sante Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 When those tiny pesky ants began scouting my bed, it was time for action. None of the ant traps offered in the local stores and Tops were effective so I finally tried the home made boric acid solution--boric acid, sugar & water. Amazingly it worked. I put a capful of the stuff in my kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. I noticed a reduction after the 1st day and by day 4 all the ants had disappeared. I even left a sink full of dirty dishes for a few hours as a test and not one ant made an appearance. I bought the boric acid at Union Science on Doi Suthep road near the intersection with Nimmanheiman, and paid about 255 baht (forgot the exact price) for 500 grams. My specific recipe isn't repeatable because I didn't pay attention to exact proportions when mixing it up. I really didn't expect it to work. Next time, when the ants return as I'm sure they eventually will, I'll follow the advice found online at www.food.com/recipe/get-rid-of-ants-ants-ants-203233 The site also includes good tips from people who have used the offered recipe. My batch did dry up after a day and the powder clumped so had to add more sugar/water mixture and then remix the capful with a toothpick. Using a cotton ball in a jar, as suggested in the online recipe would probably keep the solution effective for a longer time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beau thai Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Great post -many thanks. A common problem in need of a solution and it seems you have found it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seabear Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 What is Boric Acid in Thai ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seajae Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 do you realize that some thais use it in their cooking(makes food crispy or something), blew me away when I found out, there are 2 types, the one for cooking and the one to kill ants, its stronger. I buy it online from a store in Phuket, works a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfalfa19 Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 It works very well on cockroaches as well. I make a paste of the acid, sugar, flour, and water. The roaches eat it, and return to the nest, where they die. At this point, he is eaten by the other roaches, and they die as well. I leave a little pile of acid lying around, when I see a roach, I roll him around in it, until he is all white, and then release him. He carries the payload back to the nest, for his colleagues to enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMHomeboy78 Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 What is Boric Acid in Thai ? According to my Thai wife, there is no Thai word for boric acid. I also checked the So Sethaputra, English-Thai dictionary - one of the best - and boric acid was listed and defined, but as my wife said, no Thai word for it. So I guess they just call it boric acid, with maybe a slight difference in pronunciation. I have heard that boric acid was a good ant killer before and I'm looking forward to trying it. Honey and bacon grease are sometimes recommended as well as sugar and water. I'll try them all and see what works best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sante Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 According to a previous post on ThaiVisa there is a Thai word for boric acid - กรดบอริก" (kurot buric) It's that discussion that gave me the idea to try boric acid as an insecticide. After several sleepless nights, hunting ants in my bed with my Kindle light I searched the forums for possible solutions. Here's the link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/665024-where-can-i-buy-boric-acid-in-pattaya/?p=6792489&hl=%2Bboric+%2Bacid But if you buy the powder at Union Science, you don't need the Thai translation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seabear Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 do you realize that some thais use it in their cooking(makes food crispy or something), blew me away when I found out, there are 2 types, the one for cooking and the one to kill ants, its stronger. I buy it online from a store in Phuket, works a treat. I'd like to get some of that stuff. Where in Phuket do you buy it? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seajae Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 do you realize that some thais use it in their cooking(makes food crispy or something), blew me away when I found out, there are 2 types, the one for cooking and the one to kill ants, its stronger. I buy it online from a store in Phuket, works a treat. I should have taken my meds earlier, I was talking of Borax, not Boric acid even though boric acid is derived from borax, sorry guys for any confusion, will make sure I have taken my pills next time before I put my foot in my mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CobraSnakeNecktie Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Union Science is going to be selling mostly lab grade chemicals. They are going to be much more expensive. They are going to be better quality in terms of water content and reliable levels of purity. Try a place like chemical supplier a few hundred meters to the east on Suthep road. Same side of road. I don't know if they carry it but if they do its going to be a fraction of the price per kg. I think that shop might carry boric acid. If your walking by it's a shop with a lot of white ~20 kg sacks piled up. (might not be 20 kg... just a guess) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tchooptip Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 interesting my bath room is invaded by "giant" ants, I am a little scare because if it stings you it hurts like hell. By the way why not move to general topics ? Could be interesting for many people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rice555 Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Hello All, you can order/EMS from BKK. I got this in Korat rice555 PS, they also have borax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMHomeboy78 Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 According to a previous post on ThaiVisa there is a Thai word for boric acid - กรดบอริก" (kurot buric) It's that discussion that gave me the idea to try boric acid as an insecticide. After several sleepless nights, hunting ants in my bed with my Kindle light I searched the forums for possible solutions. Here's the link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/665024-where-can-i-buy-boric-acid-in-pattaya/?p=6792489&hl=%2Bboric+%2Bacid But if you buy the powder at Union Science, you don't need the Thai translation. Sorry to give what seemed like misinformation, but the Thai term you quote is a transliteration of "boric", and kurot is acid. Not important really, the main thing is that we sock it to those ants! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seabear Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 Hello All, you can order/EMS from BKK. I got this in Korat rice555 PS, they also have borax A picture is worth a thousand words. Napoleon Bonaparte Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/napoleonbo100895.html#UGXudczes2y2JEv3.99 A picture is worth a thousand words. Napoleon Bonaparte Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/napoleonbo100895.html#UGXudczes2y2JEv3.99 A picture is worth a thousand words. Napoleon Bonaparte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FolkGuitar Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 Boric Acid will work to kill off most crawling insects. Loaded into a plastic ketchup squeeze bottle as powder and squirted into the baseboard cracks, behind cabinets, under appliances, etc., it will clear a house of just about anything that crawls. In the case of cockroaches, if they walk through the powder it will not kill them instantly, but allow them time to get back to the nest where they will die and get eaten by their neighbors, who in turn will die and get eaten as well (karma?) quickly killing off the entire nest. Boric Acid will kill any critter with an exoskeleton just by contact, and if you mix it with any sugar, flour, or grease to attract other insects, kill by ingestion. Exact recipes are NOT needed. Bugs don't give a damn about Michelin Restaurant Ratings. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippybangkok Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 . Bugs don't give a dam_n about Michelin Restaurant Ratings. Post of the day Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narkeddiver Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 . Bugs don't give a dam_n about Michelin Restaurant Ratings. Post of the day Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Actually you would think that but there are several post in the Chiang Mai forum of Cockroach Visa discussing the merits of the different recipes of boric acid available at various households in the neighbourhood - lots of arguments and nasty posts - plus an obligatory rain post Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FolkGuitar Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 . Bugs don't give a dam_n about Michelin Restaurant Ratings.Post of the day Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app Actually you would think that but there are several post in the Chiang Mai forum of Cockroach Visa discussing the merits of the different recipes of boric acid available at various households in the neighbourhood - lots of arguments and nasty posts - plus an obligatory rain post Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app If you go to any drugstore in Japan to buy Boric Acid, they will give you a printed sheet for 'hosandango,' little cookies that you bake with boric acid, flour, salt, sugar, and grated onion. These become rock-hard after slow baking, and get placed in the back of cupboards, cabinets, behind the fridge, under the sink, etc., to remain in place to kill off any six-legged intruders who may arrive after the first infestation has died off. We just used the 'squirt the powder in the cracks' method, which worked for us. I'll be dammed if I'm going to feed the buggers. About 40 years ago, some enterprising fellow began selling a 'magic cockroach killer,' peddling it in the various slum neighborhoods in Manhattan. As roaches were pretty much the standard floor covering at night in the tenements in these areas, and regular bug sprays didn't seem to even make a dent in the population, even thoough he was charging about $20 a can for his stuff, once the word got out that it actually worked, everyone was beating a path to his door to buy it... ... until a chemist analyzed the stuff and let the world know that it was just plain boric acid powder. About 50¢ worth for $20. The vendor disappeared quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenside Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 Here's a handy and informative link 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Baloo22 Posted November 9, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted November 9, 2013 Union Science is going to be selling mostly lab grade chemicals. They are going to be much more expensive. They are going to be better quality in terms of water content and reliable levels of purity. Try a place like chemical supplier a few hundred meters to the east on Suthep road. Same side of road. I don't know if they carry it but if they do its going to be a fraction of the price per kg. I think that shop might carry boric acid. If your walking by it's a shop with a lot of white ~20 kg sacks piled up. (might not be 20 kg... just a guess) I found the chemical supply shop that you are talking about. It is located on Suthep Road right about here. I mentioned Boric Acid and show him กรด BORIC and the man knew exactly what I was talking about. 90baht for one kilo. (which would be enough for a several appartments/condos). I mixed a batch of ant-killer goo/paste with 2parts Boric acid, 2 parts regular sugar, and 1part water. Went a little high on the water but that did not seem to matter. Stired well for about 10 minutes. Placed several small dabs down on some plastic from a store packaging box and placed it down near where the ants were active. Did not take their scouts 15min to find the stuff and before long bunches were feeding and taking it back to their nest. Went on for about 24 hours and then stopped. It's been 48hours and I do not see any ants around. Victory !! Ants eating the mix. Ants taking the mix home to the nest. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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