Bugs and Boric Acid

LazyK · Feb 5, 2001

I have heard that boric acid, applied in specific situations can be an excellent barrier to insect infestation and concurrent damage to wood and other products. My question is: has anyone heard of or used boric acid in some way to substitute for Diazinon or Malithion or any of the potent but
DNA scrambling chemicals?

Lazy K - Chip

heehaw · Feb 5, 2001

i haven't tried it as a replacement of other pesticides; but it is used as the fire retardant in cellulose insulation, and the companies insist that you will never have roaches in a house with cellulose insulation.
heehaw

RobS · Feb 5, 2001

LK, I haven't tried this yet, but heard that Boric acid mixed with sugar will take care of ants. We get little black ants along our sidewalk. They're more of a nuisance than anything else so I intend to attack this summer. We have the cellulose insulation and have very few bug problems.

Richard · Feb 5, 2001

My recollection is a product called "Penetreat" contains boric acid.

Penetreat is what I used as a preservative on the logs of my house prior to staining it.

I'm not a chemest and can't attest that 1) that chemical is in there 2) that it works as advertised...

I CAN attest to: No evidence of bug infestation AND I find this more interesting...when we do find (crawling) bugs inside, they are in fact typically dead. Flying bugs don't seem to be quite as dead as the crawlers.

When we started to first notice this, I made a wise crack about how to tell the difference between a dead bug on the floor or a knot in the wood? (Knots don't "crunch" when stepped on)

Richard

M. Sullivan · Feb 5, 2001

Believe it's more of a 'eat their insides out' type of killer than anything else. Also believe I've read it will last years. Was told by an old-timer to dust it on inside of exterior walls prior to insulating and forget about any unwanted residents.

Rodneyd · Feb 5, 2001

I have used the boric acid trick on ants. First heard that ants LOVE mint jelly and to mix the boric acid with the jelly. Ants eat the jelly and DIE. Didn't have mint jelly but tried grape. I can tell you....ants love grape jelly also.
I had ants in my bathroom and couldn't get rid of them. They were coming up through the slab around the tub drain hole. I put some of the "spiked jelly" mixture, about a tablespoon, on a piece of wax paper. Within two days, no ants. From what I have read, they take it back to the nest and feed it to everyone else and it wipes out the whole colony. It worked for me. I also am not a chemist but heard that the small amount of boric acid wouldn't hurt a dog if they accidentally got into it and ate some. Anybody know about that?

Rod

roysallis · Feb 5, 2001

It seems like Paul Harvey used to advertise a product called RoachPruf which had boric acid as the main ingredient.

geneP · Feb 5, 2001

My wife has for years used a home brew of boric acid, shortening, onions, and sugar (and maybe some other items)to make a stiff concoction to kill roaches. Just put a spoonful on a piece of waxed paper and stick it under the cabinets, etc.

If anyone wants the recipe, I'll ask her to dig it up.

Monte · Feb 6, 2001

My wife has always put a very light layer (almost invisible) of Borax (boric acid) in kitchen shelves and cupboards. It even keeps the roaches out!

Monte

M. Sullivan · Feb 7, 2001

Will have to try the jelly trick in the barn. Have always used it as a stand-alone perimeter guard: The dust clings to the bugs when they walk in it and it bores through their shell/skin--adios.