Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DISEASE & PEST CONTROL => Topic started by: COLVIN on November 10, 2005, 02:24:16 pm

Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: COLVIN on November 10, 2005, 02:24:16 pm
WHERE DO I FIND THIS BORAX OR BORIC ACID? I THOUGHT I MIGHT USE IT FOR ANTS. WHAT ABOUT ROACH PROOF, WILL IT WORK?  IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE 44% BORIC ACID. WILL IT HURT THE BEES IF I PUT IT ON THE INTER COVER? ( NO HONEY IN HIVES NOW FOR HUMAN COMSUMPTION)

SO MANY QUESTIONS,
COLVIN
Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: mark on November 10, 2005, 10:09:46 pm
boric acid is what you want.   if the bees have access to it you will have a dead hive in short order
Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: Michael Bush on November 11, 2005, 01:01:15 am
I use boric acid straight.  I've sprinkled it on the inner cover to get the ants out and the bees don't have any interest in it.  I've mixed borax in jelly and it works even better, but I've been afraid (during a dearth) of the bees getting access to it.

The borax is with the laundry detergent at the grocery store.  The boric acid can be bought at the drug store as pharmecutical grade, but is cheaper when sold as roach and ant killer.  I've found that at hardware stores and at drug stores sometimes, but I seem to have to look for it.
Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: manowar422 on November 11, 2005, 03:32:23 pm
I use the straight boric acid powder from the drug store (it's stronger, that's why it more expensive).
We have very little freezing weather to cut down the bug population, so they are a problem that never completely disappears. Boric Acid works better than anything else I've tried, but there are certain ways to use it that makes it more affective.

Always "dust" the areas to be protected, piles or mounds of the powder are easily avoided by insects.

The idea is to get the critters to walk through it, not walk around it.

For ants, I make a baited container with some kind of lid to make it
water and rain proof. In this box you will cut or punch tiny holes just large enough for the bugs to gain access to the bait (a bottle cap full of granulated sugar works well), which is placed in the middle of the container. Around the bait, you DUST the powdered Boric Acid.

The ants have to crawl through it to carry off the grains of sugar
and their populations are soon severely depleted.

In the house I dust contertops, inside cabinets, under sinks, under and around appliances and the floor of any bathrooms with the acid powder. This is done for roaches. :wink:

Twice a year I spray the foundation of my house with a pressurized sprayer containing a mixture of Diazinon (16 oz.), Creosote (2 oz.) and tap water (1 gal.). The combination of treatments eliminate about 99%
of my bug problems. 8)
Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: Horns Pure Honey on November 12, 2005, 02:39:14 am
I used cinnamon and it worked great on the ants and beetles, the bees dont care about it, its natural, and it smells good. :D
Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: downunder on November 16, 2005, 08:54:05 am
Quote from: Horns Pure Honey
I used cinnamon and it worked great on the ants and beetles, the bees dont care about it, its natural, and it smells good. :D



Do you mean for small hive beetle as well?

How do you apply the cinnamon?
Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: Apis629 on November 16, 2005, 05:41:40 pm
I've been using cinemon and I've seen no effect with it on Small Hive Beetles.  I usually sprinkle it around the hive and in the enterence to prevent fire ants from invading.
Title: BORIC ACID OR BORAX?
Post by: Horns Pure Honey on November 16, 2005, 06:49:28 pm
I sprincle it on the inner hive cover all around the edge and that was it, I never had a problem with them trying to go ing the entrance. Plus it will never wash off in the rain this way too. :D