---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Steve Litt Date: Thu, Jun 4, 2015 at 12:25 PM Subject: Re: ot - boric acid and cockroaches To: LINUX-L@lists.ufl.edu On Thu, 4 Jun 2015 10:48:55 -0400 David Nessl wrote: > Boric acid also works great to stop a flea infestation. For many > years I've used a Ph neutral, finer ground version: > http://www.amazon.com/Fleabusters-59111-1-Rx-Fleas-Plus/dp/B000MS6Q2Q If you have a bad flea infestation, boric acid is *part* of the solution, because you need to hit the fleas at all four parts of their life cycle: Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult . First, you need to deflea your dogs and cats and keep them defleaed. To kill existing adult fleas in your house, Boric acid helps a lot. Throw it on all your carpets, then broom it in. There should be no clumps or obvious piles: Clumps and piles somehow warn the fleas to stay away. With a severe infestation, you know, the kind of thing where you can't live comfortably in your house, or perhaps when you walk barefoot it quickly looks like you're wearing black socks, you must vacuum every day and put down more boric acid. This implies *a lot* more than 3 pounds. You can buy 80 pound bags. Right after vacuuming, you throw down handfuls of boric acid, and sweep them into rugs until the rug is a little lighter. The boric acid kills the adults. The vibration of the vacuum makes the pupae turn into adults who can be killed by tomorrow's boric acid. The vacuum does a fairly good job of picking up the eggs and larvae so that they never get a chance to turn into pupae. Obviously, empty your vacuum afterward. This is *not* the time to worry about the cost of vacuum bags. After a week or two you can live in your house without using insect repellant. After probably a month you have no fleas, of any life stage, at all, and will probably stay that way for years if you keep your dogs and cats treated for fleas. One thing: Boric acid is an acid: It's not good for your carpeting. Use a good, strong vacuum, and once you've eliminated the fleas, stop using the boric acid and just vacuum. You don't want the boric acid permanently settling into your carpet. What I outlined is vast overkill for the majority of situations, but if you ever come home after being gone a few days and all of a sudden your bare ankles look like they're wearing black socks, you need to go all-in, and this is how I successfully defeated the fleas the one time they took over my house. SteveT Steve Litt June 2015 featured book: The Key to Everyday Excellence http://www.troubleshooters.com/key -- :-)~MIKE~(-: