Borate Mineral Powder

When you use a "flea bomb" because it sprays a fine mist or cloud of insecticide all through the room you place it in, you will need to remove or cover allhousehold items, food and anything that comes in contact with food,   I have found them messy, labor intensive and I am a little nervous about having insecticide in my home.  With Borate Mineral salts or powders, you simply sprinkle it around carpets and furniture, in cracks and corners.  The powder/.salts will fall into the carpets and down into the furniture - becoming virtually invisible and will last close to a year. 

Boric acid was first registered in the US as an insecticide in 1948 for control of cockroaches, termites, fire ants, fleas, silverfish and many other insects  It acts as a stomach poison affecting the insects' metabolism, and the dry powder is abrasive  to the insects' exoskeleton.

Boric acid is generally considered to be safe to use in household kitchens to control cockroaches and ants. Homemade ant bait can be made by dissolving 1 teaspoon (5 mL) powdered boric acid and 10 teaspoons (50 mL) sugar into 2 cups (500 mL) of water; this mixture can then be absorbed into cotton balls which are left near ant trails. This reportedly will be carried back into the ants' nest, killing any ants that eat it, potentially decimating the entire colony.

Boric acid is also made into a paste or gel form. The paste or gel has attractants in it to attract insects; mostly cockroaches. It is convenient to use because you can simply put a small dab under sinks, counters, refrigerators, and stoves. The boric acid dehydrates the insects. It does it slowly and they don't realize they are in danger. One of the real benefits of using boric acid is that immunity can't be built up; since it works through dehydration. The insects take the bait back to the nest and one application can eliminate them for an entire year.