Is it safe to put boric acid in my house?

[MamaBearTeacher]

We have a wasp nest that settled between the roof and wall of our house on the inside. This happened before and in the fall the wasps came into our house. Can I put some boric acid powder in that space to kill them before sealing the hole or is it just as bad as any pesticide? Is it different than Borax, the cleaner?

[Faithr]

I used boric acid to get rid of roaches a long time ago.  I lined all my kitchen cupboards, counters and along the walls and I lived!  I was just very careful not to let food get anywhere near it and I washed everything carefully.  I think since the boric acid is going to be nowhere near you, that it wouldn't be dangerous.  In fact, I just turned up this article that says it is only slightly more toxic than table salt.  

[Guest]

Nope, they're pretty much the same thing.

http://momprepares.com/borax-vs-boric-acid-for-pest-control-safe-and-effective/

 

And yes, very safe. I keep it with my other powdered cleaners and laundry detergent.

Edited August 2, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[heartlikealion]

I have read about it a couple of times. I'd say it's considered mostly safe, but probably not 100%. You might want to consider food-grade Diatomaceous Earth instead. That is what we put down inside the home when our cat had fleas. It was the only thing I felt comfortable with. And I was pregnant at the time so it was extra important to me to use something very tame. Of course, wear a mask if you're the one handling it as it can irritate the lungs.

[EKS]

Maybe this will help:  https://dengarden.com/pest-control/boric-acid-toxicity-table-sale-insecticide-sugar

[Katy]

Borax is a strong base and is toxic to children and pets.  Diatomaceous Earth is a mineral routinely added to grain products these days and is completely safe as long as you don't get the kind mixed with chemicals for pest control at the Hardware store.  Order the food-grade kind online (I get it at Amazon).  You can put it anywhere and the worst thing that will happen to those you love is getting dry skin and potentially killing intestinal parasites.  If you want to cover the whole house, spend the extra $8 and get a duster.  It sprays a fine mist of the dust around so you don't have to accidentally inhale it while trying to toss it around like chicken feed.

[heartlikealion]

Borax is a strong base and is toxic to children and pets.  Diatomaceous Earth is a mineral routinely added to grain products these days and is completely safe as long as you don't get the kind mixed with chemicals for pest control at the Hardware store.  Order the food-grade kind online (I get it at Amazon).  You can put it anywhere and the worst thing that will happen to those you love is getting dry skin and potentially killing intestinal parasites.  If you want to cover the whole house, spend the extra $8 and get a duster.  It sprays a fine mist of the dust around so you don't have to accidentally inhale it while trying to toss it around like chicken feed.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SW52CE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's the one dh used. He wore a mask, anyway.

 

[lllll]

nm

Edited November 9, 2016 by cathey