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Compounds and Cleaning · Compound · Mechanical insect powder

Diatomaceous Earth

Fossilized silica powder that kills insects by drying them out and protects stored grain. Use food-grade only, and keep the fine dust out of your lungs.

INDEFINITEMULTI-USEHandle with careWorks without power

Quick facts

Works by
Drying insects out
Form
Off-white powder
Hazard class
Inhalation (dust)
Shelf life
Indefinite
Storage
Sealed bucket or jar
What to avoid
Moisture, breathing dust

See everything diatomaceous earth must never touch

What it's good for

Garden pests

Dusts ants and beetles

Stored grain

Guards from weevils

Indoor pests

Bed bugs and fleas

Moisture

Light desiccant

It kills bugs by drying them out, not by poison: it strips their waxy coat, sharp edges speeding it, and only while it stays dry.

Good to know

A powder of fossils. Diatomaceous earth is made of the glassy shells of ancient algae called diatoms, whose porous powder strips the waxy coat off insects so they dry out, its microscopic edges speeding it along, a physical kill bugs cannot resist. Grade is everything: food-grade is mostly harmless amorphous silica, while pool-grade is heat-treated into crystalline silica that scars the lungs, so buy food-grade and still keep the dust down.

Handling and safety

Food-grade only

Pool-grade DE is a serious lung hazard; buy food-grade and avoid the dust.

Works dry, not wet

It kills by drying insects out, so it stops working once it gets damp.

Protects stored grain

Mixed in at about a teaspoon per pound, it guards beans and grain from weevils.

Reapply after rain

Outdoors, dust again once it dries to keep the protection working.

Eight jobs it does

  • Pest control for many insects
  • Long-term grain and bean storage
  • Deworm livestock (food grade)
  • Dust coops and kennels for mites
  • Slug and soft-body barrier
  • Polish metal and silver
  • Pool and aquarium filter media
  • Drying agent for tool storage

If it goes bad Cakes when wet and stops working. Dry it back out and it works again.

Recipes for diatomaceous earth

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

What is diatomaceous earth used for?

It kills insects by stripping their waxy coat so they dry out: ants, beetles, bed bugs, fleas, mites in coops and kennels. Mixed in at about a teaspoon per pound, it guards stored beans and grain from weevils. It also works as a slug barrier, light desiccant, metal polish and filter media. Buy food-grade only.

How long does diatomaceous earth last in storage?

Diatomaceous earth has an indefinite shelf life. Moisture is the only problem: it cakes when wet and stops working, but once you dry it back out it works again.

How do I store diatomaceous earth?

Keep it in a sealed bucket or jar, away from moisture, since it only works while dry. Avoid breathing the fine dust when you handle it, and buy food-grade, because pool-grade is a serious lung hazard.

Keep going

Read nextBoric AcidA mild antiseptic and a potent insecticide. Used in eye and foot washes and in roach and ant powders.Compounds and Cleaning · Compound

Related to this

Garden and Livestock · Formula Garden Pest Control Using Diatomaceous Earth Diatomaceous earth kills insects mechanically rather than chemically, so pests do not build resistance to it the way they do to chemical sprays. Handle with care Compounds and Cleaning · Formula Bed Bug and Flea Treatment for Living Spaces Bed bugs and fleas are notoriously resistant to chemical pesticides, but they have no defense against physical desiccation. Handle with care Food · Formula Grain and Dry Food Storage Protectant A single grain moth or weevil infestation can destroy months of stored food in weeks. Handle with care Compounds and Cleaning · Formula Insect Killing Powder for Indoor Pest Control A roach picks up boric acid's fine dust as it crosses a treated crack, then swallows the powder while grooming itself, and the boron goes to work as a slow stomach poison from the inside. Hazardous
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