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Boric acid (Borax)

Boric acid is a low-toxicity mineral with insecticidal, fungicidal, and herbicidal properties. It does not evaporate into the air and poses no danger to the human health and the environment. A dilute water solution of boric acid is commonly used as a mild antiseptic and eyewash. Boric acid is also used in leather manufacture, electroplating, and cosmetics.

Borax solution

(Olkowski; et. al. 1991 : pp.238-239 ; 1995 : pp. 224-225)

Materials needed

  • 4 tsp of Borax
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 3 cups of water
  • 3-6 screw-top containers
  • Cotton balls
  • Adhesive tape

    • How to prepare?

    1. Dissolve sugar and borax into the water.
    2. Loosely pack half of the container with the cotton balls.
    3. Pour bait into the containers.
    4. Make 2-3 small holes in the center of the lid (cover), large enough for ants to enter.
    5. Cover the container and seal it with an adhesive tape.

    How to use?

    1. Look for the ant hill or its nesting place. Place several baits around the mound.
    2. Place bait in a strategic area to divert ants' attention to go to your plants.

    Pests controlled

    1. Ants

    Reminders

  • Try to experiment on the strength of your bait. When a great number of ants die near your bait, the mixture is too strong, and when they keep coming in for more than a week, the mixture is weak. It is important that the worker ants are able to come back to their colony to share the bait to their younger brood. In this way, the ant population is decreased.
  • Always keep your bait moist.

    • Standard procedures for the preparation and application of homemade extracts

    1. Spray in the early morning or late afternoon.
    2. Use utensils for the extract preparation that are not use for your food preparation and for drinking and cooking water containers. Clean properly all the utensils every time after using them.
    3. Do not have a direct contact with the crude extract while in the process of the preparation and during the application.
    4. Make sure that you place the extract out of reach of children and house pets while leaving it overnight.
    5. Harvest all the mature and ripe fruits before extract application.
    6. Always test the extract formulation on a few infected plants first before going into large scale spraying. When adding soap as an emulsifier, use a potash-based one.
    7. Wear protective clothing while applying the extract.
    8. Wash your hands after handling the extract.



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    References


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