When pests invade your garden, they can be harmful to plants. Getting rid of these bugs quickly can minimize damage and save your plants. Borax is used in gardens to eliminate certain pests, like ants, and to help keep plants healthy. We’ve gathered information about borax and how it can be used in your garden.
What is Borax?
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral. It is composed of boron, sodium, and oxygen. This white powder is also known as sodium tetraborate decahydrate. Borax is used in a variety of things including cosmetics, cleaning products, and pesticides.
Where Can You Get Borax?
Borax powder can be found in many large grocery and big-box stores in the laundry detergent aisle. Look for an all-natural laundry detergent called 20 Mule Team Borax. It has been on the market for 100+ years.
How Does Borax Kill Pests?
When borax is consumed, it disrupts the digestive system of pests including ants, cockroaches, and other crawling pests. After consuming borax, pests typically die within 24-48 hours. Borax is also abrasive and can weaken the exoskeletons of pests.
How to Get Rid of Garden Pests with Borax
Borax can help protect your garden from pests. Check out how to use borax to keep your garden free of hungry bugs.
Clean & Disinfect Gardening Tools
Cleaning your gardening tools is one way to prevent pests. If you regularly clean your garden shovel and shears, pests are less likely to be transferred to different plants. This can also prevent diseases from spreading. You can soak your tools in a mixture of borax and water. After a few minutes, scrub and rinse your tools.
Strengthen Soil
Borax can be mixed with soil before planting your plants. This can help to strengthen soil that has a boron deficiency. Placing plants in the right soil can help to keep them healthy. If your plants are in good condition, they will be less susceptible to pests. Just make sure you don’t add too much borax. Your plants won’t be happy if boron levels become too high.
Get Rid of Ants
Ants can be problematic in gardens. They aren’t afraid to snack on any vegetables they can find. These pests also protect aphids that like to feed on plants. These plant pests secrete honeydew, which ants love to eat. Borax can help to eliminate an ant infestation. Our No Spill Ant Kill bait stations contain borax. They can be placed near your garden where ants can find them. Ants feed on the bait and carry it back to the nest where they share with the colony. This attacks ants at the source of the problem and will help keep your garden free of these pests.
It’s always frustrating when garden pests attack your plants. Borax can help keep your plants healthy. If pests are bugging you, we have your back! Check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products for a more environmentally and family-friendly solution.