What bugs does diatomaceous earth keep away?

Why Use Diatomaceous Earth For Pests and Bugs

aphids eating diatomaceous bought in Australia
Aphids eating DE

Diatomaceous earth is a natural mineral that’s great for keeping bugs away from your home. It works by being ingested by insects, causing them to dehydrate and die. (Just like it dehydrates the exoskeleton of mites in chickens.) But what bugs does diatomaceous earth actually kill? Here’s a list of common pests that you can use this product on:

Bed bugs

Bed bugs are small, brownish insects that feed on the blood of humans and animals. They are very difficult to get rid of, but diatomaceous earth can help.

DE kills them by drying out their exoskeleton. It is safe for pets and humans because it’s made up of tiny, razor-sharp pieces of fossilized plants called diatoms that are so tiny any physical damage done to your skin will be superficial at worst. Bet your asking where to buy Diatomaceous Earth Australia, just click the link and find all types of products

Fleas

Fleas are small, brown insects that live on animals and humans. They can transmit disease to humans and pets. Fleas are attracted to dark, moist areas and can live in carpets, furniture and bedding. Diatomaceous earth is a very fine powder made from the fossilized remains of diatoms—microscopic algae (bacteria). When a flea comes into contact with DE it causes severe dehydration of its exoskeleton, which then causes the flea to die within minutes as it tries to molt its outer shell but is unable to do so because of being dehydrated by this natural insecticide.

Applying DE onto a cat
Applying DE onto a cat

Carpet beetles

Carpet beetles are small and oval shaped. They’re a common pest in homes, eating clothes, carpets, and upholstery. You’ll often find them hiding in the crevices of furniture. The larvae feed on pet food or birdseed that’s been left out where they can get to it.

Although carpet beetles do not bite people or pets (and their wings are too tiny to fly), they can cause damage through their feeding habits: they like to eat protein-rich items such as wool fabrics and leathers—including your clothing!

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are a common pest for homeowners. These little critters can be a real pain to get rid of, and they spread disease, cause structural damage, and are just plain annoying. Fortunately, diatomaceous earth can help you keep these creepy crawlers at bay!

Diatomaceous earth is an effective method of controlling cockroaches because it cuts their protective outer layer and causes them to dehydrate. Basically what happens is that the DE gets into the little holes in their exoskeleton (their outer shell) and dehydrates them from the inside out. It’s also great because it will kill any nymphs or eggs as well!

Silverfish

Silverfish are a type of house pest that can be particularly troublesome if you have a lot of paper or cardboard in your home. These insects are nocturnal, which means that they come out at night to feed and look for places to hide during the day. They’re attracted to moisture, food, and dark places like basements, closets, and attics where they can find food scraps (or their own droppings).

Silverfish eat paper products such as books and newspapers along with glue-based products (like book bindings) and other organic materials like cotton clothing or even wallpaper paste! Don’t worry—they aren’t harmful to humans in any way—but these pests are drawn toward anything that contains starch so it’s important not to store any of these items together in one place (like inside a cereal box) if you want keep silverfish away from your home.

applying diatomaceous earth to a draw for silverfish

Ticks

You might have heard that diatomaceous earth is an effective tick repellent. If you’ve ever dealt with ticks, you’ll know just how important this can be. Ticks are a serious health threat, and if left unchecked, they can transmit a number of diseases to humans and animals.

Although DE might not be able to actually kill ticks on contact, it can prevent them from attaching themselves to their hosts by dehydrating their bodies. When DE comes into contact with your skin, its microscopic sharp edges will pierce the exoskeleton of any crawling insects that try to climb onto you or your pets (and yes—they will try). This kills them by drying out their bodies from the inside out so that they cannot properly function anymore and eventually die off after several hours of exposure.

Lice

Lice are tiny insects that live on the scalp, where they feed on blood. The inflammation caused by lice bites can lead to bacterial infections if left untreated, as well as secondary skin problems like eczema and dermatitis. If you suspect that you have lice in your hair, it’s important to get rid of them right away so you don’t spread the infection to anyone else or make yourself sicker than necessary.

If you’re trying to kill lice with diatomaceous earth—and we hope you are—you’ll want to apply DE in a very fine powder form directly onto their bodies. While this sounds counterintuitive because these bugs can fly away from us easily enough when left alone (and we wouldn’t want them flying off into our furniture or carpet), the special exoskeleton of a louse makes it impossible for them not only fly but also swim or otherwise move around quickly once covered with diatomaceous earth particles; much like other insects whose exoskeletons are made up primarily of carbonated silica (like ants and silverfish), DE dries out their outer shell before they even have time to react!

Diatomaceous earth is an effective pest control for a variety of insects.

Diatomaceous earth is an effective pest control for a variety of insects, but it also has other uses. In fact, it’s been used as a natural remedy for many ailments for hundreds of years! One thing to remember: while DE is safe to use around people and pets, animals like birds and cats can get sick if they eat large amounts of DE on purpose.

Summing Up

Diatomaceous earth is an effective pest control for a variety of insects. It’s simple to use, safe for humans and pets, and effective against bed bugs, fleas, ticks and roaches. Plus it doesn’t leave behind any harmful chemicals in your home!

Food grade DE is also a great supplement for us to consume

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