Great to use against roaches

k. · September 7, 2024

*Note* I don't know how common this is, but the cap on the item I ordered was loose, so the Bolo box was full of white powder that was covering my other purchases when it arrived. So maybe don't order this item along with other products that you don't want to get covered with boric acid while in transit.Also, it took me a while to figure this out, but you have to cut off the tip of the applicator with scissors. The entire lid can screw off, and there's a replaceable cap, but there's no real way for the powder to get out unless/until you manually cut off the applicator tip.Anyway, I love this stuff. My previous method for dealing with roaches had been to chase after them with a heavy-duty flyswatter. The down sides to this are that, A) I, as a germophobe, hate having to clean bug guts off the flyswatter afterward, B) my aim isn't the best, so half the time I'd miss and the dang roach would escape, and C) for every individual roach you kill, there are who knows how many still hiding out of sight in the walls or whatever.Using boric acid is better because, not only can you use it proactively and passively (you can sprinkle it around your home and let it do its work regardless of whether you're paying attention or not), but I feel that it's a lot easier to clean up. I don't have to stress about cleaning an instrument and then cleaning everything the instrument and the water touched; all I have to do is just my regular vacuuming routine, then re-apply boric acid if necessary.Also, you don't have to have good aim if you see a roach, you just squirt the bottle in the right direction and you'll probably get a decent amount of power on the insect.From what I understand, the way the boric acid works is that if/when a roach walks through it, it sticks to their feet; then when they clean their feet, they ingest the poison, which eventually kills them.I also had to re-train myself to just toss powder on them and then let them run off - not only does that save me the time and stress of hunting, but with luck, it'll also kill more roaches behind the scenes when they interact with the contaminated one.In a recent incident, I encountered a roach and threw boric acid on it; it freaked out and ran around the living room, but couldn't find a way out (I practically have no furniture and I plug up all the holes I find). I noticed that its gait was starting to get irregular after a minute, so maybe the powder was affecting it without it even having to eat it. The roach eventually stumbled into a spider's web and couldn't get out; by the time I finally had time to dispose of it, it was very dead - not sure if that was because of the powder or the spider, but either way, good riddance.Note that a wide, thin layer that bugs can't help walking through is a lot better than a thick clump they can easily avoid. I'm also under the impression that boric acid loses its effectiveness if it gets wet; if nothing else, powder that gets wet will clump together and will no longer stick to the bugs' feet if they walk through it.Also, boric acid is probably not a good option for households with members, such as young children or pets, who might be tempted to eat the powder. But if you don't have to worry about vulnerable housemates, boric acid is great and I recommend it to help with roach problems. (I haven't seen it affect any other kinds of bugs, though.)

If used correctly a miracle product

S.H. · May 8, 2024

We used to have terribe infestations of "sugar ants". In a search for a solution I learned about Boric Acid.To start with, despite some CYA warning labels it is not harmful to humans. You may even find that dilute solutions are sometimes prescribed for applying to infants.I've never been able to find out why it kills roaches and ants but with certainty it does. One crazy sounding explanation I ran across thought it was because the boric acid formed tiny crystals that cut up the insides of the insects but that is too hard to digest as a sensible answer.Anyway, there is considerable erroneous information about how to use this stuff to kill sugar ants but here is the sure fire approach I've worked out through experience.What you are striving for is a sugary solution the contains boric acid.Boric acid is not very soluble. If you start with a sugar solution then try to add boric acid you are operating in the blind because it will be frustrating trying to dissolve the Boric acid.My approach is to add as much boric acid as can be dissolved to a quantity of boiling water, say a quart. Add a tablespoon of boric acid at a time. You will find it doesn't want to dissolve easily so just add a table spoon or less at a time until you can see no more will dissolve. While the water is still hot strain it so the excess is separated. This should now be what will turn out to be a supersaturated solution when it cools. Adding a few crystals to the cooled solution should cause the excess amount that is dissolved to crystalize out leaving you with a fully saturated solution to work with.The original formulation I read about prescribed dissolving as much sugar as the solution would absorb until you have a syrup that can then be left in appropriate containers to attract the ants. I have found however that using honey instead of sugar works best of all. Sugar ants are crazy for honey so I add a quantity of honey to the saturated solution and then it is time to rock.This is the part of the operation that always reminds me of the story of Moses and the rock.You have to have faith that the solution you leave for the ants will work. I usual resort to using the solution when ants are crawling all over whatever space is involved. Once they discover the glory hole you've put out for them, seemingly every ant within a mile is invited to the party. If you think you had some ants before you started the party you will soon find out it was nothing compared to the mob that suddenly appears. For at least a day or more this ant Woodstock Festival will rage and you will be asking what terrible folly you brought upon yourself. Then a morning or two later when you come to check on how things are going, there will be no ants in sight. It will be like a miracle has occurred. They will be gone, gone, gone. It is truly bizarre. I have used this remedy many times and there are never any dead ants laying about. All I can figure is that they must get terrible tummy aches and rush home to die quietly in bed. Some people say they carry the poison back to their nests and take down the whole tribe with them but I'm not certain that is true. Sugar ants do not have central governments. Rather, somewhere there is a nest that becomes the node of a network of nests each of which becomes the node for more nests, each node having its own queen or queens. You may kill off an entire node and it will take a long time for a forager from another node to rediscover the path to your kitchen again (because all the ones who did know are now in their graves) but in time a new explorer will show up but it can take months before that happens.I still have things to learn because sometimes they appear to not be attracted to the sugar. I've been told some of the little ants prefer protein substances and tend to eschew sugar but I'm not convinced that explains things.