If you’re squeamish about bugs like I am, and hate spraying your house with more chemicals, you’ll find this information useful.
I had a really bad problem with ants for awhile coming in the kitchen. I would spray their trail and hours later would notice that they had found another way into the kitchen. I really didn’t want to continue spraying every time I spotted a new ant trail. I put all my packaged food, cereals in plastic and glass containers and thought there has got to be a better way.
Diatomaceous Earth is a Non Toxic Bug Exterminator
I searched for an inexpensive and non-toxic way of dealing with insects inside my house. I stumbled upon Diatomaceous Earth (DE). It doesn’t kill instantly but works to dehydrate them. It works on all insects. You sprinkle it where you’ve seen the insects and just sweep them up later. It’s harmless to humans and their pets. It actually has other benefits such as ridding the body of parasites when taken internally but that’s a topic worthy of a different post.
Getting Rid of Bugs with Diatomaceous Earth
The next time I discovered a trail of ants in my kitchen (headed toward a bowl of ripe fruit.) I sprinkled some of the DE powder on the counter with the ant trail and left the kitchen. An hour later, there was not a single ant in sight. Apparently, they carried the DE to their nest because there were no new trail attempts. I also used DE outside around the trashcans. Instead of spraying, I sprinkled the DE on the ground all around the trash cans. Haven’t seen ants again.
What is Diatomaceous Earth?
Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled protist (chrysophytes). The diatoms are algae that once lived in large bodies of water that have dried into the earth. This fossiled earth is mined and crushed into powder. It’s used in a lot of products we use every day such as toothpaste, skin products, pesticides, cat litter and metal polishes.
Make Sure You Use Food Grade DE
To use an insecticide, make sure you are using the Food Grade DE (to be food-grade, it must contain less than 1 percent crystalline silica). Industrial won’t work to get rid of insects. Industrial DE is mainly used as a filtering agent for a swimming pool or for a tank.
How DE works to kill pests
Here’s how diatomaceous earth works: each particle of DE contains microscopic sharp edges. When bugs are exposed to these sharp edges, their exoskeletons are destroyed. Once the exoskeletons are removed, the insect is dehydrated.
Simply dust lightly in the areas where you have noticed insects and in areas you suspect they’re hiding. If you dust too heavily, the insects may not walk through it. Make sure the application remains dry because DE doesn’t work when wet. Leave down for 24 hours and vacuum up along with the dead insects. If you have a flea infestation, you may need to repeat this process more than once.
Other insects You Can Eliminate With Diatomaceous Earth
- Crickets
- Roaches
- Ants
- Water bugs
- Bedbugs
- Ticks
- Fleas
- Spiders
You can use outside in the garden as an organic pesticide by dusting your fruits and vegetables. But, if you do use it outside, remember it will kill helpful insects as well, so use with caution.
Precautions
If you use it to dust large areas or entire rooms, be sure to use a dust mask when applying. Because when airborne, the DE particles can irritate the lungs. If you use it on carpeting, its suggested that you rent a shop vac as the particles can clog normal vacuum cleaners.
Diatomaceous Earth is an inexpensive organic solution that works.
We are exposed to so many toxins in our every day lives (food, water, computers, and grooming products, to name a few) that taking small steps to reduce our exposure can help.
Have you tried DE before? What is your experience?
References:
http://www.naturalnews.com/033367_silica_diatomaceous_earth.html
https://draxe.com/diatomaceous-earth/
http://www.thebugsquad.com/fleas/diatomaceous-earth-fleas/
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are for educational and entertainment purposes only. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.