Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate (Borax)

When there is a pest problem in the home, not only is it worrisome because of the chances the insect infestation will grow out of control, but it can also be worrisome if toxic chemicals may need to be applied. For people who have pets and children, they may want a more natural means of control that is safer. One active ingredient that can successfully eliminate a number of different household pests that has been used for years as a natural pest control option is Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate or Borax.

Solutions Pest & Lawn is proud to carry products that contain Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate as the main active ingredient. Shop our Borax products exclusively on this page as well as learn some background info and facts regarding this great pest control active ingredient.

What Is Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate?

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate, also known as Borax, is an important boron compound, a mineral and a salt of Boric Acid. This active ingredient is a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.

Borax is used for a wide range of applications with the most common application being that of a cleaning agent.  Borax is also utilized as an ingredient in cosmetics, household detergents and many other uses. Aside from these uses, this versatile compound is also great for home pest control.

Borax is ground into a fine powder for the prevention of pests in the home and is applied in indoor cracks and crevices, wall voids, and other hard to reach areas where conventional pesticides are not feasible or effective. Insecticides containing Borax are able to successfully control ants, cockroaches, silverfish, and fleas. The active ingredient also works as a fungicide and herbicide.  

How Does Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate Work?

Mode of Action

The mode of action for Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate and what makes it so effective in pest control is its ability to kill insects without using toxic chemicals that could be dangerous for the applicator to inhale or ingest. When applied, the Borax acts as a stomach poison to the insects which come into contact with the active ingredient or consume it.

Aside from being a stomach poison, most Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate is also abrasive to insect exoskeletons. Sodium tetraborate decahydrate can also be used to prevent the growth of fungi by affecting the production of reproductive spores. Borax also works as an herbicide by interrupting the photosynthesis, hindering growth and ATP production.

Benefits of Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate is an effective pest control active ingredient and is relatively safe compared to other active ingredients. 

Use Borax to treat for ants, roaches and other labeled household pests that are infesting structures indoors or outdoors.

Drawbacks of Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate on its own is not attractive or something that will lure insects to the active ingredient, so if the target pest doesn't come near it, it won't do and killing and can be rather ineffective. That is why you need to apply the active ingredient where the pests frequent so they will have no choice but to encounter it either by crawling over the product or curiously eating and ingesting it as they forage. That being said, the active ingredient is sometimes used in bait products that contain other ingredients that can serve as attractants.

Do not use Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate when treating insects that have piercing mouthparts or feed on plant juices or blood (like bed bugs, mites, lice, aphids) as they will not be interested in ingesting Borax. 

Is Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate Safe?

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate is safe to apply when applied according to label directions. It is advisable that when applying the product, keep children and pets away and wear the proper protective equipment such as a protective mask and eyewear.

What to Expect

Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate or Borax is not a product that will produce immediate eliminate of the target pest, you will have to be patient if you choose this method of control. It could take a few days for after the target insect ingests the active ingredient to succumb to the effects of this slow-killing active ingredient, between 48 to 72 hours. 

For Sodium Tetraborate Decahydrate that comes in dust form, you should use a handheld pesticide duster to get a more precise application where the pests are hiding.

In most cases, using Borax alone may not be enough to control a heavy insect infestation and should be used alongside other insecticide products so if one active ingredient or treatment method doesn't succeed in killing the insects, the other one will.

Featured Products

Intice Rover Ant Bait - InTice Rover Ant Bait is a liquid bait from Rockwell Labs specifically designed for Rover ants that have become such a large problem in the south over the past few years. With a consistency similar to Thiquid, Intice Rover Ant Bait contains 5% sodium tetraborate decahydrate. This product is taken by the worker ants back to the nest and shared with the colony, providing a great knockdown.

Cymex Natural Bed Bug Spray - Cymex natural bed bug spray kills on contact better than any other natural spray on the market and with the least amount of scent. Cymex is your green solution to bed bugs. Cymex is also labeled for fleas, dust mites, carpet beetles and household fungus.