Cockroach balls made with boric acid

This recipe is one of the best to get rid of cockroaches. Out of all the variants I’ve tried, this is the most effective. It’s simple to make and you only need everyday household items.

The fresh onion is what makes this recipe. Cockroaches are attracted to onions so the balls will start working immediately. But as the onion starts to decompose it continues to attract cockroaches. The balls also help to slow the decomposing so they’re effective for quite a while.

Total Time

15 minutes (+ drying time)

Ingredients

  • 200g of boric acid
  • 1 medium onion (You can use onion flakes but they’re not as good)
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1/4 tsp of salt
  • About 100ml of milk

Equipment

  • Metal or ceramic mixing bowl
  • Spoon (not wood or anything porous)
  • Kitchen gloves

Directions

  1. Finely chop up the onion.
  2. Mix together the boric acid, onion, flour, and salt
  3. Add enough milk to the mixture to make it come together into a dough. Pie crust consistency.
  4. Roll into 1-2cm balls. The larger size last longer and are a bit more effective as it contains more onion. The smaller size is better for placing them in smaller spaces. Sometimes there’s not a lot of space behind fridges and dishwashers.
  5. Place them on wax paper and allow them to dry. You could place them like this, but they’ll be sticky and will stick to the surface. Something you’ll have to clean up later.

Where to place them

These are not edible. Do not place them where children or pets can reach them.

  • Behind fridges
  • Behind dishwashers
  • In corners of cupboards, cabinets and drawers
  • Under furniture
  • Under stoves – be careful that the region doesn’t get too hot. Otherwise, the balls will cook.
  • Along floorboards
  • Around the garbage
  • Behind flower pots

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47 Comments

  1. Thanks for the tips.. I’m
    Thanks for the tips.. I’m going to try this. don’t like cockroaches!!

    1. It’s hard to say.

      Over time they may dry out and the attractant won’t be as effective, but they won’t lose their potency. Boric acid will remain effective for many months.

    1. If the cockroaches are taking

      If the cockroaches are taking the bait, you shoudl start seeing dead ones in a few days.

    1. You can use baking paper, but

      You can use baking paper, but it is slightly absorbant. You may get some bait seep through to the floor after a few days. It’ll also accellerate the drying out of the bait.

      The wax paper doesn’t have these problems.

  2. been making Boric balls for
    been making Boric balls for years the first i put them on the floor with nothing under them, took weeks to clean it.I next used the base of an egg carton break into cells can be picked up and moved for sweeping, it also works on mice.

  3. How does this actually kill
    How does this actually kill the cockroaches? Is it a poison that they eat? Will it kill other animals like spiders, geckos etc?

    1. Yes, it’s a poison that theyYes, it’s a poison that they eat. We have a bit of information about how it works on cockroaches here: https://boricacid.net.au/uses-of-boric-acid

      Boric acid can also kill spiders and geckos. Our guides are primarily designed for indoor use. It’s near impossible to target a single pest outdoors.

       

  4. I cockroach balls and while
    I made some cockroach balls and while they were drying on the kitchen sink I had roaches come out and start eating them before i had the chance to place them around the house! So i found out early that the balls work getting the roaches to come out and eat the balls. So I think the boric acid will do the job i bought it for

    1. I’m glad to see you have very

      I’m glad to see you have very obedient and agreeable cockroaches.

  5. I have cockroaches living
    I have cockroaches living inside the door of my dishwasher, if I were to make these balls, place them in a plastic container and put them inside the dishwasher on the floor, would it work? Is it safe? Thank you

    1. Yes, that would work. Just

      Yes, that would work. Just need to give the diswasher a rinse afterwards.

      1. Hi, I tried making the balls
        Hi, I tried making the balls but they wouldn’t set, so I spread the goop around the top of my dishwasher where they were coming from. It looks like they’re finally gone. I was wondering what the best and safest way would be to clean the dishwasher from the boric acid? Especially the lining on the inside of the door where the water doesn’t touch. Thank you :)

        1. With a wet cloth would be

          With a wet cloth would be fine. You could also wear rubber gloves to be on the safe side.

  6. Just wanting to know if this
    Just wanting to know if this will work on German Cockroaches?

    1. Yes, this will also work on

      Yes, this will also work on German Cockroaches.

  7. Hi, i just bought one package
    Hi, i just bought one package and hope to get rid of german cockroach which has been our problems from summer. I have seen them under my microwave but i checked and clean and i still don’t know where they came from (we’ve plaster all the possible opening as well) I will tried this ball and hopefully it will work. My question is, how long should i leave these balls and can i put small balls inside the microwave? then how can i clean it later? many thanks.

    1. Don’t put the balls in the
      Don’t put the balls in the microwave, just put them around. They’re probably just using your microwave for shelter and come out to feed.

    2. The balls will last for a few

      The balls will last for a few months. Thet don’t need to go inside the microwave. They can be thrown in the bin after and a wipe of the surface will clean up any mess.

  8. It works. Takes 3-4 weeks and
    It works. Takes 3-4 weeks and you suddenly realise there is no scurrying in the kitchen when you turn the lights on. I understand I must replace the mix on a regular basis. I am going to do so every 8 weeks. Try it. I was desperate. Have now overcome the cockroach invasion. Thankyou

  9. My experience using them on a
    My experience using them on a live aboard boat was to add fresh ones after 2 weeks to kill any new hatched roaches.

  10. Hi. I made boric acid balls.
    Hi. I made boric acid balls. After a while they became rock hard. Are the cockroaches able to eat that hard thing or did i make it wrong? Also, can i use the boric acid powder alone? Thank you.

  11. just received my boric acid
    just received my boric acid can’t wait to try out these balls and see the results to this pesky pests.

  12. I tried borax for a little Ng
    I tried borax for a little Ng time not realising that they like the stuff and the boron is good for them. Can’t wait to make a batch of cockroach cookies with boric acid because we’ve been plagued by these little blight ears for years. Thank you.

  13. A North Qld lady swears by
    A North Qld lady swears by her recipe and it seems an easier path. 1 tsp Boric Acid 1tsp sugar or honey & 1tsp milk. Mix to a paste consistency and place in milk bottle tops ( no mess )around hidey spots. Do you think that this will work ? I am ready to place an order with you but would like your input on above recipe.Thanks in advance

    1. It does work. I have been
      It does work. I have been using this method for the past 25 years and never had to deal with cockroaches. Boric acid, sugar, milk .. mix to form a dough and lay the little balls around the bathroom, kitchen and any ‘wet’ areas. Just ensure that these balls are not in reach of children and pets.

  14. It does work,you can omit the
    It does work, you can omit the honey. Boric acid + sugar + milk can do as well.

    1. The balls are still effective

      The balls are still effective when they go hard. The cockroaches will still consume them.

  15. No recipe to review, just
    No recipe to review, just mentions onions, but not if raw or boiled to mix with the boric acid so going with the Nth Qld recipe in comments.

  16. I made these balls 1 1/2
    I made these balls 1 1/2 years ago. It worked. I need to make new ones now. I use boric acid, cooked egg yolk and a mashed potato.

  17. I order a tub today and
    I order a tub today and waiting for my delivery to arrive.. hopefully soon!
    We have roaches coming into the house from outside and they don’t seem to be interested in any of the expensive roach gel bait I have purchased (Advion & Maxforce). Wondering if the bait can be left outside near the door to kill them outside rather than waiting for them to get in and eat it indoor? I am 80% certain that their nest is somewhere outside but it is quite difficult to locate it.

    Thank you

    1. If you do leave a bait

      If you do leave a bait outside you need to ensure only your targetted critters can get to it. You wouldn’t want pets or other animals consuming it.

  18. I made this and my mix came out a bit runny, but I set up some smeary looking little ball things on baking paper and put them in the pantry where most of the roach action has been. It appears they had a bit of a feast and I haven’t seen or heard from any of them since and its been 2 days. I guess I’ll leave the bait in there in case there are more, but seems to have worked amazingly well, thank you.

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