This summer the ants came marching one by one all over our house. With our California drought, they seemed to be desperate for moisture, as they'd often march right past a sticky spoonful of honey, heading instead for the nearest half-full water glass.
We tried just about everything (both natural and toxic), but still the ants kept coming. Then someone suggested diatomaceous earth. I’d heard of the stuff before, but I really had no idea what it was, or how to use diatomaceous earth to get rid of pests naturally. Here's what I learned…
What is diatomaceous earth?
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is made from the fossilized remains of a particular kind of algae called diatoms. These are tiny single-celled aquatic organisms that have an outer shell of silica that is made up largely of silicon. Basically, the skeletons of dead diatoms accumulate in the sediment at the bottom of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans.
First discovered in Germany, there are major deposits in the US in Colorado, Nevada and California. The powder’s chemical composition is typically 85% silica, 10% other oxides, and 5% moisture.
How to use diatomaceous earth to get rid of pests
DE works as an insecticide by basically killing the critters through dehydration. The silica absorbs all the moisture out of the insect, and – voila – no more pests.
Diatomaceous earth is widely recognized around the world as one of the few pesticides that is non-toxic. However, if you breathe in large amounts of the dust, you can cause some pretty serious lung irritation. The trick to avoiding that is to mix it with water when you’re applying it so that you don’t inhale the dust. Once the moisture evaporates away, then what’s left has the same drying power as the original dust.
To use DE for pest elimination, you want to make sure you’re using uncalcined, meaning it hasn’t been heated to high temperatures, because that reduces its effectiveness as a pesticide (but makes it better for other uses, such as filtration devices).
Ants
I got my DE here and loved how easy it was to use. Using an old spray bottle I had (probably a ¼-gallon size or so), I put 1 heaping tablespoon of the powder in it, then filled it up with water, leaving just enough room that I could shake it up really well to get the DE to be well-distributed in the water. The powder doesn’t dissolve, but the particles remain suspended in the liquid, which is why it can be sprayed. Remember to keep shaking it up as you go along.
I spent about a half hour walking around finding all the different lines of ants and spraying each one liberally with the DE spray. I even did this all around the outside of the house wherever I saw them making their approach. The DE works on pests only when dry, but 24 hours later…not a single ant. YAY!
Pet pests
Other pests that can be easily eliminated using DE include anything on your pets, such as fleas, worms, ticks and mites. In those cases, you use it like a flea powder. Again, apply it carefully without creating a large cloud of dust. Start at the base of your pet’s tail (apparently a favorite spot for fleas) and work your way up to the front. Lift the fur as much as possible to get the DE on the skin and base of the fur, massaging it in as thoroughly as possible. Remember it needs to dry to work, and you should plan on doing this twice a week.
Lice, mites and bedbugs
Diatomaceous earth is effective on the lice and mites that bug your backyard chickens (good luck with the dusting). There are even people who say it’s quite effective for lice on human heads as well, though you have to find a way to dust the hair thoroughly without creating a cloud of it that can irritate your eyes and lungs. I found this post that explains one way of using DE to deal with head lice, which I will certainly try if I have the displeasure of needing to do so! Apparently, DE can also get rid of bed bugs if you have that nasty problem (source).
Garden pests
In the garden, circle plants with a ring of DE (only on dry days when not watering) to keep slugs from getting on your plants at night. Using the same method as the ant treatment I described, you can spray any plants that are susceptible to various insect pests such as aphids, caterpillars like the dreaded tomato hornworm, and many others. You can use the dusting approach as well.
How to use diatomaceous earth for home, health, & body
There are lots of other uses of DE. Though I haven’t tried any of these yet, if it works as well as it did on the ants, it's certainly worth considering.
- Cleaning up spills. Because DE is so absorbent, you can use it to clean up spills around the house, whether it’s oil, grease or soda (source).
- Deodorizer. Whether it’s your refrigerator, garbage can, shoes, or a litter-box, DE is a powerful deodorizer you can use throughout your house (source).
- Heavy metal detoxification. While I recommend consulting with your holistic healthcare practitioner before trying this, some people who suffer from low-level chronic exposure to toxic heavy metals have reported success using DE to help cleanse heavy metals from their bodies (source).
- Hearth health. A preliminary study obtained good results in using DE to significantly lower cholesterol levels in 19 healthy individuals with a history of moderate cholesterol problems (source).
- Skincare and cosmetics. Food-grade DE is already used in a wide variety of cosmetics and personal care products because of its anti-caking and absorbent qualities. When added to cleansing products, it adds a real boost for exfoliation.
Where to buy diatomaceous earth
I am super stoked that I am no longer sharing my house with a herd of ants. When using DE, (unless it's in your pool filter) you want to make sure you select a brand that is high-quality and food-grade. This makes it safe if you intend to or accidentally ingest it.
This is the diatomaceous earth that worked for me to make ants and other pests go bye-bye. What a lifesaver! Click here to get diatomaceous earth now.
Do you use diatomaceous earth? Why and how?
How your lifestyle may be inhibiting your ability to conceive – and what to do about it
D.E. is also used in the swimming pool industry for extra-fine filtration, so you should be able to find it in pool stores. It may cost more there, though, than other sources.
You don’t want to use pool grade for any of the uses discussed here. Diatomaceous earth has a few grades but the main ones are pool grade and food grade. You’re right about how pool grade DE is better for filtration, but this alteration makes it unfit for other uses.
Diatomaceous earth is largely made up of silica. Food grade DE is made of amorphous silica which is the good stuff. Pool grade DE is made up of crystalline silica–which makes it a perfect filter–but not so good to ingest. Please don’t ingest pool grade DE. I’m more than happy to give a more in depth explanation but just remember that food grade is for FOOD.
NEVER use “pool grade” DE in your home. It is treated with other chemicals and is DEADLY TOXIC to you and your pets. Food grade diotomaceous earth is widely available online and at some stores, especially farming stores since it is often added to livestock feed to prevent internal parasites. It is clearly labeled “food grade.” Never buy any DE without that label unless you are planning on using it for a swimming pool, and even then, use extreme caution.
Whatever you do, just don’t sprinkle this on your mattress and try to vacuum it up! I read that advice all over the interwebs for getting fleas out of a mattress, and it destroyed my vacuum cleaner. When I called a friend to borrow hers, thinking it was a fluke, she politely said no because she had lost a vacuum to the exact same issue. Now my machine runs for about 30 seconds before overheating and turning off. It was a very long few days trying to get the mattress clean with 30 minutes cool-down time in between! Will be taking it to a repair shop soon, fingers crossed.
Thanks for the warning Jen!
Wow! That is interesting! It is like you read my mind! That is exactly what I was thinking about doing for a ‘freshen up’ of my mattress. I wonder what could possibly cause the vacuum to behave so? DE is just powder like baking soda. . . Any thoughts?
I used DE to get rid of a flea infestation in my house several years ago. We sprinkled it all over the carpet and used a stiff bristle brush to work it in. After a few days I vacuumed it up. My vacuum was fine.
I’ve used it for years on my carpet and then vacuuming with never a problem.
I think what probably happened here is the DE got on the belt of the vacuum and is creating too much friction. In all liklihood if you replace the belt, your vacuum will be fine. This didn’t happen to my vacuum, but when I sprinkled DE on the ants sneaking into my home near the front door, I noticed that my couch (near the door) became really hard to move even though I had those soft fuzzy things on the feet and it was previously really easy to move. I cleaned the floor with hardwood cleaner and replaced the fuzzy things and it was back to normal. I think because DE is so course on a microscopic level, it can really create friction more than other powders like baking soda. No worries though, replacing the belt on your vacuum is easy and cheap. I had to do it once when I accidentally vacuumed up a sock. ha.
That’s interesting. I use DE for everything even on my mattress and never had an issue.
Can I do the spray-bottle trick for application on my dogs for fleas? I am leery of the dust cloud especially near my sensitive pooches! Thanks!
Hi Sara – I believe it’s best to apply it dry, directly to the skin to avoid a dust cloud.
Does DE work on spiders too?
It absolutely does! Any spider that cleans themselves and therefore ingests it, will dehydrate and die. Also, the sharp, chard-like bits cuts up their intestines. It’s great on the grass and in your garden, but unfortunately, it kills the good guys, too.
There are tools you can use to poof it on the underside of your plants to get the bad guys, therefore, the good guys are less likely to be harmed.
Has done wonders around my house.
http://www.earthworkshealth.com
Yes it does work on spiders especially the Brown Recluse spider which is hard to kill with sprays as they aren’t a “clean” spider they don’t groom themselves thereby ingesting sprays. I had a house full of Brown Recluse spiders and after being bitten for the sixth time a friend told me to sprinkle small amounts in the corners of each room, he explained that the sharp edges of the DE cut the outer shell of the spider and they dehydrated. I have seen 2 spiders since I did this in August and one had five legs, I found the other three legs behind the toilet where it had crawled through a line of DE and it was dying and the other staggering across the floor where it died.
We have a brown recluse infestation (confirmed by an exterminator). We’re terrified of being bit. I will try the DE to get rid of them, since sprays and glue traps aren’t doing it. How bad were your bites? How were your bites treated? Did they heal okay? I have a toddler, and I am just so scared she will get bit.
Works wonders on spiders I have used it in my basement and I live in a forest area also for Ants and other bugs. I wont use anything else now. YES it’s very safe. I get the food grade so if I put it outside and a cat mouse someones dog eats it by accident they don’t die. So far so good no pets or birds dead around my home. I feel very safe now to using it inside with a toddler. 🙂
I know I’m 3 years late to the party, but in case anybody reads this… DE does NOT work on arachnids…only on insects with an exoskeleton.
Can it cause blood in stools? I’m on my 7th day of taking 1tsp daily and have notice small amounts of bloody mucous in the last two days. No pain or other side effects….just curious if DE can cause this.
Thanks for sharing your experience. We have also used DE internally for parasites/pathogen overgrowth, under the care of a practitioner. AND it has helped our cats when they had “bugs” internally. Good stuff!
DE is just great! I was surprised to find out a few years back about the importance of silica as a nutrition needed for our tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, and bones to function healthily. I’ve been mixing it with juice once or twice a week for detox and colon cleansing! When there’s a pesticide safe for eating, you know it’s one of Earth’s many miracle gifts.
Will this kill termites inaide of your house?
Hi CJ, thanks for your question. Termites will apparently avoid any soil that is treated with diatomaceous earth so it may be a good option to try. I would suggest getting in depth info on how to successfully treat your home with DE so that it is most effective, though.
I bought a saferbrand DE that’s in a yellow bag from Home Depot can I also use this one around the house? Or do I need to buy a different brand of DE?
Garden Harvest Supply (online) has a food grade DE. I’ve purchased from them numerous times.
Yes! DE works wonders on head lice. We had it go through our house about three years ago. Simply add some DE powder to a spray bottle and top with warm water. Spray all over your head and let it dry (leave on overnight). You can also use the spray bottle to spray beds/carpets/anything that won’t fit in the washing machine. Although I never wish this upon anyone, it’s good to have DE on hand at all times!