While opening up a cabinet in your kitchen, you may have seen a couple of roaches scurrying around. If so, you may have a small infestation on your hands and want to get rid of it before they get out of control. However, you may not be in a hurry to rush out and buy a chemical-laden roach spray. If so, consider using one or more of the following ways to kill roaches using borax.

Learn To Use Borax Safely

Before you use any of the below methods, first prepare for using borax safely. Although it is considered safer than traditional roach sprays, care should still be taken while you are handling it.

Borax works by drying up the roaches from the inside out after they ingest it.  It also penetrates their exoskeleton when the chemical comes into contact with their bodies, causing extreme irritation. Eventually, it breaks down the surface to reach their soft organs, drying them out. While this is useful for killing roaches, the borax can have the same effect on you.

Before handling borax, take precautions to avoid any detrimental side effects. This includes wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin and putting on goggles to keep it from irritating your eyes. If you have pets or small children, do not apply it in areas where they can reach it.

Sprinkle Borax Around Key Horizontal Surfaces In Your Kitchen

The first method of using borax to kill the roaches in your kitchen is to simply sprinkle borax on key horizontal surfaces. These include the back of your cabinets, behind your appliances and along the backs of your counter tops. When the roaches walk through the borax, the poison rests on their bodies. They may also track it back to their nests, exposing other insects to it.

If there are any areas where you tend to see more roaches, sprinkle a little extra. Just make sure the borax is well away from any food so it does not contaminate it. Also, if you see any holes inside your cabinets, you can pile the borax in front of them, in case the bugs are using the gaps as an entry point.

Spray A Homemade Borax Treatment On Vertical Surfaces

Even if you have sprinkled the horizontal surfaces with borax, the roaches are able to crawl along vertical surfaces, such as outside of your cabinets or inside the cabinet doors. For these areas, you may want to spray on a homemade borax treatment.

To make the spray, pour two cups of water into a plastic spray bottle, then add a cup of borax. Replace the spray nozzle, and shake vigorously. Then, carefully spray the sides. If  there is any overspray on your counters or the floor, wipe it up with clean water.

Make Roach-Killing Traps Using Borax And Bait

As an extra roach-killing measure, you can make your own traps using borax and sugar as bait. The roaches are drawn to the sugar, and while they eat the bait, they also ingest the borax. This helps kill any roaches that are not randomly walking through the powder or on the sprayed surfaces. This option also works well in front of any place where you think the roaches are coming in.

In a small, disposable plastic bowl, combine equal parts of sugar and borax. Place a teaspoon on a small, two-inch piece of aluminum foil for each trap, then put it where you want it. Check the trap periodically to see if it needs refilling. Place a lid on any leftover mixture, and save it for later use.

Using the above techniques can kill off existing roaches in your kitchen, preventing a full-blown infestation. However, if you start to notice an increasing number of roaches, you may want to have a pest control service take a look at your problem and discuss any options available to you. Contact a company like Eagle Pest Eliminators for more information.