"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
George.com wrote:

... Borax is also a simple chemical and breaks down fairly
quickly in the environment (as opposed to complex chemicals that can
linger).

Er, no. The most basic chemistry should tell you THAT!

Nick, I realise that agreeing with me can be harmful to your reputation but
isn't that essentially what you are doing. I am interested as a learning
exercise how your (useful and understandable) explaination differs greatly
from what I have said. You are saying that borax (sodium borate) remains in
environment in that form?

Borax works as an ant killer because it is a boron salt. Too much
boron is harmful to animals, and seems to kill ant queens.

Borax is a hydrated sodium borate - i.e. a simple oxide of boron and
sodium. The boron and sodium may split or not (I don't know and it
doesn't matter). Sodium salts are ubiquitous and essential for all
life; boron is essential in small quantities for plant life, and is
widespread (obviously).

So, unless you go bonkers, all you will do is to increase the boron
content of the soil fractionally, which will have a negligible effect.
If you take a look on several of the very complex fertilisers, you
will often see that they include boron.

Similar remarks apply about the use of iron and copper compounds in
the garden; rumours have it that winegrowers in Bordeaux HAVE gone
bonkers and have increased the copper levels to ecologically harmful
levels, but I have never heard of another case. And even that one
may be an urban myth.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.