# Borax- a myth?



## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

When I picked up Percy's FRONTLINE Wedensday,I asked if to get rid of the fleas in the carpet, I should continue to sprinkle Borax. The vet just laughed,and said "No,that's a silly myth. You're going to need to bomb your apartment." Well I shopped around,and came across this flea powder you sprinkle into your carpet. It seems to be working. And watered-down lemon juice is doing wonders for the bites. rcat


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

I have heard that about Borax, too. Don't know how well it works, though.
Diatomaceous earth is also good to sprinkle around the perimeter of carpet in a room.:


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

gunterkat said:


> I have heard that about Borax, too. Don't know how well it works, though.
> Diatomaceous earth is also good to sprinkle around the perimeter of carpet in a room.:


 How 'bout tarter sauce?


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## Fran (Jan 9, 2008)

The reason borax and diatomaceous earth work is that the fine powders interfere with the insects' hard exoskeletons. Borax, I believe, suffocates them by blocking the way they breathe. Diatomaceous earth is made of very tiny sharp fragments, these cut the exoskeleton and the insects lose moisture and die by dehydration. Flea bombs and sprays kill fleas by interfering with other systems, nervous system or whatever, but of course they are toxic to other creatures, too.

Fran


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

I'm just saying...

My Mother called me during the summer and I was complaining about the fire ant mounds. She advised me to pour a bit of borax (20 mule team) on the mound to kill them. I just sort of shined her on. I mean, if it _really_ worked, everyone would know about it! I went to Snopes.com and they poo-poo'd the borax.

A few days later, I was outside on the back patio and saw a red ant mound in the flowerbed by the back door. I had some borax under the kitchen sink, so I got the box and sprinkled some on after the red ants were swarming everywhere when I disturbed and aggitated the mound. I poked them with a stick, I'm not _that_ dumb.

Two days later I happened to think about the ants/borax and went to check. Do you know what I found? An abandoned or dead ant mound. No amount of poking/proding with the stick elicited any activity at all. No ants (dead or alive) anywhere.

I'm just saying....


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Thanks,Heidi! 8) Y'know it worked the first time...I think what happened this time was a serious infestation. Ugh! 


What IS Diatomaceus earth,John? I thought you were joking...


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

It's available in hardware and garden supply stores. It is composed of the microscopic skeletal remains of diatoms, tiny marine organisms. The powdery substance is used in pool filters, and can keep ants out of your potted plants if you put some at the drain holes where they enter the pot. :wink: 

Wikipedia to the rescue again! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceaous_earth
rcat


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## bluemilk (Oct 3, 2005)

Also,whats with the lemon juice? You'd think citric acid on flea-bitten skin would HURT! Percy loves it-I water it down,and apply it with cotton balls. Soft as his lil unner-tum-tum. Well,he's got a BIG soft unner-tum-tum (underbelly) and that's where the bites are,mostly.


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## TAsunder (Apr 6, 2004)

Are you sure Borax is safe? I had ant problems two years back and I opted not to use Borax or solutions that contained Borax after unclear findings on the internet about whether it was safe - some said no. My vet indicated that it would be ok only if I kept the cats out of the room until it dried and made sure they didn't lick the area.


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## Woodsman (Jan 9, 2007)

I have heard of using Boric Acid as an insecticide. It is often confused with borax (sodium borate), they are related in some way, but are not quite the same thing. On the microscopic level it has sharp edges that basically perforate an insect exoskeleton causing it to dehydrate and die.

It is often used by putting into cracks and crevices. According to Wikipedia, it is generally considered safe, but I wouldn’t use it on a carpet, unless I had one of those fancy vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter. Same goes for diatomaceous earth, which is mostly silica, which isn’t great for you if dispersed into the air as a fine dust.


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