Despite the abundance of chemical insecticides, some folk recipes for cockroach control are in no hurry to leave our everyday life. The main reasons for this enduring popularity are affordability and environmental friendliness. Boric acid from cockroaches is one of such agents that have proven their effectiveness.
Material Content:
The mechanism of action of boric acid on cockroaches
Boric acid is a universal compound used for various purposes: in cosmetology, agronomy, and also in medicine as an antiseptic, antifungal and antibacterial agent. As an insecticide, it manifests itself as a poison of contact and intestinal action.
Boric acid acts on cockroaches as follows:
- Once in the digestive system, it corrodes the walls of the digestive tract;
- deeply affects the ovaries of the female;
- inhibits spermatogenesis of males, causing their complete sterilization;
- dehydrates the body of insects, leading to a lethal effect.
Boric acid is a poison of cumulative effect.
After eating the poisoned bait, the death of the cockroach population occurs on the 8-12th day.
The contact mechanism manifests itself when acid particles enter the chitinous integument and the spiracles of insects. In this case, the substance is less effective.
Poison recipes
Poison for cockroaches is prepared only from powdered boric acid. Pharmacy alcohol solutions are not used for this purpose. The easiest way to use the product is to pour thin tracks of powder along the baseboards, sinks, cabinets, sewer and water pipes.But in this form, the acid will not be eaten by cockroaches and will show only a small part of its insecticidal properties. Therefore, it is better to use a substance for the preparation of poisoned baits.
Boric acid with an egg
In the collection of popular experience with the use of boric acid from cockroaches, the recipe with an egg takes the leading place.
For cooking, you need a hard-boiled egg yolk, a little vanillin and boron powder:
- the yolk is kneading with a fork;
- mashed yolk and boric acid are mixed at the rate of 20 grams of powder per 1 egg;
- a little vanillin or vanilla sugar is added to the mass for a smell.
Boric acid does not have its own smell and taste, so you can safely mix it into bait - insects will not notice the poison.
The resulting sticky mass is laid out in small lumps in the habitats of cockroaches and left for 1 week.
With potatoes
In a similar way, potato bait is prepared:
- 1 medium-sized potato is boiled and mashed in mashed potatoes;
- for viscosity mash is mixed with 1 raw egg;
- 40-50 grams of boron powder are mixed into the mass;
- a little vanillin is added for the smell.
The mass is laid out in small lumps on segments of polyethylene or cardboard in the places of shelter of cockroaches and left for 1 week.
Read also: use of boric acid for plants
Liquid bait with sugar
The liquid bait is installed at night and requires preliminary preparation of the premises.
Its purpose is to deprive cockroaches of access to water:
- in the evening, they shut off the water supply, wipe dry all wet surfaces — sinks, a bathtub, taps;
- the dishes are dried, all wet towels, sponges, washcloths, decanters with water, bowls for animals are cleaned;
- indoor plants and vases with flowers are taken out of the room.
After that, the bait is prepared: boric acid is dissolved in pure water at the rate of 50 grams of powder per 100 ml of water. You can add 1 tablespoon of regular or vanilla sugar and honey to the solution.
The bait is poured into saucers and placed in a kitchen sink, sink, bath. In the morning, the product is cleaned in less open places.
Poison cockroaches with liquid boric acid must be at least 10 consecutive days, creating a cumulative effect.
After 2 weeks, re-process.
With sunflower oil
The purpose of using sunflower oil in poisoned baits is to attract cockroaches by smell. Therefore, it is advisable to take an unrefined product with the aroma of seeds.
Sunflower oil needs to be added a little to any food mass mixed with boric acid - in egg or potato.
For example:
- combine 30 grams of boric acid with 1 boiled yolk;
- add 0.5 teaspoon of sunflower oil to the mixture.
In addition to sunflower, to attract cockroaches, you can use sesame oil.
How to make boric acid balls?
It is recommended to lay out food lures in small portions.
This method of supplying poisoned mixtures is more effective, because cockroaches respond worse to large lumps, preferring to collect crumbs.
That is why the method of harvesting baits in the form of balls is very popular among the people.
You can roll balls from any food mass, provided it is sufficiently viscous.
You can also make them from starch, flour or powdered sugar. For example:
- boron powder, icing sugar and flour are taken in equal proportions;
- a little vanillin is added to the mixture for a smell;
- water is gradually added with a teaspoon and a thick viscous "dough" is kneaded;
- hands are lubricated with vegetable oil and pea-sized balls are rolled from the “dough”.
Alternative mass for balls:
- for 100 grams of boron powder, 30 grams of icing sugar, 20 grams of vanilla sugar and 30 grams of starch are taken;
- water is poured into the mixture with a teaspoon and a thick viscous mass is mixed;
- hands, lubricated with vegetable oil, roll small pellets.
Balls from cockroaches with boric acid are laid out in places of shelter and feeding of insects. It is convenient to store such a bait in the refrigerator, putting it in one layer on a saucer and tightening it with cling film.
Processing Rules
To maximize the effectiveness of boron poison, you must adhere to the following rules:
- minimize insects' access to other food sources: tightly pack food, do not leave dirty dishes and crumbs in the kitchen, do not keep open garbage cans, wash off traces of grease from the stove and all surfaces;
- minimize the access of insects to water, as a poisoned cockroach can "drink" and the effectiveness of the product will decrease;
- re-treat 2 weeks after the death of the main population in order to avoid its recovery from surviving eggs.
Also a mandatory event when processing an apartment from cockroaches is a general cleaning.
Pros and cons of funds
Unlike many other popular methods of controlling insects, a cockroach remedy made from boric acid has more advantages than disadvantages:
| Advantages | disadvantages |
|---|---|
| •low cost; •high efficiency; • a combination of lethal and sterilizing effects on cockroaches; • lack of development of addiction in insects; • lack of chemical smell and harmful fumes; • environmental cleanliness and ease of disposal of the product. | • the need for additional time for the development of a cumulative effect; • the need for additional time to prepare baits; • lack of toxic effects on eggs. |
It should be noted that the disadvantages of boric acid are inherent in many chemical insecticides. In this case, cockroaches often develop addiction to the active substances of purchased products.
Prevention of re-infection with cockroaches
After the destruction of cockroaches with boric acid, it is important to take a number of preventive measures to avoid a new attack of insects on the apartment:
- Block insects from outside: close the ventilation openings with a fine mesh net, seal the windows, install mosquito nets on them, keep the drain openings in sinks, showers and bathtubs closed.
- Carefully monitor the sanitary condition of the premises. Do not keep dirty dishes or garbage in the sink under the sink; regularly carry out wet cleaning.
- Monitor the condition of the water supply system, avoid excess humidity in the premises, attracting cockroaches.
- Periodically, especially in summer, carry out preventive treatment of premises with insecticides.
In private homes, getting rid of cockroaches once and for all is quite simple. But in apartment buildings, especially those equipped with garbage chutes, ongoing prevention should become the norm.
Precautionary measures
Despite the relative harmlessness, boric acid belongs to the III class of danger to humans. Like any other borates, this substance is easily absorbed in the digestive tract, penetrates through any scratches or cracks in the skin and quickly passes into the tissues, causing severe poisoning.
Therefore, when preparing poison for cockroaches, we must not forget about safety:
- avoid inhalation of the powder, if possible protect the nose and mouth with a gauze bandage;
- when kneading and unfolding baits, protect hands with gloves;
- to lay out or store the bait in places inaccessible to pets and children.
Boric acid is a proven cockroach control. No wonder this substance is part of modern dusts - for example, "Baf", "Bifetrin" or "Tornado". Following the rules of processing the premises and safety precautions, you can reliably protect your home from uninvited guests.
