Warm weather just seems to bring out the bugs! If your temperatures are heating up and bugs are invading, you might just want to read on! And, I think, so many of us especially HATE cockroaches! These nasties are one of my least favorite…. So, this week, I thought I would share with you our favorite approach to eradicating these buggers! A homemade cockroach bait!
Why I like this cockroach bait…
The cockroaches eat the bait and then take it back to their nest, where they wipe out their brethren.
It lasts for 4 to 5 months!
The bait is super simple to make with only 2 ingredients!
But, most importantly, IT WORKS!!!! And that comes from one someone who lives in the jungle of Costa Rica…. I’ve been making this recipe for almost a decade, and it works great!
What do you need to make your own bait?
Just two ingredients…
One egg yolk
50 grams of boric acid (conveniently, where I live, it often comes in 50 gram packs like above)
That’s it! Well, and a pair of gloves.
Pin it now to save it for later!
How do you make your own cockroach bait?
In a small bowl, I add an egg yolk (just the yolk) from one large egg.
Using gloves, I then open my 50 gram pack of boric acid and carefully pour the powder on top of the egg yolk.
Then I use my gloved fingers to combine the two ingredients until they are well mixed.
Next, I form the mixture into lots of small balls around 1/2 inch in size then place on a plate or metal pan to air dry for a few hours.
Once the boric acid balls (cockroach bait) are dry, I then place them around the house:
- kitchen and bathroom cabinets
- window sills
- shelves
- I even put a few outside on our deck to try to catch them before they even enter the house!
Any place where I will not vacuum or sweep them up in the next 4 or 5 months! Since roaches love to look for kitchen scraps, I make sure that I place plenty in the kitchen cabinets!
I use this recipe at our house, as well as our rental house Casa Buena Vista next door!
How long does it take to work?
I find that the cockroaches start appearing and acting strangely in the days thereafter (ahem, they are being poisoned), but it tends to take a couple of weeks for the effects to be fully realized.
After the first couple weeks, the effects tend to last for around 4 to 5 months. I usually just wait until I start to see living cockroaches again and then whip up a fresh batch and replace the old bait.
This approach works wonders, as the roaches that ingest the cockroach bait take it back to their nests and wipe out many of their brethren!
Is the homemade cockroach bait safe?
Boric acid is an odorless, naturally occurring compound, comprised of boron, oxygen, and hydrogen. It can, however, act as a skin irritant or hazard upon inhalation, so please minimize contact! Use gloves, and don’t inhale or ingest the powder.
Be sure to keep the boric acid balls away from kids or pets that might ingest them.
Boric acid vs borax
Boric acid is NOT the same as borax. Although both are composed of boron, borax is typically used as a laundry detergent or additive.
So, to make our cockroach bait, we want to use boric acid, which is more commonly used as an insecticide.
Want to learn more about boric acid and its pesticide qualities? Check out this link.
Homemade or Store-bought?
Not interested in making your own boric acid balls? Commercial products are available in stores, but if I can make it myself, I much prefer to do so! This recipe is so inexpensive and so effective!
What are your favorite DIY ways to control insects in your home or garden?
To see recipes and more from our Costa Rican homestead, check out Jungle Living with Jill on Pinterest!
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