How To Use Baking Soda to Kill Pests - COCKROACHES, BEDBUGS, ANTS, MICE, Etc

Summary

This video script offers creative uses of baking soda for pest control in and around the home. It details methods to effectively kill cockroaches, centipedes, snails, slugs, ants, mice, rats, fleas, and bed bugs using baking soda in various forms like powder, paste, or combined with other substances. The script also touches on baking soda's role as a fungicide and its potential effects on plants, emphasizing the importance of using fresh baking soda for optimal results.

Takeaways

• 🐞 Baking soda can be used as an insecticide but requires the insects to ingest it for it to be effective.
• 🍰 To kill cockroaches with baking soda, mix it with sugar to make it more palatable, as they are not naturally attracted to baking soda.
• 💥 Baking soda reacts with the water in a cockroach's body, causing it to expand and crush the insect from the inside due to their rigid exoskeleton.
• 🌱 Baking soda can be used to deter centipedes from climbing drains by creating a CO2-rich environment when mixed with vinegar.
• 🐌 Sprinkling baking soda on snails and slugs can kill them, but it's a slow and potentially inhumane method.
• 🐜 Baking soda can kill ants if they consume it, causing dehydration due to the expansion of the soda inside their bodies.
• 🐭 Baking soda, when ingested by mice or rats, can be lethal due to their inability to expel the gas buildup caused by the soda's reaction with water.
• 🐶 A mixture of baking soda and salt can be used to kill fleas by dehydrating them, and it can also be applied to pets' fur.
• 🛏️ Bed bugs can be killed by a baking soda paste that dehydrates them and may cause internal bleeding.
• 🌿 Baking soda can be used as a fungicide to treat powdery mildew on plants and can also encourage certain plants to bloom.
• 🌳 While baking soda can be beneficial for plants, it's important to use it cautiously as it can inhibit plant growth if it seeps into the soil.

Q & A

How can baking soda be used as an effective pest control?

Baking soda can be used in various forms such as pastes, homemade sprays, and sprinkles for pest control. It's crucial to know the right application method for different pests, including mixing with sugar to attract cockroaches or using a baking soda and vinegar rinse for centipedes in drains.

Why won't baking soda repel pests on its own?

Baking soda does not have a repelling effect on pests by itself. It needs to be ingested by pests like cockroaches to be effective, which is why a sugar is often mixed with it to make it more palatable to the pests.

How does baking soda kill cockroaches?

When cockroaches eat baking soda in powder form, it reacts with the water inside their bodies, causing the baking soda to expand. This expansion, combined with the cockroach's firm exoskeleton, leads to their bodies being crushed from the inside out.

Can baking soda and vinegar be mixed for pest control?

Mixing baking soda with vinegar is not recommended for all pests. While it works for centipedes in drains by producing CO2 which drowns them, it can stop the baking soda from working effectively for cockroaches.

How can baking soda help with centipedes in drains?

Pouring a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar creates a bubbling reaction that produces CO2, which can help drown centipedes that are climbing up the drains.

What is the humane way to use baking soda for killing snails and slugs in the garden?

To minimize the suffering of snails and slugs, baking soda can be lightly sprinkled onto the soil around the garden, focusing on areas where they are likely to be found, to dehydrate and kill them more quickly.

How does baking soda kill ants?

Baking soda kills ants when they ingest it. The soda reacts with the water and acid in the ant's body, causing it to expand and dehydrate the ant, leading to its death.

How can baking soda be used to kill mice and rats?

A mixture of baking soda, sugar, and flour can be used to kill mice and rats. When ingested, the baking soda expands and causes a fatal buildup of gas inside the rodent's body.

What mixture can be used to kill fleas using baking soda?

A mixture of equal parts baking soda and salt can be used to kill fleas by dehydrating them. This mixture should be sprinkled on carpets, rugs, and soft furnishings and vacuumed up the next morning.

How can baking soda help with bed bugs?

Baking soda can be mixed with water into a paste and spread over common hiding places for bed bugs. The paste dehydrates the bugs and can cause internal bleeding, leading to their death.

How can you determine if your baking soda is still effective for pest control?

To test if baking soda is still effective, add a little water to a small amount of soda. If it fizzle for a few seconds or longer, it's still fresh and potent. If not, it may be time to buy a new tub.

Can baking soda be used to treat fungal infections in plants?

Yes, baking soda can be used as a fungicide to treat powdery mildew on plants. Sprinkling it at the base of plants or using a baking soda and water spray can prevent fungal infections.

Is there a risk of damaging plants when using baking soda?

While baking soda can help combat fungal infections, it should be used cautiously around plants as it can seep into the soil and inhibit growth. However, a light application around targeted plants like tomatoes should not cause significant harm.

Outlines

00:00

🐜 Effective Baking Soda Pest Control Techniques

This paragraph discusses the effective use of baking soda as a natural pest control method. It explains that baking soda can be used in various forms such as paste, spray, or sprinkles, and emphasizes the importance of application techniques for different pests. For cockroaches, a mixture with sugar is suggested to make the powder more palatable. The paragraph also clarifies that baking soda must be in powder form to be effective when ingested by pests. It highlights the ineffectiveness of combining baking soda with vinegar or warm water. The process of how baking soda kills cockroaches is explained through a chemical reaction within their bodies, causing the soda to expand and crush them from the inside. Additionally, the paragraph covers the use of baking soda for centipedes in drains, snails and slugs in gardens, ants by mixing with sugar, and mice and rats by creating a tempting paste. It also mentions the use of baking soda and salt to kill fleas by dehydration.

05:01

🛌 Advanced Baking Soda Applications and Troubleshooting

The second paragraph delves into additional applications of baking soda for pest control, specifically for bed bugs, by creating a paste that dries out and needs to be reapplied. It also addresses the potential ineffectiveness of baking soda mixtures, suggesting that the soda might be old or out of date, and provides a test to check its freshness. The paragraph further explores baking soda's role as a fungicide, offering a solution for powdery mildew on plants and cautioning against overuse around plants to prevent growth inhibition. It also touches on the possibility of using baking soda to encourage blooming in plants that prefer alkaline soil, and concludes with a reminder to be mindful of beneficial insects when applying baking soda. The paragraph ends with an invitation to subscribe to the channel and a teaser for the next video on a DIY natural cockroach killer using baking soda.

Keywords

💡Baking Powder

Baking powder is a leavening agent used in baking to make dough rise. In the context of the video, it is repurposed as an insecticide and pest control agent. The script discusses various methods of applying baking powder to control pests, such as mixing it with sugar to attract cockroaches or using it with vinegar to treat centipedes in drains.

💡Cockroaches

Cockroaches are insects that are notorious for infesting homes and are difficult to eliminate. The video explains that baking soda can be a lethal substance for cockroaches when ingested. The script suggests mixing baking soda with sugar to make it palatable for the insects, highlighting the importance of ensuring the cockroaches consume the baking soda for it to be effective.

💡Vinegar

Vinegar is a common household item used in various cleaning and culinary applications. In the video, it is combined with baking soda to create a reaction that is used to address centipede problems in drains. The bubbling reaction produced by the mixture of baking soda and vinegar is meant to drown centipedes, demonstrating a creative use of these common household substances for pest control.

💡Snails and Slugs

Snails and slugs are mollusks often considered pests in gardens due to their feeding habits on plants. The script mentions using baking soda as a treatment for snails and slugs by sprinkling it directly on them or around garden areas. The baking soda adheres to their moist skin, causing dehydration and death, although the video notes the potential inhumanity of this method.

💡Ants

Ants are social insects that can become a nuisance when they infest homes in search of food. The video describes using baking soda as an ant killer by mixing it with sugar to entice the ants to carry the mixture back to their colony. The baking soda, when ingested, reacts with the water and acid in the ants' bodies, causing them to dehydrate and die, offering a natural alternative to chemical pesticides.

💡Mice and Rats

Mice and rats are rodents that can cause significant damage to property and spread diseases. The script suggests that baking soda can be lethal to these rodents when ingested, as it causes a buildup of gas that they cannot expel. A mixture of baking soda, sugar, and flour is proposed as bait, which, when consumed, leads to the rodents' demise due to the internal gas buildup.

💡Fleas

Fleas are small insects that infest pets and homes, causing itchiness and discomfort. The video outlines a method to kill fleas using a mixture of baking soda and salt, which dehydrates the fleas and their eggs. The script provides instructions for applying this mixture to carpets and soft furnishings, as well as on pets, to eliminate flea infestations.

💡Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are small, elusive insects that feed on human blood and are notoriously difficult to eradicate. The script describes using a baking soda paste to target bed bugs, which dehydrates them and can cause internal bleeding. The paste is applied to areas where bed bugs hide, and the video notes the need to replace the paste regularly due to its drying properties.

💡Fungicide

A fungicide is a substance that prevents or treats fungal infections. The video mentions that baking soda has fungicidal properties and can be used to treat powdery mildew on plants. The script provides a simple recipe for a baking soda spray to prevent fungal growth and deter pests like roaches and ants from climbing plants.

💡Alkaline Soil

Alkaline soil has a higher pH level, which some plants prefer for optimal growth. The video suggests that baking soda, being alkaline, can encourage such plants to bloom. However, it also cautions that excessive use of baking soda around plants can inhibit growth by altering the soil's pH, indicating a need for balance when using baking soda in gardening.

💡Beneficial Insects

Beneficial insects are those that provide positive effects in an ecosystem, such as pollination or pest control. The script advises caution when using baking soda around plants to avoid harming these beneficial insects, highlighting the importance of maintaining ecological balance even while controlling pests.

Highlights

Baking soda can be used as an effective pest control method when applied correctly.

Different forms of baking soda, such as pastes, homemade sprays, and sprinkles, have various applications for pest control.

Baking soda can kill cockroaches when ingested, but requires a mixture with sugar to make it palatable.

Vinegar should not be mixed with baking soda for cockroach control, as it negates the effectiveness of the baking soda.

Baking soda is effective against centipedes when used in drain treatments, causing them to drown due to the CO2 produced.

For snails and slugs, baking soda can be sprinkled in the garden, but it's more humane to use it sparingly to avoid a slow death.

Ants can be killed by baking soda when they ingest it, causing dehydration and death.

Mice and rats can be killed by a baking soda mixture that causes gas buildup and eventual fatality.

A mixture of baking soda and salt can be used to kill fleas by dehydrating them.

Baking soda can also be used to treat powdery mildew on plants, acting as a fungicide.

Baking soda can encourage certain plants to bloom by creating an alkaline soil environment.

Excessive use of baking soda around plants can inhibit growth, so it should be applied carefully.

Baking soda can be used to deter insects from plants without causing significant harm to beneficial insects.

To ensure the effectiveness of baking soda, it should be tested for freshness by its reaction with water.

Baking soda can also be used to kill bed bugs by creating a dehydrating effect and causing internal bleeding.

If a baking soda mixture is not working, it may be due to the insects not consuming the mixture.

Transcripts

to use baking powder in the most

effective way as a means of pest control

you need to know how to apply it

after all baking soda won't repel

anything if you keep it locked away in

your cupboard

however not every form is going to work

pastes homemade sprays and sprinkles of

baking powder all have their uses

you can use soda in the garden in the

house anywhere you can think of

the trick is knowing where and when and

for which pests

cockroaches baking soda can kill

cockroaches but first you need to

convince them to eat it

cockroaches aren't attracted to the

taste and smell of baking soda so you

may need to use a little sugar to make

the mixture seem tastier

baking soda works when cockroaches eat

it the soda must be in powder form

otherwise it won't work

combining baking soda with vinegar some

online information recommends this but

the vinegar will actually stop the

baking soda from working warm water or

putting it in food will make the soda

virtually ineffective

when cockroaches eat the raw powder the

soda reacts with water inside the

cockroach's body

the baking soda expands and because

cockroaches have a firm exoskeleton

their bodies are crushed from the inside

out

centipedes

baking soda won't get rid of the average

centipedes on your kitchen floors but if

you have a problem with centipedes

climbing up your drains a baking soda

rinse can help here

this is because when you pour baking

soda and vinegar down a drain the

expanding mixture produces co2 which

drowns the centipedes

start by pouring one cup of baking soda

down the drain pour it slowly and

thoroughly the plan is to coat the

inside of the drains as well as possible

next pour around two cups of vinegar

down the drain

this will mix the baking soda and

vinegar together causing a bubbling

reaction and pushing the mixture further

down the drain

you might need to do several baking soda

and vinegar rinses to kill your

centipede problem

snails and slugs

just like vinegar or salt you can

sprinkle baking soda in the garden on

snails and slugs to kill them however

this can be a nasty death for the

slugger snail as the baking soda sticks

to the mucousy skin and slowly

dehydrates them it's more humane to use

as much as possible to kill the creature

quickly

you can sprinkle baking soda lightly

onto the soil around your garden to kill

any snails or slugs this will also help

deter any future slimy invaders

focus on areas where you've seen snails

and slugs or where you're likely to see

them compost pile tomato plants and

other areas are all very tempting to a

snail or slug

ants

baking soda will kill ants if ants eat

it the soda it reacts with the water and

acid in the ant's body and expands just

like the cockroach reaction

this dehydrates the ant and kills it

again you need to convince the ants to

eat the baking soda you can do this by

mixing baking soda and sugar then the

worker ants bring the mixture back to

the colony

for a better chance at getting rid of

the whole infestation locate the ant's

nest and surround it with your soda and

sugar mixture

mice and rats

baking soda will kill mice and rats this

is because rats aren't able to expel any

buildup of gas in their system

when ingested baking soda expands and

causes a buildup of gas inside the body

of a mouse or rat

eventually this buildup will be fatal

for this to work you need to create a

mixture to tempt the rodents

mix two thirds of a cup of baking soda

two-thirds of a cup of sugar and

two-thirds of a cup of flour together

you can adjust these measurements

depending on how much you need

once the baking soda sugar and flour is

mixed add a little warm water

don't let the mixture get too runny as

you should be able to form the paste

into balls

leave the baking soda balls around where

mice or rats find them and eat them

fleas

you can use a mixture of baking soda and

salt to kill fleas however you'll need

fresh baking soda not the old packet

that's been open and sitting in your

cupboard for a while

the baking soda and salt dehydrates the

fleas eventually killing them it also

dehydrates the flea eggs

mix equal parts salt and baking soda and

sprinkle it liberally on your carpets

rugs and other soft furnishing areas

and use a brush or broom to thoroughly

work the mixture into your carpets

leave the mixture overnight and vacuum

it up in the morning

be sure to vacuum all the nooks and

crannies in your home and always empty

the filter in the outside trash so that

any surviving fleas can't make their way

back in

you can also use baking soda and water

to kill fleas on your pets mix one and a

half cups of water with one teaspoon of

baking soda and work the mixture into

your pet's wet fur but not on their face

let the mixture sit for a minute then

rinse thoroughly

bed bugs

putting baking soda in your home can

also kill bed bugs it creates the same

dehydrating effect that we see in other

insects and some of the baking soda

grains can break inside the insect

causing internal bleeding

mix baking soda and water into a paste

and spread this paste over the most

common hiding places for bed bugs on a

person's bed and surrounding areas you

may want to sleep elsewhere while this

is going on

during the night the bed bugs will come

out to look for a meal and come into

contact with the baking soda paste

then hopefully they'll die

this mixture will dry out so you'll need

to vacuum away the old paste and put on

some fresh paste

it's worth noting that while baking soda

can be extremely helpful in dealing with

bed bugs you may have to resort to

stronger methods if you have an

infestation

so what if you find your baking soda

mixture isn't working

if you've made a baking soda mixture

that doesn't seem to be working it could

be that your soda is out of date or just

old

a good way to test your soda is to add a

little water to a small amount of soda

if the mixture fizzles for a few seconds

or longer that means that your baking

soda is still fresh and powerful

if not then you might want to consider

buying a newer tub

however if your baking soda repellent

still aren't working try and figure out

why

for example if you're using soda to kill

cockroaches are you sure that the

insects are actually eating the mixture

if not then it won't work

so can baking soda be used to kill

anything else in the home

yes baking soda is a fungicide as well

as an insecticide it can be used to

treat powdery mildew a plant fungi

sprinkling baking soda on the base of

your plants will prevent powdery mildew

from forming and stop roaches and ants

from climbing your plants

a combination of water and a teaspoon of

baking soda in a spray bottle is all you

need you can add a drop of liquid dish

soap to the mixture to help it stick

spray the baking soda mixture over the

plant and let it dry reapply until the

fungal infection has gone

baking soda can also be used to

encourage plants that prefer an alkaline

soil to bloom beautifully

you may also be wondering does baking

soda damage plants

you should be careful when using sodium

bicarbonate around plants as it can seep

into the soil and inhibit plant growth

however a baking soda spray can actually

help to combat fungal infections in

plants

a sprinkle of baking soda around your

tomato plants or any other plant

targeted by insects should do no real

trouble to your plants

however you should make sure you aren't

accidentally killing beneficial insects

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have please subscribe to this youtube

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video the thumbs up

and i'm sure you're going to enjoy our

next video on a diy natural cockroach

killer using baking soda

thanks for watching and bye for now

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