# Small hive beetles and Boric Acid



## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

No i haven't but boric acid can be bought at walmart. Its very cheap. I make the same traps they work


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## Joseph310 (Nov 27, 2014)

Boric acid is just borax. You can buy 20 mule team borax in the laundry Ilse .


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

Joseph310 said:


> Boric acid is just borax. You can buy 20 mule team borax in the laundry Ilse .


No, they are not. Borax is Na2B4O7·10H2O Boric Acid is Hydrogen Borate, H3BO3.


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Boric acid and Borax are not the same but you can make boric acid out of borax really easy.Look at it on youtube.


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## Joseph310 (Nov 27, 2014)

Borax and boric acid are essentially the same thing and normally associated with making homemade laundry soap. Both materials contain the element boron. Usually, Borax is mined and refined from tourmaline, kernite, and colemanite. Boric acid is mined from the mineral sassolite.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

IMO it's not a good idea to use borax that way. Too easy for beetles to drag it all over the hive. After the beetles eat the Crisco there is nothing keeping it in place. Bees will also remove what they can reach as they do with grease patties. 

SBB with DE or oil is the most effective way to reduce beetles. 

Swiffer pads will be just as effective as borax bait only safer.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Boric acid is not borax, although they are chemical cousins. Borax is not acidic, and the acid effect of boric acid is one of the things about it that makes it deadly.

I've used boric acid powder to kill roaches ... works a treat. Literally, they gobble it up like candy.


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## Hunny’s Honey (Aug 2, 2021)

FlowerPlanter said:


> IMO it's not a good idea to use borax that way. Too easy for beetles to drag it all over the hive. After the beetles eat the Crisco there is nothing keeping it in place. Bees will also remove what they can reach as they do with grease patties.
> 
> SBB with DE or oil is the most effective way to reduce beetles.
> 
> Swiffer pads will be just as effective as borax bait only safer.


 Can you please explain how to use a swifter pad to kill beetles? Thank you!


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## ifixoldhouses (Feb 27, 2019)

Hunny’s Honey said:


> Can you please explain how to use a swifter pad to kill beetles? Thank you!


I use Dixie towels, kinda the same material, you cut long strips and place one at the back of each super about 3" wide. The bees rough them up and the beetles legs get caught, and they starve to death.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

@FlowerPlanter

IMO it's not a good idea to use borax that way. Too easy for beetles to drag it all over the hive. After the beetles eat the Crisco there is nothing keeping it in place. Bees will also remove what they can reach as they do with grease patties. 

They are stapled to the center rear of the bottom board. The method is cheap and very effective. Although I have heard of differing results by geographic location, much like any other treatment of honey bee pest.


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## Hunny’s Honey (Aug 2, 2021)

ifixoldhouses said:


> I use Dixie towels, kinda the same material, you cut long strips and place one at the back of each super about 3" wide. The bees rough them up and the beetles legs get caught, and they starve to death.


Thanks for the tip! I will try this.


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