Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Boric Acid

General Information

• Fact Sheet: Boric Acid.pdf
• Product Names:

  Bora-Care (Nisus)
  Boracide (Nisus)
  Jecta (Nisus)
  Mold Care (Nisus)
  Mold-Clean (Nisus)
  NiBan (Nisus)
  NiBor-D (Nisus)
  Nisus DSV (Nisus)
  Tim-bor Professional (Nisus)
  Hot Shot MaxAttrax Ultra Brand Ant Bait (Spectrum Brands)
  Bonide Roach Powder (Bonide Products)
  Enforcer Exterminator Plus 1 Year Flea Control II (Enforcer Products) 

• Chemical Class: Boron compound
• Uses: Insecticide, fungicide, herbicide
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Least-toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Not documented
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (7)
• Neurotoxicity: Not documented
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Not documented
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (7)
• Birth/Developmental: Yes (7)
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Not documented
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented

Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database

• Bed Bugs
• Carpenter Ants
• Carpenter Bees
• Centipedes
• Fleas
• Wasps and Yellowjackets
• Termites
• Ants
• Cockroaches
• Mold
• Pantry Moths
• Ground Ivy
• Carpet Beetle

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligability Decision (RED) signed (9/1993)
• Supporting information:
  • Daily News Blog entries (Beyond Pesticides)
  • Northwest Coaltion for Alternatives to Pesticides Boric Acid Fact Sheet
  • PAN Pesticides Database: Boric Acid (Pesticide Action Network)
• Studies:
  • Boric Acid Outperforms Dursban® In School District IPM Program for Cockroaches. Daar, S. 1988. The IPM Practitioner10(4):5. Bio-Integral Research Center, Berkeley, CA.