While there are many options for cockroach control in pest management, one of the most overwhelmingly popular choices is boric acid. From its performance to its composition to its history, the active is the primary choice of many technicians.
According to Mallis Handbook of Pest Control, cockroaches are controlled by contact and by ingestion of boric acid (Ebeling et al. 1975). It is described in Mallis as somewhat of a “mystery” as to how boric acid works on roaches. However, the reference guide describes that “results from recent histological studies suggest that death in German cockroaches from ingesting boric acid may be due to changes in their midgut, ultimately resulting in starvation (Habes et al. 2006).”
Another Mallis reference reported that when properly applied, the dust formulation is only slightly repellent to cockroaches (Ebeling et al. 1966). Applications of boric acid to wall voids and other protected areas provide long-term residual control of pests.
Kevin Hathorne, technical director of Terminix, Columbia, S.C., says that boric acid’s composition is what makes it a good product.
“Boric acid is an active ingredient used in many effective pesticides,” Hathorne said. “It is non-repellent, toxic to insects that consume it, and has almost no mammalian toxicity. Since it is made from boron, a naturally occurring element, it doesn’t break down in the environment giving it a very long residual life.”
Chad Highly, A.C.E, owner of Environmental Pest Control of Lawton, Okla., is a big proponent of utilizing boric acid as active ingredient in cockroach control products.
“Boric acid is a wonderful ‘AI’ as it does not typically have any repellent properties, nor does it tend to break down thus diminishing its efficacy. These qualities also make it very versatile in that it can be added to various types of baits, applied via an aqueous carrier, or simply applied as a dust, plus numerous other creative ways.
“Also, because of the low mammalian toxicity it can be used in sensitive accounts or specific areas that are contraindicated by other product labels,” he said.
Boric acid is also a popular active for cockroach control because it comes as a dust and a gel, allowing technicians to have true flexibility when applying it.
A study (Buczkowski et al. 2001) referenced in Mallis compared the transfer of several ingredients – including boric acid – in baits and the results showed that both first and second instar German cockroach nymphs and adults were killed when boric acid was utilized.
Separately, a study that observed secondary kill of adult cockroaches after they cannibalized nymphs fed boric acid (Gahlhoff et al. 1999) further emphasized the performance of the active, among other ingredients.
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