Are you dealing with a cockroach infestation in your home, but you’re vary of using harmful chemicals in pesticides? Well thankfully you do have another option; diatomaceous earth! Diatomaceous earth is a 100% all natural solution to many pest infestations including cockroaches, and along with this it’s safe for humans and pets alike! Are you ready to learn how to use diatomaceous earth for roaches and finally get to live pest free? Let’s get going!
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Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Roaches?
Yes, food grade diatomaceous earth kills roaches, it does so by coating their exoskeleton and then begins to eat away and destroy their exoskeleton, killing the cockroach in the process. That being said, diatomaceous earth does not kill cockroaches on contact, and it can take multiple days from when a roach walks through the diatomaceous earth until it kills them. That’s why it’s so important to apply the diatomaceous earth in highly trafficked areas!
What Is Diatomaceous Earth?
Diatomaceous earth (abbreviated as DE) is a powder that is created by crushing the fossilized shells of diatoms, which are microscopic ocean creatures. The consistency and look of diatomaceous earth is similar to sand, but it’s a much finer consistency than sand. That being said, it’s a naturally occurring product and it’s very safe to humans and pets, which makes it an excellent choice for roach control as well as many other household uses!
Other than pest control, DE has many other household uses including as a cleaning product to remove stains that need some abrasiveness, as well as consumed by humans to improve the health of skin, hair and nails! Diatmocaceous earth is often confused for borax, which also is used for cockroaches.
What Diatomaceous Earth Do We Recommend For Roaches?
It’s important to use food grade diatomaceous earth for roaches. It’s a finer consistency which means it more easily coats cockroaches, but it’s also safer for humans and pets due to the reduced amount of crystalline silica in the powder.
Diatomaceous Earth and Cockroaches: How To Use DE To Kill Roaches
One of the biggest benefits of diatomaceous earth is that it’s extremely versatile and it can be applied a few different ways that are relatively effective in killing roaches. In order for DE to be effective against cockroaches, the roaches need to walk through the powder, which means it needs to be placed in heavily trafficked areas by the cockroaches.
That’s why we recommend dusting areas such as underneath your kitchen cabinets, behind kitchen appliances, along cracks and crevices in your kitchen, around your bathroom and sinks, and even outside along the perimeter of your home.
From our testing, the best way to apply diatomaceous earth for cockroaches is to use a duster. If you don’t have a duster, I’d recommend punching holes in the bottom of a two liter soda bottle, and then filling the bottle with diatomaceous earth and shake the bottle around the areas you’re looking to apply the DE.
If you don’t want to go through that effort, you can simply pour or sprinkle DE directly out of the bag but it isn’t quite as measured.
How To Use Diatomaceous Earth To Kill Cockroaches – Video Tutorial
Step by Step Guide On Using Diatomaceous Earth For Cockroaches
Step One: Sweep and Clean Your Home. Cockroaches are attracted to food crumbs and generally just like being in messy areas, so you should clean and vacuum your home to clean up any food particles. Along with this, diatomaceous earth should be laid on the ground in an uninterrupted area, so it helps to clean the area.
The DE needs to be laid down dry, so if you used a mop or wet jet, you should let this dry prior to place diatomaceous earth.
Step Two: Apply DE To Popular Roach Areas: Apply diatomaceous earth to areas that you’ve noticed cockroaches, and areas that are prone to cockroaches. This includes your kitchen and cupboards, as well as your bathroom and sink drains. Think of all the areas that roaches like, such as under cabinets and furniture as well as behind your refrigerator and other kitchen appliances. We recommend using a mask and goggles when applying just to be extra safe!
Step Three: Focus On Entry Points: You should also apply diatomaceous earth to common entry points to your home such as around doors, windows and any other cracks or crevices cockroaches might be able to fit into to enter your home.
Step Four: Setup An Outdoor Perimeter: This is an optional step, but it will give you added protection. You can consider putting a perimeter of diatomaceous earth around your home, which will help kill roaches and other insects as they attempt to crawl in or on your home.
Step Five: Repeat If Needed: These applications take a few days to kill roaches, so you need to give it around a week before you reapply. But if you’re still noticing a large roach infestation after a week, you should consider reapplying as well as applying to more cockroach dense areas around your home.
Step Six: Cleaning Up The Diatomaceous Earth: After your cockroach infestation has been eliminated, you don’t have to live with white powder around your home. Thankfully diatomaceous earth is very easy to clean up using either your vacuum and a damp cloth, or a combination of the two.
How Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Cockroaches?
For diatomaceous earth to kill cockroaches, the roaches have to physically come in contact with the DE. Diatomaceous earth kills cockroaches by coating their exoskeleton and it begins to break down the top layers of their exoskeleton which eventually leads to the roaches to die of dehydration.
Further more, diatomaceous earth generally will stick to their feet and legs, and the little hair on their bodies which means they take it back to the rest of their colony which can lead to their colony dying as well!
That being said, it will take a few days for the roaches to die from DE, as it doesn’t kill on contact.
Is Diatomaceous Earth Dangerous To Humans or Pets?
Generally speaking, DE is very safe for humans if it’s the Food Grade version of diatomaceous earth! That being said it shouldn’t be inhaled, we recommend using a mask and googles when applying, and you should be cautious of purposefully consuming the product. Along with this, ensure to keep it away from small children and pets where possible.
If you’re worried about your pets, then check out our guide on pet safe roach control treatments!
Final Thoughts On Diatomaceous Earth and Cockroaches
Overall diatomaceous earth isn’t the most effective cockroach treatment available, but it’s one of the most effective chemical-free cockroach treatment options! It’s generally considered very safe, easy to apply, and cheap! If you are dealing with a cockroach infestation, I recommend you give diatomaceous earth a shot because it is very cheap and easy to apply, so it’s worth testing it out to see if it solves your infestation or not!
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