We all want to have a sound sleep, right? But think of it, how do you deal with bed bugs? They are stubborn and irritating. Can you get rid of bed bugs with borax? Does borax really work? Is it borax really effective? How do you compare borax with diatomaceous earth? Learn more in this article how to get rid of bed bugs with borax.
Bed bugs infestation can be the worst nightmare to deal with. Does borax kill bed bugs? Is borax really effective? Borax is only effective when the bed bugs consume it. Bed bugs are only interested on feeding on human blood and they rarely eat other things.
There is an argument whether borax is effective in getting rid of bed bugs. Borax can be used to get rid of bed bugs, but it is quite difficult to apply the borax. Why? Bed bugs don’t feed on anything else other than human blood.
A bait like borax, is meant to lure the bed bugs. Theoretically, this sounds so easy but practically it can be hard to get rid of bed bugs with this method.
A section of people hold to the thought that borax can get rid of bed bugs. Let’s find out.
How Does Borax Kill Bed Bugs?
In most cases, borax is commonly used as an insecticide. When dealing with other insects or pests, borax eradicate them once whey they feed on it. In most cases, the borax destroy their respiratory and digestive system end up suffocating them. In simple terms, borax is a poison.
When you apply the borax especially in the infested areas including your furniture or clothes, it will repel them to some level. When they inhale the borax, the bed bugs may die if not all. Usually, the death rate is approximated to be about 33%. This should tell you that borax cannot be depended entirely to get rid of the bed bugs.
Will Borax Kill Bed Bug Eggs?
Unfortunately, borax will not kill the bed bug eggs. We’ve said, bed bug eggs cannot eat the borax or even inhale it. So, while you attempt to get rid of bed bugs and their eggs using borax, they will still remain intact. It is wise to combine borax with other pesticides if you intend to successfully get rid of them.
How Effective Is Borax Powder In Killing Bed Bugs?
When talking about the effectiveness of borax, bed bugs are likely to survive even when the concentration of the borax is high. But still, this doesn’t mean the borax has the potential to get rid of bed bugs. Bed bugs in most cases will try to evade the poisonous substance in the borax.
Still, even if bed bugs don’t feed on borax, the fact that they will inhale it, it will work and get rid of the bed bugs.
How Long Does Borax Take to Kill Bed Bugs?
How long borax kill bed bugs depends with the concentration, but you should know this. A Borax solution that has a concentration of over 1% boric has the potential to kill nearly all the bed bugs in four to five days. Still, a solution of borax with a concentration of 0.5% can kill the bed bugs within a week or up to 8 days.
How To Use Borax For Bed Bugs
As mentioned earlier borax may not be that effective to get rid of bed bugs, it is still works to some extent. Here are some steps and procedure you need to follow to get some good results.
a) Remove all the beddings from the bed
Before embarking on the mission to get rid of bed bugs with borax, the first and key step to take, it to remove the beddings from the bed. This will expose the bed bugs hiding place and tell the level of infestation. You will also know how much borax to use to eliminate the bed bugs.
b) Sprinkle Enough Borax
As soon as you remove the beddings from the bed, sprinkle adequate amount of borax. This should be done using a plastic spray bottle and fill it up with water. Apply a good amount of borax on the beddings.
c) Saturate the Water on the bedding covered with borax
To get rid of the bed bugs on your mattress, make sure the beddings is saturated and covered with borax. This will suffocate the bed bugs and make them inhale the borax and with time, kill the bed bugs.
d) Wash all the beddings after
To ascertain that the bed bugs are eliminated, make sure that you wash all your beddings including the bed sheets, blankets, duvets and other beddings preferably in the washing machine.
To make sure that all the bed bugs are eliminated do the following:
- Place the borax around bed frames.
Why? Bed bugs always move in search of blood especially from humans. Putting the borax in bed frames will make sure some of the bed bugs if not all are killed. It might take some days but it is worth a try.
- Apply some borax on Furniture
You can also use the borax solution and apply it to furniture that you think is infested with bed bugs. Make sure that you spray the solution around the furniture and leave it for some time for you to see the results. It may take up to a week to notice the results. You can also use steam cleaner or just vacuuming to get rid of the bed bugs.
Borax Vs Diatomaceous Earth For Bed Bug
Other than Borax, you can use to get rid of bed bugs with diatomaceous earth. It is another effective way to get rid of bed bugs although it looks similar to borax but it works differently.
The effectiveness of diatomaceous earth is superb. It Kills the bed bugs and repel them from coming back. Compared to borax, diatomaceous earth is effective in getting rid of the bed bugs.
When the bed bugs come into contact with the diatomaceous earth, their skin and their outer body gets scratched. The shell is the outer part of the bed bug that prevent it from getting dehydrated. Just like any other pests or humans, bed bugs too need water to survive.
Once they get in contact with the diatomaceous earth, their shell starts peeling off. In the process, they will start losing moisture.
Diatomaceous earth is naturally is absorptive and makes it hard for the bed bugs to retain water. This makes diatomaceous earth effective in not only killing but also deterring the bed bugs.
One disadvantage of using diatomaceous earth is that it doesn’t kill the bed bug eggs.
