g of powdered boric acid is added to the composition;
- Vanillin is used for flavor.
The drug is distributed in the form of small balls on cellophane or paper in the cockroach habitat and kept for 7 days.
Liquid bait with sugar
Poison with added sugar in liquid form is administered before bedtime, and the room should be prepared beforehand. The purpose of this technique is to deprive parasites of access to water:
- Before going to bed, turn off the water, wipe sinks, bathtubs, and taps dry;
- the dishes are dried, damp rags, sponges, washcloths, pet bowls and other liquids are removed;
- flower pots are taken to another room.
Then the poison is prepared: boric acid (50 g) is added to clean water (0.1 l). Any sugar or honey (1 tablespoon) can be added to the mixture. The poison is poured into small containers and placed in the kitchen sink, sink and bathroom. In the morning the liquid is removed.
To exterminate cockroaches in this way, you will need to create a cumulative effect for at least 10 days. At the end of the 2-week break, the treatment is carried out a second time.
With sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is added to the bait to attract cockroaches with its aroma. As a result, it is recommended to use an unrefined product made from roasted sunflower seeds.
Sunflower oil can be added to any recipe - with eggs or potatoes.
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Eg:
- mix powdered boric acid (30 g) and 1 boiled yolk;
- Vegetable oil (1/2 teaspoon) is added to the mixture.
Sunflower seed oil in poisonous insect bait can also be replaced with sesame oil.
Does boric acid help against cockroaches: reviews
Of course, the interest of scientists is well founded, since organic insecticides are very harmful not only to insects, but also to domestic animals, as well as children and people. If there is a small child in the house, it is safer to use boric acid than some kind of toxic insecticide based on organic matter. Below you can read reviews from people who poisoned cockroaches with boric acid.
Does boric acid help against cockroaches, reviews:
Angelina . I'm not a big fan of chemicals, as my dog died while using a similar substance a few years ago. Since then, I have been trying to use only proven folk methods that do not cause much harm to animals and children. Over the past two years I have been using boric acid exclusively. I mix it with egg and beer. I learned this recipe from my mother. It is necessary to crush the boiled yolk to a powder, add a little beer, and add boric acid. It needs to make a dough. The cockroaches disappeared after using such balls in about a month. In the first week I didn’t notice the effect at all.
Svetlana . I mostly use insecticides, but lately the cockroaches have been very resilient. They practically do not react to dichlorvos, powders, and solutions. I have used special products several times; they dissolve in water and are applied to baseboards, paths, and tables. I would like to note that these are very poisonous products, so they can cause harm not only to insects, but also to pets. During the processing period, she took the children to their parents. The next morning I saw whole mountains of cockroaches. I never thought that so many insects live in my home. But after that the child developed allergies. Now I use boric acid against cockroaches. I prepare the dough with the addition of sugar, sunflower oil and yolk. It is necessary to mix the yolk of a boiled egg with powdered sugar, add vegetable oil to make the balls slippery, and add boric acid. Sometimes I add a little water.
Alexei. I live in a private house, and I have not only ordinary red Prussians, but also large cockroaches that look like beetles. As a matter of principle, I never use insecticides, because I have several cats and one dog. I am very afraid that none of them will get poisoned. For 20 years I have been using boric acid exclusively. It really helps, the insects do not return for a long period of time. I use the method of making balls from the yolk of sugar and kefir.
Insects
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Long-term use of boric acid leads to the extinction of the population, affecting not only large individuals, but also small insects that have just hatched from eggs.
Prevention of re-infestation by cockroaches
Prepared bait does not guarantee continued existence without insects. To prevent the reappearance of cockroaches in the apartment, it is necessary to take certain preventive measures.
Here they are:
- prevent the possible penetration of cockroaches through ventilation, windows, drain holes (install grilles with small cells, close drains, treat windows with sealants, etc.).
- Clean the apartment regularly, throw out trash, do not leave dirty dishes in the sink or on the table, wipe up crumbs.
- Avoid leaking taps and other plumbing fixtures, as excessive moisture only attracts insects.
- Regularly treat premises with insecticides (it is best to poison cockroaches with the onset of summer).
Living in a private house greatly simplifies the process of getting rid of unpleasant insects. If cockroaches appear in the apartment, the fight against them must be systematic.