This tip seems too simple to work but I can testify it truly does work. I have even had professionals ask me to stop sharing it with folks, it is that effective.
To rid your home of bugs such as cockroaches: Clean and dry thoroughly inside all kitchen and bath cabinets and along the baseboards. Get a box of 20 mule team Borax. NOT Borateem. (find this in the laundry section at the grocery). Open the box and take a plastic spoon, scoop out a level spoonful or a little less. Carefully place a thin line of borax along the edges of all your cabinets, baseboards, under the sink and in bottom cabinets, tipping the spoon and tapping gently to sprinkle the powder. This is a bit tedious but it is a cheap and effective way to get rid of the bugs permanently. The important thing to remember is to place the borax on a clean, DRY surface and if the powder gets damp or wet, clean it up with a wet cloth, dry area and re-apply. Bugs should disappear within a few days to a week.
To rid your home of fleas: Clean and vacuum the floor well. Sprinkle Borax across all floor surfaces: carpet, hardwood, tile etc. Let stay a day or two and vacuum up. (It is OK to walk on it but don't let kids play in it and keep pets from licking it off their feet. It isn't poisonous but I don't imagine it's healthy for them either.)
I have used these techniques many times in my own and other's homes to great effect. The key is to keep it dry, it becomes ineffective when damp.
By Sara from Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Editor's Note: Borax is poisonous but it takes quite a lot to make you sick. If you can close off one room at a time of do this when you will be gone for the day with the pets elsewhere, it would be best.
This is a page about borax for fleas. Pet owners are frequently searching for alternatives to commercial chemical products for controlling and eliminating fleas.
