Pest Control

Can Boric Acid Kill Cockroaches? (A Full Answer)

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I personally do not like cockroaches, especially when they fly. I am sure you also do not like cockroaches in your house. Hence this article on ”Can boric acid kill cockroaches” is for you to learn an effective method to get rid of cockroaches from your house.

When you think of cockroaches, you will only get a disgusting feeling and it would be such an unpleasant sight to spot cockroaches roaming around your home. In fact, if you spot one cockroach it is very likely that there would be more cockroaches in your house.

Can Boric Acid Kill Cockroaches

If there are cockroaches outside, they can end up invading your house and be a problem for you. The slightest smell of food would attract the this creatures into our home.

So, from this article we are going to address how you could use boric acid to kill the cockroaches and some alternative ways of eradicating them as well. In addition to that we have given here an in-depth analysis on the potential dangers it may cause for you and for your pets as well.  

Can boric acid kill cockroaches?

Yes, boric acid can kill cockroaches. This is how it happens. First cockroaches should crawl through boric acid (as only then it would work). Once the cockroaches legs and the body get in contact with the powder, they would tend to clean them. Ultimately they would end up ingesting them. 

Thereafter the cockroach’s body would also absorb the boric acid. When they are in the body, it would start affecting the nervous and the digestive systems of the cockroaches. Ultimately it would be life threatening for them. In addition to that you could use boric acid to bait and trap too. Here, cockroaches would eat the bait and introduce it to their colony. Ultimately it would kill multiple cockroaches.

The effective application of boric acid would help you to get rid of the cockroaches’ menace entirely. Cockroaches are not that picky when it comes to fulfilling the dietary requirements. In fact, chances are that they may even end up eating corpses of the dead cockroaches. 

So, if any healthy cockroach eats a dead cockroach who has perished due to boric acid ingesting, it would kill the healthy cockroach too. This would create a domino effect and hence why boric acid is a quite effective way of overcoming this menace.

How Long Does it Take Boric Acid to Kill Roaches?

It would be approximately 72 hours. However, you may also end up crushing them under your shoes and kill them knowingly or unknowingly too. If you use boric acid to kill the cockroaches effectively it would help you to get rid of almost all the cockroaches at your home.

It is vital that you act swiftly to treat the cockroaches infestation as unless they may tend to spread pathogens and other diseases as well. Keep in mind that when you apply it ineffectively , it may not work in the best way. Further, it may also be somewhat messy in using them as they come up in a powder form. If you are uncertain on how to use it, I suggest you go to a professional who does this. ‘

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What is boric acid

One might think that Boric acid is an acid type. However it is not an acid and in fact a powder which is made combining boron and water. You may come across Boron mainly in the natural food and in the environment as well. 

For example, if you had eaten raisins or almonds , it means you have taken boron. Boron is made out of a mineral deposit called Borax. You could obtain Boric acid either from a hardware store or from a grocery store. They would usually come in a bottle and you could directly use them for your purpose right after you took them from their packaging. They don’t emit any odor nor contain any harmful chemicals.

Can Boric Acid Kill Cockroaches

Is Boric Acid Safe?

If you use Boric acid as directed, you are safe. However, it could be harmful if one of your pets ingest them. In fact, it could create some risk even if they touch them or inhale them too. To start off, I suggest you add a little bit of boric acid. If you add a lot, cockroaches would notice it and try avoiding them.

When it comes to the toxicity to us, it could result in minor symptoms as well as serious symptoms as well. Minor symptoms would be skin irritations where serious symptoms would be nausea and respiratory distress.

In addition to that, if you expose the pets to large amounts of boric acid, it would be toxic for the pets. Pets are small in size when compared to humans and it could cause great damage. If you suspect your pet has been exposed to boric acid, the best thing you could do is to consult a vet doctor.

Boric acid is safe to use when you compare them with the rest of other products which are available in the market. That being said, you need to make sure that you apply them effectively as only then you can get the best results.

Whenever you are dealing with pest control, keep in mind that you are exposing yourself for those and there is a certain risk involved in it. So, if you don’t want to take this risk, you can get the services of a professional to do this task. Generally pest control companies would handle these situations much more effectively. Apart from that they would ensure that all your family members are safe from that too.

Spotting cockroaches at your home can ruin your happiness and eradicating them from your home would be a real challenge. So, make sure that you stick to a proper plan and try to get rid of them as fast as you can.

How does Boric acid stop cockroaches?

Boric acid would usually come either in the form of gel, powder or even in dust. However many people tend to use boric acid powder for this purpose. Boric acid usually cling to the cockroach’s body as they get in contact with a treated area. When they groom, they may end up ingesting the dust which would ultimately damage their nervous and digestive system.

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Important factors to note on Boric acid and cockroaches.

If you are thinking of an effective way of overcoming the cockroaches’ menace, you need to try out using boric acid. That said, the key factor in succeeding with that is the correct application. Literally you need to locate the ideal place to lay the boric acid powder. Ensure that you apply it right, unless it may be problematic for the resident in the house. 

Do not spread boric acid on countertops or on any food prep surface. Boric acid is not harmful. However, if you end up consuming them or if you get them in the eyes it would create unnecessary problems. For example it could create irritations in the eyes.

It is noteworthy, that you cannot apply Boric acid solely to overcome the cockroaches menace. You need to ensure that you practice some other ways to stop the insects moving in. I suggest you clean all the drains and seal whatever cracks you could spot as the pests would prefer to occupy those places as their hiding places.

Apart from the above-mentioned factors, keep in mind that boric acid would not create any damage for the cockroaches’ eggs. It would be quite effective mainly on the adult cockroaches. Further the young cockroaches would also tend to stay safe from those and try to sneak to other places where they can grow and multiply.

Can Boric Acid Kill Cockroaches

How to get rid of cockroaches naturally

If you wish to practice any natural way of getting rid of the cockroaches instead of using chemical ways, following are some of our suggestions which you could practice.

Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

DE is a great natural insecticide. They usually contain pulverized fossilized algae. Further DE compounds are sharp and dehydrating too. Once the cockroaches get in contact with the DE, it would make them dehydrated and create a fatal impact on them.

You simply have to purchase some food grade DE and apply them lightly on the  surfaces where you suspect the cockroaches hang around. It is effective and safe for the kids and for the pets too. More importantly, anybody could afford buying them. However  it would be somewhat messy to try this method  and you may have to re-apply them regularly too.

Baking Soda

If you are looking for an easy yet fast way of overcoming the cockroaches issue, you can consider using Baking soda. This is something which you can easily find in your pantry. Ideally you can make a DIY roach bait by using onions and baking soda.

You simply have to dice some onions and apply them along with baking soda. Next you can place them in a shallow dish where you think the cockroaches are present. Once they consume this, it would create gasses in the stomach and make their stomach burst. It is an affordable way of overcoming this problem.

Citrus

Humans are fond of eating citrus. However this acts as a repellent to cockroaches. The strong smell of citrus would deter the cockroaches. Ideally you need to add a few drops of lemon oil to water and then mop the floors. If you have kids at home and are suffering from the cockroaches problem you may consider using this option.

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Furthermore, it is noteworthy that this would not be fatal on the cockroaches and instead it would deter them.

Essential oils

Essential oil also acts as a great natural cockroaches repellent. The best oil type which you could use for this purpose would be either peppermint oil or lemongrass essential oil. You can mix some of this oil along with some water and then simply spray them whenever you spot any. This is affordable and would not be fatal for the cockroaches as well.

Caulk all entry points of your home

If you keep spotting cockroaches at home irrespective of all the tactics you do to eradicate them, it could be most probably due to the entry points you have at home. So, you need to use caulk and seal whatever the gaps you may come across.

Set Bait stations

If you want to kill the cockroaches instantly, you can consider using the bait stations. Those bait stations would usually come up in long tubes and you simply have placed them in the locations where the cockroaches are present. Cockroaches are quite fascinated towards the smell of the bait stations, and they would end up consuming those. 

Eventually they would perish once they go back to their nests. Thereafter , the other cockroaches would also die as they tend to eat those dead cockroaches. However one might not opt to use this method as they may think it looks ugly when you place the bait stations at home.

Hire a pest management professional

If none of the abovementioned tactics worked, the next thing you can do is to hire a pest management professional to do this task. In fact, pest management professionals will attend to the cockroaches issue effectively and safely too. However not everybody would be able to invest in these.

In addition to the aforesaid methods, you need to take all precautionary measures to stop the cockroaches in your home. For example, make sure that your home is all clean and that you don’t have anything attract the cockroaches. 

Moreover you need to always store food in airtight containers as well. furthermore you need to keep an eye on the cleanliness of the kitchen appliances as Cockroaches are quite attractive for those tasty treats. In addition to that, you need to remove all the newspaper and card boxes as they would be perfect breeding and nesting places. Lastly if you come across any leaks, you need to fix them as well.

Conclusion on Can Boric Acid Kill Cockroaches

To wind up, it is vital that you act as promptly as you can since nobody prefers to spot cockroaches at your home. Cockroaches are considered disgusting creatures and I hope now you have a thorough knowledge on how to overcome this issue while using Boric acid as well as using other methods. 

Credit to : 007 Formidable

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I'm Dr. Chamika and I'm a Researcher in Water quality, Aquatic organisms, and Environmental chemistry. Our highly qualified team is trying to educate you in various aspects of the day to day life in many ways. Their mission is to help others to enjoy their life to the fullest.