Roaches are speedy pests that thrive in homes and are extremely hard to catch. If you have seen a few roaches in your home, your first thought may be to call an exterminator immediately.
However, you can also use some everyday household cleaning products like borax to kill roaches.
If you have a roach problem, continue reading this article and learn how to use borax to kill roaches.
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What Is Borax?
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral made up of boron, sodium, and oxygen. This mineral is used to manufacture various household items: cleaning sprays, flame retardants, and laundry detergent, among others.
On the other hand, borax can also be used to kill cockroaches naturally.
Unlike chemical-based pest control treatments, borax for roaches has minimal risks because they don’t leave chemical residues. However, you still need to keep it away from pets and children.
Is Borax Similar To Boric Acid?
No, borax isn’t similar to boric acid. Borax is naturally occurring, while boric acid is a chemical extracted from borax and purified further with hydrochloric acid.
However, you can use both borax and boric acid to eliminate roaches from your home.
Does Borax Kill Roaches?
Yes, borax is effective at killing roaches because the dust contains the mineral boron. But for it to effectively kill roaches in your home, they have to eat it.
Unfortunately, borax alone won’t attract roaches, so you need borax and a food attractant that these bugs won’t resist.
How Does Borax Kill Roaches?
Borax kills roaches by starving and dehydrating the roaches.
The borax dust sticks to the roaches’ legs as it scavenges for food. When it returns to its hiding place, the roach will eat the white powder as it tries to clean its legs.
After ingesting it, the borax will act as a poison in its stomach and damage the gut lining. Eventually, the roach will die out of starvation.
Borax also contains sodium, which is toxic enough to damage the roach’s exoskeleton. This causes the roach to dehydrate quickly and die.
How to Use Borax to Eliminate Roaches
To purchase borax powder, visit any grocery store, hardware, or pool supply store. You can also find liquid borax in some stores. However, borax is more effective in powder form.
Furthermore, in powder form, borax is easy to spread and mix with other ingredients to make a roach bait trap.
Here are three recipes for making a borax mix in your home to eliminate roaches.
1. Borax and Baking Soda
Baking soda is a popular product you most likely have in your kitchen that also is used to get rid of roaches. Baking soda works by causing gas to build up in the roaches’ digestive system until it bursts.
Baking soda and borax are effective solutions, and you may want to combine the two. However, since the two can’t entice roaches, ensure you add a sweetener for these pesky pests.
To make your borax for roaches bait, mix equal parts of both products and add an attractant like flour or sugar.
Read More: Full Guide to Using Baking Soda to Kill Roaches.
2. Borax with Sugar
This is another excellent roach-killer recipe. Roaches will be attracted by the sweet taste of powdered sugar and will also ingest the borax powder.
You can easily prepare your bait by mixing equal amounts of sugar and borax. You may also need a sugar dispenser or squeezable bottle to spread a light dusting around your home.
3. Borax and Peanut Butter
Because roaches aren’t attracted to borax, consider using peanut butter with borax to entice the roaches to your bait.
However, take care when using this strategy at home, especially if you have children or pets. Of course, the peanut butter will draw roaches to it, but it may also entice your toddler and pet.
To make a borax and peanut butter roach killer, place a spoonful of peanut butter on a plastic lid and sprinkle borax on top.
Other Tasty Cockroach Baits with Borax
Anything edible will attract hungry roaches. However, to make your bait as effective as possible, use a food attractant they love. Some of the foods you can mix borax with include:
- Raw egg yolk
- Cocoa powder
- Cheese
- Starch
- Grease
You can sprinkle borax on these foods and hide them in cupboards, corners, and electrical outlets to attract and kill cockroaches.
Can Borax For Roaches Harm Your Health?
Yes, borax for roaches can harm your health. Borax is considered a green product because it doesn’t contain chlorine or phosphates. But this doesn’t mean it’s completely safe.
The box containing borax usually comes with a caution label to warn users that it may cause eye and respiratory irritation and is harmful if swallowed.
Borax can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea when ingested. If consumed in large amounts, borax can lead to kidney failure.
Symptoms of Overexposure to Borax
Overexposure to borax can cause serious symptoms. Here are some you should know:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- General weakness
- Tremors,
- Lightheadedness
- Passing out
Therefore, when using borax for roaches, ensure that you take all the precautions, like wearing gloves, changing your clothes, and washing your hands.
It is also critical that you keep children and pets away from borax and bait mixes. They might mistake sugar or peanut butter bait for something edible. However, this could cause serious illnesses for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does Borax Powder Take To Kill Cockroaches?
Borax takes approximately 72 hours after ingestion to kill American or German cockroaches.
The borax powder acts slowly within the roach’s body but eventually kills it through starvation and dehydration.
Which Is More Effective in Eliminating a Roach Infestation, Borax or Boric Acid?
Boric acid may be more effective in eliminating a roach infestation. Boric acid is created from borax and other minerals, which are both effective in killing cockroaches.
However, boric acid is the main ingredient in most insecticides, which may be more lethal than borax in killing roaches.
How Does 20 Mule Borax Kill Roaches?
20 Mule Borax starves and dehydrates the roach and eventually kills it.
Borax can’t attract roaches. Therefore, if you want to eradicate cockroach infestation in your home, mix the borax powder with sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, or other food attractants.
The food attractant will act as bait. After the roach ingests it, the borax will attack the gut and exoskeleton.
Use Borax For Roaches to Get Rid Of Cockroaches Permanently
Borax won’t kill the roaches in your home instantly. But how quickly you eradicate the infestation will depend on the recipe you choose and how you handle your preferred approach.
First, identify the areas in your home where roaches frequent and then place the borax bait. Remember to monitor progress daily and replace bait as needed to successfully eradicate these pesky pests from your home.