What Is Diatomaceous Earth?
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is crumbled into a fine white or off-white powder. It is composed of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. In pest control, DE is widely used as a natural, non-toxic insecticide.
How Diatomaceous Earth Works for Pest Control
DE kills insects through desiccation (drying out) rather than poisoning. The fine particles have microscopic, sharp edges that cut through the exoskeleton of insects like ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, and fleas. Once the outer protective layer of the insect is damaged, it loses moisture and dies from dehydration.
Types of Diatomaceous Earth
Food-Grade DE – Safe for humans and pets; commonly used in grain storage, pet care, and even as a dietary supplement.
Filter-Grade (Industrial) DE – Used in pool filtration and industrial applications; NOT SAFE for consumption or pest control due to its high crystalline silica content.
Is Diatomaceous Earth Safe For Pets?
Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be safe for pets, but it depends on the type and how it is used. Food-grade diatomaceous earth is generally considered safe for pets when used properly, while filter-grade (or pool-grade) DE is dangerous and should never be used around animals. Here’s what you need to know:
Safe Use of Diatomaceous Earth for Pets
Use Only Food-Grade DE – This type is non-toxic and safe for ingestion in small amounts. It can be used to control internal parasites in pets (under veterinary guidance) and to treat fleas and other external pests.
Environmental Pest Control – Sprinkling DE around the home, pet bedding, and yard can help manage fleas, ticks, and other pests.
Precautions When Using DE Around Pets
Avoid Inhalation – Even food-grade DE is a fine powder that can cause respiratory irritation if inhaled. Apply it in well-ventilated areas and keep pets from breathing in large amounts.
Keep Away from Eyes and Nose – DE can be abrasive and may cause irritation if it gets into the eyes or nose.
Diatomaceous Earth That is NOT Safe for Pets
Filter-Grade (Pool-Grade) DE – This type is heat-treated and contains high levels of crystalline silica, which is highly toxic and can cause severe respiratory issues.
DE with Added Chemicals – Some products may contain pesticides or additives that are not safe for pets.
When used properly, food-grade diatomaceous earth is a safe and effective natural pest control option for pets. However, caution should always be taken to minimize inhalation and skin irritation.
Diatomaceous Earth For Fleas
To effectively use diatomaceous earth (DE) for flea control, it’s important to apply it strategically in areas where fleas are most likely to live or travel. Here’s how to do it thoroughly:
Identify Problem Areas:
Carpeted Areas: Fleas and their eggs often hide in carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Focus on places where pets sleep or spend time.
Pet Bedding: Place DE on your pets' bedding, as this is where fleas are most likely to be.
Furniture & Cushions: Fleas can hide in fabric-covered furniture. Apply DE in and around seams, crevices, and cushions.
Hard Flooring: Fleas can also be present in cracks and gaps in tile, wood, or linoleum flooring.
Yard or Outdoor Areas: If your pets spend time outdoors, sprinkle DE in shady spots, cracks in the patio, or near areas where your pet frequents.
Application:
Dry Application: Using a powder duster or sifter, lightly dust the diatomaceous earth onto carpets, pet bedding, cracks in the floors, and any other high-traffic areas. Be careful not to apply too much at once; a thin, even layer is all that’s needed.
For Furniture and Cushions: Sprinkle DE into seams and crevices. You can even lightly dust the top of upholstered furniture.
Pet Bedding: Shake a small amount of DE onto the bedding and rub it in to ensure it reaches deep into the fabric.
Leave It for a While:
Let the diatomaceous earth sit for at least 12-24 hours. This allows it to work on any fleas, flea larvae, and flea eggs in the treated areas.
For outdoor use, leave it for several hours or up to a full day.
Vacuum Thoroughly:
After letting the DE sit, thoroughly vacuum all treated areas, including carpets, furniture, and pet bedding. This helps to remove dead fleas, larvae, and eggs, as well as the excess DE. Be sure to dispose of the vacuum bag or contents immediately to avoid re-infestation.
Repeat if Necessary:
If the flea problem persists, repeat the process, especially in areas that are heavily infested. You may need to reapply DE every few weeks to break the flea lifecycle completely.
Diatomaceous Earth For Bed Bugs
Using diatomaceous earth (DE) to eliminate bed bugs requires a strategic application in areas where bed bugs hide, breed, and travel. Here’s a guide on where and how to apply diatomaceous earth for effective bed bug control:
Identify Bed Bug Hideouts:
Bed Frame and Mattress: Bed bugs often hide in the seams, crevices, and folds of mattresses and box springs. They also hide in cracks and joints of the bed frame.
Furniture: Bed bugs can hide in the cracks, joints, and seams of couches, chairs, and other furniture, especially if they’re upholstered.
Baseboards and Walls: Bed bugs tend to hide behind baseboards, wall outlets, and in cracks or gaps in the walls, especially in areas near the bed or furniture.
Carpets and Rugs: Bed bugs can hide in the fibers of carpets, under rugs, or along the edges.
Other Cracks and Crevices: Bed bugs can also hide in other cracks, gaps, and crevices in the room, such as around windows, door frames, or in the floorboards.
Application Process:
Mattress and Box Spring: Carefully remove the mattress from the bed frame and apply a light dusting of DE along the seams, folds, and edges of the mattress and box spring. Be sure to dust the areas where the bed bugs might be hiding, but avoid overapplying—just a thin layer is sufficient.
Bed Frame and Headboard: Dust the cracks, crevices, joints, and any other areas on the bed frame and headboard where bed bugs might be hiding.
Furniture and Upholstery: Lightly dust along seams, cracks, and underneath cushions of couches, chairs, or any other upholstered furniture. If the furniture has removable cushions or covers, treat these areas as well.
Baseboards and Walls: Sprinkle a thin layer of diatomaceous earth along the baseboards, around any cracks in the walls, and in gaps where bed bugs may be hiding or traveling.
Carpets and Rugs: Apply DE along the edges of carpets and under rugs. Make sure to get into the corners where bed bugs often hide.
Other Areas: If you have gaps around windows, doors, or other places bed bugs might access, lightly dust DE in these areas as well.
Leave It to Work:
Allow Time for DE to Work: Let the diatomaceous earth sit undisturbed for at least 12-24 hours. This allows it to dehydrate and kill bed bugs, nymphs, and eggs that come into contact with it.
For difficult-to-reach areas (such as cracks or inside furniture), consider using a powder duster to apply DE more precisely.
Vacuum Thoroughly:
After 12-24 hours, vacuum the treated areas thoroughly to remove the dead bed bugs, eggs, and excess diatomaceous earth. Be sure to dispose of the vacuum bag immediately to prevent reinfestation.
For mattresses and box springs, you may want to use a handheld vacuum or a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to reach small cracks and crevices.
Repeat If Necessary:
Bed bugs can be persistent, so it’s important to repeat the process as needed. Continue to reapply diatomaceous earth in areas where you’ve seen bed bugs or suspect activity. It may take several applications over a period of weeks to completely eliminate the infestation.
Diatomaceous Earth For Ants
To effectively use diatomaceous earth (DE) for eliminating ants, it’s important to target the places where ants are traveling, nesting, or entering your home. Diatomaceous earth works by dehydrating the ants when they come into contact with it, but for it to be effective, it must be applied correctly and in the right areas. Here’s where and how to apply diatomaceous earth to get rid of ants:
Identify Ant Trails and Nesting Areas:
Ant Trails: Observe the ants to find their trails, which lead them to and from their nests. Focus on areas where ants are actively traveling, such as along walls, floors, and countertops.
Entry Points: Check for cracks or gaps around windows, doors, or other openings where ants might be entering your home.
Ant Nests: If you can locate the nest (typically outdoors, but sometimes inside walls or under the floors), apply diatomaceous earth directly around the entrance or throughout the nest area.
Kitchen & Food Storage Areas: Ants are often attracted to food sources, so focus on areas where food is stored or eaten, such as kitchen counters, pantry shelves, or beneath appliances.
Application Process:
Along Ant Trails: Lightly dust diatomaceous earth along the visible ant trails. This includes areas where you have seen ants walking or where trails meet (often along baseboards, around cabinets, and on countertops). Apply a thin layer of DE directly on their path so that they will walk through it and carry some of it back to the colony.
Around Entry Points: Apply diatomaceous earth along doorways, window frames, and any cracks or gaps where ants may be entering your home. This will act as a barrier, preventing more ants from entering.
Inside Nesting Areas: If you locate an ant nest (which may be inside a wall or under the floor), sprinkle diatomaceous earth directly on or around the entrance. This will help kill the ants and disrupt the nest.
Under Appliances or Furniture: Ants often hide or forage under appliances (such as refrigerators, stoves, and dishwashers) or furniture. Lift these items, if possible, and apply DE to the area beneath them.
Outdoor Perimeter: If ants are entering your home from outside, apply diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of the building, focusing on areas where you’ve seen them entering, such as foundation cracks, around windows, or doorways.
Leave DE to Work:
Allow the DE to Sit: Let the diatomaceous earth sit for at least 12-24 hours. Ants will walk through the powder, carry it back to their nest, and distribute it, eventually killing off the colony. The powder will continue to be effective as long as it remains dry.
For areas like entry points, you may want to leave the DE undisturbed to prevent ants from finding another route into your home.
Vacuum and Clean Up:
After 12-24 hours, vacuum up the excess diatomaceous earth from the treated areas, especially inside your home. Be sure to dispose of the vacuum bag immediately to prevent reinfestation.
For areas that are harder to reach (like cracks, gaps, or underneath appliances), use a handheld vacuum or a hose attachment to remove the excess DE.
Repeat If Necessary:
If the infestation persists, reapply diatomaceous earth to the affected areas, especially those where the ants are still visible or where you see new trails forming.
For outdoor nests or ant mounds, apply DE directly to the mounds or in areas where ants are congregating.
Diatomaceous Earth For Cockroaches
To use diatomaceous earth (DE) effectively for getting rid of cockroaches, it’s essential to target areas where cockroaches are likely to travel, hide, or nest. DE works by physically damaging the exoskeleton of cockroaches and causing them to dehydrate, ultimately killing them. Here’s a detailed guide on where and how to apply diatomaceous earth for cockroach control:
Identify Cockroach Hiding and Travel Areas:
Common Hiding Spots: Cockroaches tend to hide in dark, damp, and secluded areas such as behind appliances (refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers), inside cabinets, in cracks and crevices, and in attics or basements.
Food and Water Sources: Cockroaches are attracted to food and water, so focus on areas like the kitchen, under sinks, around garbage bins, or in pantries.
Cracks and Gaps: Look for cracks in walls, floorboards, around baseboards, and gaps around windows, doors, or plumbing where cockroaches can enter or hide.
High-Traffic Areas: Cockroaches tend to travel along walls and behind furniture, so look for areas where you’ve seen them moving.
Application Process:
Kitchen Areas:
Under and Behind Appliances: Lift or move refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and microwaves. Lightly dust diatomaceous earth in the gaps behind or beneath these appliances where cockroaches like to hide and forage.
Cabinets and Drawers: Dust along the edges of cabinets, in cracks and seams, and inside drawers. Cockroaches often scurry inside cabinets in search of food.
Around Garbage Areas: Apply DE around trash cans, recycling bins, or compost areas where food scraps may attract cockroaches.
Bathrooms:
Around Plumbing and Pipes: Cockroaches thrive in moist areas, so apply DE around the plumbing, pipes, and drains under sinks, bathtubs, and showers. Cockroaches often hide in these damp spots.
Under Toilets and Behind Fixtures: Dust lightly behind toilets, along baseboards, and behind other bathroom fixtures where cockroaches may be hiding.
Living Rooms and Bedrooms:
Under Furniture and Cushions: Dust under and around sofas, chairs, and other furniture. Cockroaches may hide under or behind furniture or in seams of upholstery.
Behind and Around Electronics: Apply DE behind TVs, entertainment centers, or other electronics, as cockroaches are often found in these areas due to heat and dark hiding spots.
Basement and Attic: These areas are often overlooked but can be prime hiding places. Apply DE along the perimeter of walls, cracks in the foundation, or any other gaps where cockroaches might enter or take shelter.
Entry Points: If you notice cockroaches entering through cracks around doors, windows, or other gaps, lightly dust these areas with DE to act as a barrier to prevent further entry.
Leave DE to Work:
Allow Time for Action: Let the diatomaceous earth sit for at least 12-24 hours. Cockroaches will walk through it, ingest some as they groom, and carry it back to their hiding places, where it will continue to dehydrate and kill them.
For hidden spots, it may take several days for the DE to have a significant impact, so be patient.
Vacuum and Clean Up:
Vacuum After 12-24 Hours: Once the DE has had time to work, vacuum up the excess powder from all treated areas, especially high-traffic zones and places where you applied DE. Be sure to dispose of the vacuum bag immediately to prevent reinfestation.
Repeat as Needed: For persistent infestations, you may need to repeat the process every few days or weeks, particularly in areas where cockroaches are still visible or active.