Awesome Safe Bug Killer: Diatomaceous Earth

[steve urquell]

I had a friend tell me about this years ago and I never followed up on it but it has been in the back of my mind over the years. Diatomaceous Earth is basically ground up fossilized micro-algae which ends up being abrasive. It is a fine powder, looks and feels like flour. The Harris brand I bought is actually marketed to feed chickens as grit.

It is non-toxic and works by cutting up insect legs and then they die. I recently bought some at Wal-mart in the pesticide aisle and put in my old Spritzer brand Sevin Dust duster after cleaning it out really good. I don't know if they still make this duster but it works great. I dusted my garage, wellhouse and in the house under my cabinets and in all my corners.

Every bug I have seen is either dead or dying when I see it. I had a fly buzzing around on its' back on the floor yesterday apparently dying after crawling across some. My garage and wellhouse are bug-free as well. Haven't seen a live bug in either since I put it down. Plenty dead though.

I am amazed by this stuff and love that it is not poison. Works better than anything I've ever put down. Anyone else use it?

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[HWooldridge]

I put it in and around the doghouse. Keeps the fleas at bay…

[DougGuy]

Is diatomaceous earth safe for fruits and vegetables?

Diatomaceous earth is a safe, non-toxic way to control pests in the garden. It's effective against all insect pests that crawl on plants because contact with the powder is extremely dehydrating. Water plants, then dust with the powder. The moisture will help the powder stick to plants better.

Diatomaceous Earth around Strawberries. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of each plant to ward off slugs. You can also sprinkle it on the plants.

I always sprinkled cornmeal around strawberries to control the pillbugs. They eat it then it swells up in their gut and kills them.

[alfadan]

I don't think you want to be breathing it though.

[steve urquell]

I put it in and around the doghouse. Keeps the fleas at bay…
I've read several reports about it being great for this.

Is diatomaceous earth safe for fruits and vegetables?

Diatomaceous earth is a safe, non-toxic way to control pests in the garden. It's effective against all insect pests that crawl on plants because contact with the powder is extremely dehydrating. Water plants, then dust with the powder. The moisture will help the powder stick to plants better.

Diatomaceous Earth around Strawberries. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of each plant to ward off slugs. You can also sprinkle it on the plants.

I always sprinkled cornmeal around strawberries to control the pillbugs. They eat it then it swells up in their gut and kills them.
I wonder if it would harm helpful insects that are pollinating the plants?

I don't think you want to be breathing it though.
Similar to inhaling any type of dust. I will say I had scratchy eyes after dusting my 12x20' confined wellhouse.
Here's the MSDS on it if interested:
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0541/3955/1941/files/DECRAWL_SDS_072919_ea8e1d1f-1cfb-474a-b9ab-8c9a08bc7ef0.pdf?v=1624561033

[Mk42gunner]

I tried using it to control fleas on my dog a few years ago, sadly it didn't work for Daisy and I. I had high hopes since I have seldom read of it not working, and I really don't like spreading poison around indiscriminately.

Robert

[steve urquell]

I tried using it to control fleas on my dog a few years ago, sadly it didn't work for Daisy and I. I had high hopes since I have seldom read of it not working, and I really don't like spreading poison around indiscriminately.

Robert

Dang, I had heard good things about it for this.

[Jeff Michel]

Termites, roaches,bedbugs, and fleas. I've used it for years in rental properties for all of them but you are going to have better results if you spray first. These insect life cycles are so fast, something passive as diatomaceous earth just won't keep up. I count on it to catch the stragglers that I miss when spraying. In dog runs and lawn treatment for flea control I use Sevin and follow up with dusting the bedding and kennels with diatomaceous earth. Just follow the application directions and you won't have any problems with pets or livestock.

[Txcowboy52]

Anybody know if it works for chiggers? We have chiggers bad and we usually spread sulpher around the house and in the yard . I’m afraid the red bugs are gonna carry us off this year.

[firefly1957]

I first read about Diatomaceous earth as a supplement in a sand pool filter it did have some warnings to not inhale it dry as it effects the lungs about like asbestos does .

It works because it is very sharp and cuts up the bellies of bugs crawling over it . Same can be done with Borax and Boric acid however when wet they are not sharp but becoming a solution.

[HWooldridge]

It’s basically just very fine dirt, so sprinkling in certain places, like out in the yard where it rains and the wind blows and you mow every so often, ends up not being effective - so people conclude that it doesn’t work at all.

However, inside a doghouse or in the garage, etc. DE can be effective, especially over a long period. I completely agree with Jeff that it’s better to spray some other chemical first, and I always use some type of pyrethrin product. We live in a rural area and have every kind of bug coming in the house; about the only critters that aren’t controlled are scorpions. However, they will usually eat some other sick insect and die from ingestion. You can recognize a scorpion killed by poisoning because they stretch out in a perfectly straight line, but will curl up if something else gets them.

We have lots of chiggers in the spring and I haven’t found anything that gets rid of them, so prevention is the best strategy. Long pants, high socks and use Off or Cutter repellents. Some years are worse than others, with high soft grass the worst.

[BNE]

Thank you for the report. I’m going g to try some.

[steve urquell]

The chiggers are a problem. I usually resort to spraying Bifentherin when they are thick. I have another great trick to share as well.

For indoor small flying insects--gnats and mosquitos I'm looking at you--I bought these little Gloue brand indoor bug zappers and they work extremely well. Gnats and skeeters were always a problem here in the summer but I now have none. Worth the money for sure.
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For my garage I got this Aspectek zapper and it works great. Keeps a lot of flies out of the house.
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[Rapier]

DE works because it is talcum powder fine and made up of sharp edged crystals, like broken glass, the crystals get into eco-skeleton joints of insects and cuts their innards to shreads as they move. Literally, death by 1,000 cuts. Too small to hurt animals like a dog or cat, but effective on a roach or ant type.

[NyFirefighter357]

Yep & 50lb is $40 it goes a long way.

[DougGuy]

I wonder if it would harm helpful insects that are pollinating the plants?

I've not had any strawberries that failed to bloom, usually the pillbugs don't manifest themselves until there is berries for them to eat. They also don't really climb to access fruit, just what touches the ground. Cornmeal and some straw mulch will save your strawberries.

[steve urquell]

I've not had any strawberries that failed to bloom, usually the pillbugs don't manifest themselves until there is berries for them to eat. They also don't really climb to access fruit, just what touches the ground. Cornmeal and some straw mulch will save your strawberries.

Good to hear

[DougGuy]

Good to hear


I bought these little Gloue brand indoor bug zappers and they work extremely well. Gnats and skeeters were always a problem here in the summer but I now have none. Worth the money for sure.
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I did a few searches on these GLOUE thingys, best I can tell fruit flies aren't especially attracted to the particular light they give off that attracts other flying insects.

Fruit flies are one of the smarter flies, they get wise to an apple cider vinegar trap and will totally avoid it. They see a couple of their comrades dead and they quickly associate the smell of vinegar with death.

[Jeff Michel]

Chiggers....... Keep the grass cut and use a good non-residual spray. I spray early in the spring and again in June. UTV mounted sprayer for the big areas and a backpack for small areas or perimeter around buildings. Doesn't seem to have any effect on the lizards..... I find that a bit of a surprise.

[JimB..]

Cimexa (sp?) is similar, but more finely ground I think. I’ve dusted that stuff into walls in a rental as a barrier, works well for a long time. Also works when wet.

These work by abrading the waxy coating that almost all insects have, causing them to dehydrate.

Not toxic, but best not to breath it.

[Froogal]

I tried some of the stuff a few years ago. Sprinkled it around the foundation of the house in an attempt to stop the ants from coming in. Didn't work.

[45_Colt]

Cimexa (sp?) is similar, but more finely ground I think. I’ve dusted that stuff into walls in a rental as a barrier, works well for a long time. Also works when wet.

These work by abrading the waxy coating that almost all insects have, causing them to dehydrate.

Not toxic, but best not to breath it.

I was going to post about this stuff too (CimeXa). It works a treat. It is ground/powered silica gel, a desiccant. It just flat out dries the bugs out. I've used it for flea control, along with general 'bugs stay out of my house' control.

As a drying agent it will dry out any skin it gets on to. And as posted above, don't breath it.

It is so fine can apply it via 'puffing', but need to be careful as it puts a lot into the air. Using a fine brush such as women use to apply blush works well.

45_Colt

[waksupi]

The only gripe I had about using it, it also killed all the worms in my garden. That's where I get my night crawlers!

[JimB..]

The only gripe I had about using it, it also killed all the worms in my garden. That's where I get my night crawlers!

Something else killed your worms, diatomaceous earth won’t harm them.

[Good Cheer]

I've had the stuff for the cats in both internal and external applications.
Now I'm thinking about using it on the blasted Colorado potato beetles.

But yeah, I was wondering about the earth worms also so here I am ready and all ears for the great diatomaceous earth worms debate.

[steve urquell]

I did a few searches on these GLOUE thingys, best I can tell fruit flies aren't especially attracted to the particular light they give off that attracts other flying insects.

Fruit flies are one of the smarter flies, they get wise to an apple cider vinegar trap and will totally avoid it. They see a couple of their comrades dead and they quickly associate the smell of vinegar with death.
That is unfortunate on the fruitflies. I've been luck to never have them in Arkansas. The Gloue zappers have been awesome for my gnats and mosquitos though. I keep one in the kitchen and another near the bathroom. Clean the grids regularly so I know I'm catching bugs.

I've had the stuff for the cats in both internal and external applications.
Now I'm thinking about using it on the blasted Colorado potato beetles.

But yeah, I was wondering about the earth worms also so here I am ready and all ears for the great diatomaceous earth worms debate.
Looks like the opinions are mixed. Some say it can harm them, others not. I don't know.

[HWooldridge]

Only sure way I’ve found to eradicate fruit flies inside the house is to take out everything they might be eating or laying eggs on, then set off those purple aerosol flea bombs (Raid or Black Flag; one per room) and leave the house for a couple hours. The flies will be dead once you return.

When I was a youngster, my dad used to set out Vaporettes inside the house. They were very effective but apparently too hazardous and were taken off the market.

[steve urquell]

Only sure way I’ve found to eradicate fruit flies inside the house is to take out everything they might be eating or laying eggs on, then set off those purple aerosol flea bombs (Raid or Black Flag; one per room) and leave the house for a couple hours. The flies will be dead once you return.

When I was a youngster, my dad used to set out Vaporettes inside the house. They were very effective but apparently too hazardous and were taken off the market.

Have you tried bait surrounded by diatomaceous earth? If they land on the DE they should die like the fly I had buzzing around on its' back the other day here.

[HWooldridge]

Have you tried bait surrounded by diatomaceous earth? If they land on the DE they should die like the fly I had buzzing around on its' back the other day here.

No, I have not tried that approach, but sounds easy enough - I have both DE and bait (just no flies right now).

[Three44s]

A weed burner torch takes out fruit flies!

My father was up on land we own in the mountains. He had just had catelope for lunch.

The FFs were on his camp trailer door screen begging to get in.

Mind you this is a NYLON screen!

He tells this story afterwards to our horror, then amazement! From the outside he lights his favorite fire starter, stands at a right angle to the closed door and screen and does an imitation of a Hawian flame dancer. He quickly passes the lit torch across the screen at a distance that attracts the fruit flies to the light given off by the torch but not hot enough to damage the screen!

He claims he "killed them by the BILLIONS". I am sure he did! ........

There were no witnesses and the screen was still intact so that's all I can attest to ...... so if anyone wants to take this story to the "next level" ..... and try it your self ... you are on your own!

Three44s

[steve urquell]

No, I have not tried that approach, but sounds easy enough - I have both DE and bait (just no flies right now).

A guy on another forum just posted that he's catching fruitflies in his Gloue zappers like I have. He posted this grid pic.
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