Boric Acid for Roaches

While keeping one’s home clean and tidy may be a deterrent to cockroach infestation, those who have already been infested seem to have no recourse but to rely on highly-toxic chemical solutions to their problem. Of course, this poses as much a hazard to one’s health as it does to that of the pests they wish to exterminate. However, there is a relatively less-toxic method of roach control that involves the use of boric acid.

The house should first be prepared before going for the boric acid. Remove all dishes from the cabinets and drawers, and place all food inside sealed containers. Use mild soapy water in cleaning the cabinets, drawers and counter tops, as well as any darkened area in the kitchen and the bathroom. Trash should be taken out of the house, and give the carpets, the floor, corners and walls a thorough vacuuming.

Cracks and holes found along exterior walls and floorboards should be filled in using foam insulation or caulk, in order to prevent outdoor roaches from getting inside the house. One shouldn’t use glue products in sealing the holes and cracks as roaches are known to occasionally eat glue. While roaches are capable of surviving without food for a long period of time, they cannot live without water, so cut off water access to roaches by drying up damp places where they might be.

Sometimes roaches will keep away from places that have been painted in a light color. So it might be of help to paint the insides of drawers and cabinets, as well as other darkened parts of the house where roaches might tend to go. Avoid using paper in lining cabinet shelves, as roaches might hide under the spaces of the paper.

Once everything is in order, it’s time to use the boric acid powder. It is advised to wear rubber dishwashing gloves in handling the powder. Also wear a dust mask so as not to breathe it in, and avoid ingesting it as well. Gently sprinkle or spread it onto all the areas of the house where roaches may be present, such as the cabinets and drawers, under appliances and furniture, the floors of the kitchen and the bathroom, and the walls of the living room, the bedrooms and the hallway. One may also want to sprinkle some around the house’s foundation. Make sure the powder doesn’t float in the air. Do not apply boric acid in places where the food is kept or where children and pets can easily touch it.

If the roach infestation is severe, leave the house for around 3 days after applying the boric acid; remember to turn off all the lights. When the roaches emerge, they will come into contact with the boric acid on the floors and walls, ingesting it while they eat or while cleaning their antennae and legs using their mouth. On returning home, gently clean up as much of the boric acid powder using a wet rag, then vacuum up the remaining traces of the powder.

Some traces of boric acid may be allowed to remain in the dark areas where roaches may still be hiding, such as under appliances. Then, use mild soap and water to thoroughly clean the house. If any remaining roaches appear, simply use a non-toxic bug spray. Or better yet, use a safe homemade bug spray made up of a soap-and-water mixture in a pump sprayer, as soap can be just as effective in killing roaches as any other brand of bug spray.