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Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, is a versatile household product that can be surprisingly effective against a range of pests, including rats, bedbugs, cockroaches (often referred to as “cafards”), and other insects. Here’s a look at how you can use just a glass of baking soda to help manage these unwanted guests in your home.
How Baking Soda Works Against Pests
Dehydrating Agent: Baking soda can absorb the moisture from the bodies of insects like bedbugs and cockroaches, leading to dehydration and death.
Disruption of Digestive System: When ingested by pests such as rats and cockroaches, baking soda can cause internal disturbances leading to their demise. This is because baking soda reacts with the acidic stomach contents to produce carbon dioxide gas, which these pests cannot expel effectively, causing internal pressure.
Methods to Use Baking Soda for Pest Control
1. Baking Soda and Sugar Bait for Cockroaches and Ants:
Ingredients:
1 part baking soda
1 part sugar
Preparation:
Mix baking soda with sugar in equal parts. Sugar attracts the pests, and the baking soda kills them.
Application:
Sprinkle the mixture along the areas where pests are frequently seen, like under sinks, along baseboards, and behind appliances.
Note:
Replace the mixture periodically to maintain its effectiveness.
2. Baking Soda for Bedbugs:
Application:
Apply baking soda directly to mattress seams, bed frames, and other areas where bedbugs are suspected.
Leave it for a few days before vacuuming up the baking soda thoroughly.
Repeat the process multiple times to ensure effectiveness.
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