Does borax kill ants? You’ll want to stick around to find out as we discuss all its exterminating potential.
Borax is a commonly available household product that comes in powder form (actually soft colorless soluble crystals) and is applied for several purposes.
Such uses include being used for mildew and mold treatment around the homes, for stain removal, and also used for laundry as a whitener.
What more? Borax is also used for hard water treatments in addition to being a deodorizer. This article isn’t about listing all the uses of borax. Rather we’re seeking to find out if borax can be used for pest treatment.
Our specific focus is on a common pest found in homes; ants!
About Borax
This is a mineral product also known by several names such as sodium tetraborate, sodium borate, and also disodium tetraborate.
The name “borax” is actually a broad term that identifies several closely related mineral compounds with varying water contents.
So for example, you have anhydrous borax, borax pentahydrate, and also borax decahydrate. Now, you may have heard the terms borax and boric acid sometimes used interchangeably. If you have, that’s a wrong representation because they aren’t actually the same.
While borax is a mineral that’s mined from the ground, boric acid is its processed form. In other words, borax is actually a salt of boric acid.
Do they have similar uses especially on pests? We’ll find out shortly.
Will Borax Kill Ants?
Borax does kill ants.
It is widely used as a home remedy to tackle ant problems. While it’s mostly applied to ants found within a home, borax will still kill other ant species.
However, there’s a little difference in the way different ant species respond to borax.
This isn’t to say that these other species won’t be killed by it. You may still get desired results, however; it may take longer to kill certain species.
An ant control specialist understands ant behavior and also how they respond to different treatments. As such, you may want to seek expert recommendations.
How Does Borax Kill Ants?
If you wish to know more than just applying or sprinkling borax on ants, it will give you an edge on how best to approach ant extermination. So, how does borax get the job done?
To find out, we’ll first have to consider the basic social structure of ants and how they run their colonies.
With these creatures having multiple casts, roles or responsibilities are divided. The queen for instance has the key role of reproduction. The eggs laid eventually hatch into new ants.
Worker ants are crucial to the effect of borax on ant colonies. This is because they go about in search of food.
Now, when borax is sprinkled around targeted areas, it won’t kill ants immediately. As a matter of fact, ants confuse borax for food and will ingest it. This is where its effect kicks in.
Worker ants will transport the same to their colonies for other members to feed on.
Upon feeding on this naturally occurring mineral, the digestive systems get compromised as their normal functioning is disrupted. What results is sure death for these creatures.
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Application of Borax Treatment for Ants
From our discussion so far, it would seem that all you have to do is sprinkle some borax powder around ant-infested areas and you’re done. The reality is quite different.
Sprinkling borax powder on ants or along pathways followed by ants won’t give you much result.
This is because borax in its pure form doesn’t attract ants that much. You’re better off making borax bait. What do ants like? This is the key to making irresistible bait infused with borax.
The top foods most attractive to ants include sweets (juices, candy, honey, syrup, etc), and grease.
Others include insects, damp foods (such as garbage), seeds, and fungus. So, you might want to take advantage by mixing some borax with sugar and water. Have this poured or applied along their paths.
Before long, ants home-in on pheromones secreted by explorer ants.
Your borax bait is devoured in little time. Due to the slow-acting nature of borax, ants can get such bait into their colonies for others to feast on. This has a multiplier effect and eliminates the ant colony.
Within a short time, your home is free from any problems.
Is Borax Toxic to Humans and Pets?
Due to the absence of harmful chemicals such as chlorine and phosphates, borax is considered a green product that can be applied for laundry and other uses. Though safe, borax should never be ingested by humans or pets.
This is the reason you have to keep such products out of the reach of your kids and pets.
When using borax, it should be done in a way that your kids and pets don’t ingest it. Treated areas can be kept out of reach by closing doors while excluding the young from such surroundings.
Apart from ingestion, borax should never get into the eye. Any of these two actions (ingestion and contact with eyes) leads to irritation of the eyes, toxicity, hormonal issues, and in extreme cases could lead to death.
Yes! This is a possibility when huge amounts of borax are ingested.
When not properly used, irritations may include respiratory issues, skin rash, nausea, and mouth infection. Other types of irritations include eye irritation and vomiting.
Can I Safely Use Borax for Ant Treatments when I Have Pets?
Homeowners with pets may find it quite challenging to deal with ant problems using borax. This is because pets are adventurous and restless and will easily ingest this mineral compound.
So, if you have kids around and pets, it’s best to avoid using borax altogether.
This is a better way to guarantee the safety of your loved ones. You may want to consider other treatment alternatives for your ant problems.
Call a Pest Technician
If you aren’t so sure about dealing with ant problems using borax, it’s best to call a pro to handle your ant problems. Also, you may want to adopt preventive measures by eliminating the usual attractions which ants find irresistible.
So there you go! Borax can give you the relief you seek from ant infestations.
However, it needs to be used properly. Consider using it with bait for best results.
Does Borax Kill Carpenter Ants?
Does borax powder kill carpenter ants? This is the question we’ll be discussing. Because borax is readily available, it has become a favorite pest solution for a lot of people.
We’ll find out if it has any effect on carpenter ants.
Carpenter ants on properties pose significant risks as they burrow into wood to make their nests. As their numbers grow, these ants expand their wood burrowing activity to more locations.
You don’t have to wait until the signs of infestation worsen.
This mineral has been successfully used for the control of a variety of pests.
Using Borax For Carpenter Ants
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that is mined from the ground and used to produce a variety of products.
It can be found in a variety of products ranging from toothpaste, cosmetics, weed killers, and soaps. This mineral is sometimes used to replace laundry detergents.
Its versatility has made it a useful household item to have around.
Here, our focus will remain on its use as a pest killer. Read on to find information on whether it works on carpenter ants and how to use it against these pests.
Will Borax Kill Carpenter Ants?
Yes! Borax can be used for carpenter ant extermination.
Borax has proven to be effective on ants. Its exterminating effect is attributed to its toxicity rate. Ants have pretty much the same or similar systems.
This is why most pest control measures (including the use of borax) work on all.
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Other Pests Killed by Borax
Borax isn’t only attractive to carpenter ants but also a wide variety of other pests. However, it’s important to state that borax alone won’t kill all pest categories. Nevertheless, it will be effective on cockroaches, spiders, and mites.
Borax will also exterminate fungi, algae, and molds. An insecticide formulation has to be made for this to be possible.
Details on this will be supplied shortly.
Are Borax and Boric Acid The Same?
A lot of times, boric acid is used interchangeably with borax. Are these the same? Both belong to the same compound. However, they are two different formulations.
What this means is that while borax is a mined mineral that is used for a variety of products as mentioned earlier, boric acid is quite different.
In other words, the procedure for obtaining boric acid is quite different. This is mostly extracted and processed from borax. It is also used as an ingredient in the manufacture of pesticides.
How Borax Kills Carpenter Ants
So how do you kill carpenter ants with borax?
For you to better understand the impact of borax on carpenter ant extermination, it will be necessary to show you how it kills these pests. Borax has a low toxicity rating when it comes to human use.
However, the opposite is true when applied as a pesticide. Ants are exterminated by their high toxicity when ingested.
How To Use Borax for Carpenter Ant Extermination
Knowledge of the proper use of borax is necessary for successful carpenter ant extermination. This pesticide product is most effective when ingested. However, carpenter ants won’t normally ingest borax directly.
It needs to be made into bait to be enticing enough to these pests.
Carpenter ants are social insects that live in colonies and go out to scavenge for food wherever they can find it. For these pests to be eliminated, a slow-acting poison needs to be used. Thankfully, borax perfectly fits the bill.
For this mineral to be enticing enough, it needs to be mixed with foods that attract carpenter ants.
In a bid to use borax effectively, two things are necessary; making the bait and knowing where to place such bait.
This sums up the required treatment approach to adopt.
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Making Borax Bait
It’s necessary to consider baits in multiple forms; that is, but solid and liquids.
For liquid ant baits, get a small container or lid. A cotton ball or paper plate will serve just fine. The goal is to ensure carpenter ants get easy access to your bait.
Now, get one and a half cuts of warm water, and one and a half tablespoons of borax. You’ll also need about half a cup of sugar for making your bait. Pour all of these into a container and mix until the contents dissolve.
Pour out your bait into the container or cotton ball and place it along carpenter ant trails.
Using Borax And Sugar To Kill Carpenter Ants
You may want to try another approach when making your carpenter ant bait. Like the first, this method requires borax as the main extermination ingredient. About 3 parts of sugar should be added to one part borax.
This mixture should be blended before adding water. The water should just be enough to create a thick paste. Get some syrup (about one-quarter cup) and add to the mixture. This is irresistible to carpenter ants and they will gladly dig in for a feast.
For solid baits, you’ll need powdered sugar instead. About 3 parts of powdered sugar should be added to a part of borax and mixed. This is quite easy and won’t take much time.
The sugar contained in the bait helps lure ants to ingest the slow-acting borax poison.
Knowing Where to Place Bait
You only need one carpenter ant to find your bait. When it does, it releases a pheromone to map out the food path for other carpenter ants to easily navigate their way to the food source.
This is an effective strategy for carpenter ant control you should consider.
Target Areas
This is similar to knowing where to place your baits. However, the difference here is the need to target specific ant species; in this case carpenter ants. There’ll always be other ants that will come around to feast on your borax baits.
However, you should ensure that carpenter ants are among those that find it.
You may want to begin by targeting wood being burrowed by these ants. Placing your baits close to such areas will help get the job done. Your borax bait starts to take its toll when carpenter ants ingest and transport such bait to their colonies.
Without a doubt, borax does kill carpenter ants. However, there needs to be an understanding of how to use this mineral for such a task.
For the most part, borax won’t pose any harm to you or your kids and pets due to its low toxicity. Simply keep away from kids and pets to prevent them from ingesting it.