5 Pests That Can Be Controlled With Borax

Borax is one form of boron and occurs naturally. While borax is often used in cleaning supplies, the closely related boric acid, also made of boron, is more commonly used as a pesticide. You might have some luck using borax to deal with pest infestations, but boric acid is often more effective. Whichever option you choose, it'll only work on certain pests.

Both pavement ants (​Tetramorium caespitum​) and carpenter ants (​Camponotus​ spp​.​) can become pests in the home. Carpenter ants are larger and prefer to build their nests in wooden furniture, floor boards, and other timber. Pavement ants invade in search of food and can get into pantries and kitchen cupboards as well as other places in the home where moisture or food can be found. Eradicate an ant infestation by lining entryways with borax. Fill any entry holes or cracks in walls, floors, and doorways to prevent ants from coming into the building.

Common cockroaches that become pests in the home include the oriental cockroach (​Blatta orientalis​), American cockroach (​Periplaneta americana​), brown-banded cockroach (​Supella longipalpa​), and the German cockroach (​Blattella germanica​). The oriental and American varieties prefer damp and dark areas like basements. German cockroaches prefer bathrooms and kitchens. Brown-banded cockroaches will develop and live anywhere within a building.

Eradicate a cockroach infestation by lining walls, trim, cabinets, and baseboards with a thin line of borax. Cockroaches that cross the borax line will die and new cockroaches will be prevented from entering.

Fleas (​Siphonaptera​) are tiny insects that are adept at jumping and difficult to see with the naked eye. The only food source for fleas is blood, though they don't discriminate between species and will feed from any potential host, including people and their pets. Sprinkle borax across all floor surfaces including hardwood, tile, carpet, and cement, to eliminate a flea infestation. Allow borax to remain for 24 to 48 hours before you vacuum it up.

Silverfish (​Lepisma saccharina​) infest papers, boxes, book bindings, starched clothing, and wallpaper. Silverfish have tapered bodies and long antennae on both ends. These wingless insects eat paper and similar surfaces by chewing irregular patches of the surface away. To eliminate a silverfish infestation, line infested areas with fine borax powder. Line bookcase shelves, the insides of cardboard boxes, and walls around the laundry room to prevent silverfish infestations from causing damage to household belongings.

Both rats (​Rattus​) and mice (​Mus musculus​) can infest a home, focusing on areas where ample food and water can be found. These pests may create burrows in walls and cabinetry to create safe places to hide and nest. Create bait with ground dog or cat food and borax and feed into rodent holes or near areas where rodents are likely to frequent. Rodents will bring the bait home to their nest, exposing other pests to the borax.