Sprinkle a combination of equal parts borax and sugar — the sugar attracts the bugs, and the borax eliminates them.
Seven Ways to Use Borax Around the House
Borax, chemically known as sodium borate, is a natural mineral salt with a wide variety of uses around the home — it can work as a laundry detergent booster, a cleaner, a deodorizer, and even a pest deterrent. Because of its high alkalinity you should handle it a bit more carefully than, say, baking soda (it's a mild skin irritant and can be toxic in large amounts), but used normally it's safe around the family, and at 6 or 7 dollars for a 76-ounce box, it's hard to beat the value for the number of chores it covers.
Keep Roaches, Waterbugs, and Ants Away
Keep Mice Out
Sprinkle borax on the floor along the wall to help keep mice from coming inside.
Get Rid of Bed Bugs
Sprinkle borax on your mattress, let it sit for about 30 minutes, then vacuum it up.
Kill Fleas or Dust Mites
Sprinkle borax on your carpet, let it sit for an hour, then vacuum thoroughly.
Kill Weeds
Sprinkle a small amount of borax where weeds have appeared before, like driveway cracks and walkways — but keep it away from garden beds, since it will kill your plants too.
Remove Dishwasher Water Spots
Add a tablespoon of borax to your dishwasher to help remove water spots.
Remove Carpet Stains and Odors
Mix 1/4 cup of borax with 1 cup of water, dissolve, and spray or pour directly on the stain — it works especially well on pet accidents. Borax can also be added to each load of laundry to boost your detergent's cleaning power.
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