Details
Food-Grade Diatomaceous earth comes in the form of a chalky powder, and is the natural fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. These diatom particles are very small and sharp – but only harmful to the small exoskeletons of insects. Insects cannot become immune to its action, as it is a mechanical killer – not a chemical one. Because it is like a light dust, it easily clings to the bodies of insects as they walk and crawl over it. The tiny diatom particles then cut the waxy coating of insects and they eventually dry out and die of dehydration within 48 hours. It is an all-natural product that is so safe, it can be sprinkled around your vegetable patch, or rubbed right into your dog’s fur. Non-food-grade diatomaceous earth is dangerous and should be avoided.
A 4.4 lb will treat 1,800 square feet.
To purchase a dispenser tube, click here.
What insects does it control?
Insect Dust kills these insects:
- ants,
- ticks,
- fleas,
- aphids,
- silverfish,
- cockroaches,
- bed bugs,
- spiders,
- carpet beetles,
- slugs,
- snails,
- tomato hornworm,
- house flies,
- fruit flies,
- red spider mites,
- and earwigs.
Keep in mind that it may kill beneficial insects as well.
For indoor use:
For indoor use lightly coat a thin layer in areas where insects are found or may hide. Can be used in cupboards, behind and beneath refrigerators, cabinets, stoves, garbage cans, and in or around sewer and drain pipes.
You can leave the dust where you place it until you no longer see any signs of insects in that area, at which point you can clean it up. For carpets, lightly sprinkle the insect dust over the carpet, and leave for two to three days before vacuuming. Reapply the insect dust only if you continue to see signs of insect pests.
Thoroughly apply to areas of infestation. For example:
Bedbugs:
Take apart bed and dust joints and channels. Dust any hollow tubing and the interior framework as well as the mattress and all cracks in the room. Use a turkey baster or duster to apply clouds of the dust over the affected area. Leave the dust to do its job for a few days. It is still safe to sleep in your bed even while the dust is present.
Silverfish:
Lightly dust under the sink, inside drawers, or along the baseboards, and wherever else silverfish are found.
Fleas:
Thoroughly dust carpets and pet's bedding and sleeping areas, as well as cracks and baseboards. It also can be rubbed into your pet's fur.
Carpet Beetles:
Thoroughly dust along baseboards, carpet edges, under furniture, carpet, and rugs, and in closets and shelving.
For outdoor use:
Lightly coat a thin layer where other insects are found. Areas such as patios, windows, door frames, foundations, along ant trails and outdoor pipes and drains. Reapply the insect dust after any medium to heavy rains.
Flies:
Thoroughly dust areas where flies frequent (walls, straw bedding, livestock pens). It also can be applied to livestock coat as an insect repellent/contact insecticide. DE can also be added to the food of pets and livestock. The DE helps as a de-worming agent for livestock, and it ends up in their poop. Flies lay eggs on the poop which hatch into maggots, which are then killed by the DE. This is an effective method for fly control, especially on farms and homesteads, and in outdoor areas where animals are present.Fire Ants:
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth directly on the ant mound, or mix with water and saturate the mound. The ants will track the DE back to their nests where the colony will be exposed to its abrasive action.Slugs, earwigs, and other garden pests:
Sprinkle DE over plants and around edges of garden beds. For best results, reapply after rain. DE which is washed into the soil will continue to benefit your garden, since it acts like vermiculite in retaining water for future slow release into the soil.Lice control for chickens
Lice are a common scourge around chickens and can lower their vitality resulting in fewer eggs and low disease resistance. Set a "dusting box" of DE n the corner of the coop (or in a dry area of their run) and the chickens will continually apply themselves with DE. This will reduce or eliminate lice problems within a few days.Safety
This product is Food Grade, and safe for your pets and your family. Insect Dust is registered as an Insecticide with the government, so it is required to have a generic health warning on the bag, despite its safety.
The Environmental Health Coalition refers to Diatomaceous Earth as one of the least toxic insect controls on their "Home Safe Home" fact sheet about safe household cleaners and indoor pest control.
Professor Stuart B. Hill at McGill University in Canada describes Diatomaceous Earth as non-toxic and feeling like talc when you touch it. He mentions that inhaling common road dust is probably more harmful than inhaling Diatomaceous Earth.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) used in pool (or any water) filtration contains DE that has been chemically treated and heated making the silica crystalline which is a dangerous respiratory hazard and lethal if ingested. The fresh water naturally occurring DE deposits that are designated FOOD Grade by the FDA have less than 3% crystalline silica. These deposits are primarily Amorphous Silica which is harmless when ingested and is commonly used in feed and food industries.
Sustainability
Provides a non-toxic, safe way to control insect pests.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
We want you to be completely satisfied with every purchase you make. If you are in any way dissatisfied with a product you ordered, we'll exchange it, replace it or refund your money within 30 days of purchase. Simply email us the problem, and we'll take care of you. Certain products have extended warranties (up to 50 years!) that are listed on the particular product page. Please call us at 1-888-451-6752 if you need further clarification.
Additional Information
| Weight | 4.4 |
|---|---|
| Key Feature | All natural, non-toxic, insect pest control |
| Manufacturer | St. Gabriel Organics |
Shipping Information
- Shipping Details:
- Insured against damage or loss while in transit
- This Product Ships To:
- US Lower 48
- Ships Via:
- Fedex or UPS
Questions about the Insect Dust (Diatomaceous Earth) - 4.4 lbs
Prev
- From Wanda at 3/19/11 8:06 PM
- If I buy the 4.4lb bag is there an expiration date to when the bag must be throwed away if all is not used in two years?
Or can it be used till gone?
I'm interested because we are being invaded by tiny ants that we can't find where there coming from. My son's 5th wheel trailer is more invested that us.
I'm all for natural since we have a 10 Jack Russell Terrier. - There is no time expiry on Insect Dust (Diatomaceous Earth). You will not have to throw away any unused DE because it remains viable in storage over time. It will be effective against your ant problem.
- Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- If I buy the 4.4lb bag is there an expiration date to when the bag must be throwed away if all is not used in two years?
- From Jacqui at 3/8/11 7:43 AM
- Hi, just popped in from New Zealand and was wondering if you had a price (currency conversion) for the DE and USP for delivery to NZ? Really interested in your product.....
- Hi Jacqui,
We are sorry but we are unable to ship DE overseas. This is due to the cost of shipping, and our warehouse is not set up to do the paperwork involved. You may have a friend in the US who can receive the DE for you and forward it to you, but we are unable to do this ourselves.
Greg - Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- From Lauren Katz at 3/1/11 7:27 AM
- I have a tea cup yorkie, and a 15 pound cat. I would very much like to use this product on and around the area of my Tea Cup dog. However she is only 3 pounds. And does lick herself. Also.... my cat grooms herself frequently....
so, is this safe for the teacup? - Yes, our Insect Dust (Diatomaceous Earth) is completely safe for the Teacp Yorkie and the cat. Licking the diatomaceous earth is harmless, as this is food grade DE.
Just sprinkle the DE in areas where insect pests frequent, and if possible, sprinkle it where the vacuum cleaner will not suck it up too quickly. - Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- I have a tea cup yorkie, and a 15 pound cat. I would very much like to use this product on and around the area of my Tea Cup dog. However she is only 3 pounds. And does lick herself. Also.... my cat grooms herself frequently....
- From Tana at 2/22/11 9:39 AM
- I have been told that D.E. is also good to use around chicken pens. How would be the best way to apply?
- Insect Dust (Diatomaceous Earth) can be sprinkled inside the coop, especially in crevices or cracks which harbor mites. You can also sprinkle some DE in nesting boxes inside the coop. Over time, the chickens will displace the DE as they scratch the bedding in the coop, and some DE will be buried. You will need to reapply occasionally, depending on the type of bedding in your coop.
- Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- From JD at 1/26/11 11:11 AM
- Being food grade, does this mean it will be safe to use in my vegetable/fruit garden? I have a terrible problem with ants in the garden.
- Hi Jan,
Insect Dust (Diatomaceous Earth) is safe to use in your vegetable garden. It is safe for you and for your plants.
For best results, you need to understand how DE works. When insects come into contact with DE, their exoskeleton becomes scratched by the microscpoic sharp egdes of DE, and soon they dry out and die. So you want to place the DE in a spot which the insects will cross. In outdoor locations such as a garden, the DE will be most effective when dry. You may want to reapply the DE after a rain. Strong wind may also blow away some of the DE, so try to put it in a place where there will some wind protection.
We have used DE at our home for years, both indoors and outdoors, and have found it to be the single best nontoxic insect control product we have used.
Greg - Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- From Melis at 11/23/10 4:16 PM
- Hi,
The website indicates that this product is safe for pets.
My 3-week old kittens are infested by fleas. Would it be safe to apply this product on them? What about on the mother who is with the litter all the time?
Thanks.
- Hi Melis,
Yes, diatomaceous earth is completely safe for your cats, even the young kittens. You can rub DE into their fur, and also the mother cat's fur. Sprinkle it in and around their bedding.
DE is especially good at long-term control of fleas, and other insects as well. The insects outer skin is scored by the DE which leads to their dehydration and death, usually within a few days of coming into contact with the DE. Results are not immediate.
In your case, since there is an infestation, you may need instant as well as long-term control of fleas. I suggest you get one of our electric flea traps and set this beside the litter. This will decrease their numbers quickly, and the DE will finish the job and keep the fleas away over time.
Also, cats will continue to bring in fleas, so it's a good plan to sprinkle DE in areas where the cats frequent.
We don't have cats anymore, but even now we sprinkle DE in all the rooms of our home to keep the bug population down. I can speak from personal experience to the effectiveness and safety of diatomaceous earth.
Greg - Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- Hi,
- From Cathy at 9/29/10 5:42 PM
- From Susan at 9/28/10 6:14 PM
- How do I apply this to my dog for safe and effective flea control? Do I rub it all over his fur or do I put it on his skin? Is it effective if I just put it on the nape of his neck like the chemical flea medications? I am currently using Advantage which works, but it makes him smell bad and I don't feel good about putting poison on my dog.
Also, I was wondering how often does this need to be reapplied for it to be effective?
Thank you! - You can rub diatomaceous earth into your pet's fur, and sprinkle it around your pet's bedding. Reapply to the fur if your dog gets wet or if any flea activity is present.
- Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- How do I apply this to my dog for safe and effective flea control? Do I rub it all over his fur or do I put it on his skin? Is it effective if I just put it on the nape of his neck like the chemical flea medications? I am currently using Advantage which works, but it makes him smell bad and I don't feel good about putting poison on my dog.
- From Paul at 8/30/10 6:55 AM
- Is there a way of mixing this with water so it can be sprayed via a garden sprayer??? Paul in Fayetteville, N. C.
- Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder and should be able to used as a spray, but we have not done this ourselves. For garden applications, we broadcast DE by hand. This way we can add more in trouble spots and not apply any to areas where it sin't needed.
Greg - Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
- From L. Hannon at 8/3/10 8:11 AM
- My cats have fleas. I have used advantage on them- and it seems to be working. Can I use this product on my cats even though they have been treated with advantage? Also- I only have carpet in one room- the rest is wood floors. I think the worse place is under my bed, but I can't move the bed. How can I treat under the bed? Thank You
- Yes, you can apply diatomaceous earth to your cat's fur, or around the home, even though your cat has been treated with Advantage. In fact, it's a good idea to use DE as a secondary, and more lasting, preventive treatment against fleas.
If you cannot move the bed, use a long spoon or any method to sprinkle DE in spots. In our home we sprinkle DE along the baseboards where no one can see it. When we vacuum, we try to avoid these spots. After a few weeks, we will vacuum more thoroughly and then reapply the DE in the same spots. Our home has been free of fleas and other insect pests for yers. - Do you find this question helpful? Yes No
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Customer Reviews
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Doesn't seem to be working
By on 11/4/12
I have a bad flea infestation. I have been fighting fleas for almost 7 months. I have used everything from foggers to frontline. A friend recommended DE and I have covered the house and the animals with it. It has been over six weeks and there is no change, we are still infested. I vacuum and re-apply every 2 days . It looks like it snowed in my house but we are still full of fleas. I dumped some on a spider in the corner...I am waiting to see if he dies.
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Not sure
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bedbugs and then some
By on 8/8/12
I discovered bedbugs in my home, never knew what they were until my 8 yes old daughter started waking up with red lumps I thought maybe spiders was I wrong they started biting me tried everything nothing worked well after 2 or 3 hours of sleep for months did alot of reasearch yes, DE Diatomaceous Earth LOVE IT havnt seen any its great for humans read about it on the internet youll love it I GUARANTEE IT 100%
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
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Excellent natural pest killer
By on 4/3/12
Have tried this product to target green house insects , tomato worm , found it killed many other insects like weevils , beetles , moth aphids , white fly etc. also tried it on Cockroaches , RED PALM Weavil , it tool 8 days to kill it as the cuticle is hard to scratch. however the results were excellent
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
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Very good explanation but.....
By on 3/30/12
I would not down play the risk of breathing the dust nor compare it to "road dust". Although I have used this product for many years here on the farm to dust stalls, farm animals, dogs and cats, etc, one must take care to NOT breathe this DE dust. I have always purchased from livestock supply stores in larger quantities. Those packages note that you should wear a mask when using this product as well!!
DE DOES work! Otherwise, I wouldnt be using it for so many years, wasting my $ or time!! Gets rid of flies, knats, fleas, ticks and many other pesty insects! Just dont get in your animal's lungs or yours!! And, remember, if it rains, it's gone! So, you will need to re-apply (common sense here)
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
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Fantastic for Cats!
By on 1/4/12
I was a bit skeptical at first, and had to call Eartheasy for confirmation that I could use this on my cats, but I'm so glad I bought it now!
After rubbing the dust into my cats fur, the fleas started dropping off after a couple days. This dries them up and kills them real quick, and it's totally safe to use. I'm a very happy customer, and will be buying more!
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
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The silverfish love to crawl over this and then reproduce!
By on 8/3/11
Does absolutely nothing! The bugs walk all over the powder, then reproduce so it does nothing. I NEVER saw a dead silverfish after.
(Editor's Note: Diatomaceous earth does not kill instantly on contact. Once the insect comes into contact with DE, its exoskeleton becomes scored, which leads to dehydration and death. It takes a few days to begin to see results of using DE.)
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Never!
| Quality |
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This product is a nice safe, natural, longlasting product for pest control.
By on 7/29/11
I've used this product for control of water bugs. A little goes a long way. You know the product is natural and is not harming the earth.
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
| Quality |
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effective
By on 2/22/11
cheap, safe, effective. i'm buying my second sack. my sister took the rest of my supply when i told her how effective this is!
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effective, not toxic, but can be blown around
By on 1/19/11
I'm buying a bag for each of my rental properties based on the successful use in my home and one rental. The product is definately effective and I can assure my renters there are no toxicity issues and won't affect people with allergies. My only criticism is that it needs to be placed where a breeze will not blow it away. You can't just put diatom earth anywhere. I recommend putting it on top of the cupboards and on the inside ledge under beds (for bedbugs).
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works
By on 12/16/10
I first tried this stuff when finding out that we had bed bugs in the house, and been using it since. It works great. A little slower in getting rid of things, but it works. I have seen dead roaches and spiders, too, from them walking through it, and not a roach in a few months now. I suggest it to anyone with a roach problem or bed bugs, too.
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very pleased
By on 11/30/10
After several months of applying this insect dust in my home, I can say the insect population is definately reduced, and in fact I hardly see any bugs anymore. The non-toxic nature of this product is what appeals to me. I'm glad I discovered this and have been telling friends about it.
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
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the best, period!
By on 11/15/10
We have a cabin that has all sorts of insects, and we come back after being away there is insect debris all over but especially in a couple spots near my chair and near the phone. ( I think this is the pillbug capital of the world!) Since we started using DE a couple years ago, there is virtually no insect matter anywhere. This is a breakthrough for us cause we've been dealing with insects in the cabin forever. The bag lasted a really long time. We use it in both our homes, and I'm now happy to buy more.
Oh, one bit of advice. Put the DE in little teaspoon size piles in spots where bugs go but where the vacuum won't get it.
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
I have used this product to treat fleas on my cats by rubbing the dust into their fur, and I've also used it to help treat parasites by mixing it in with their food. It's really easy to apply, and safe to use with bare hands. The only caution on the bag seems to be with inhaling the dust, but when I spoke with the manufacturer they said that it's no more dangerous than road dust, and that the caution is more for people with allergies.
I'll be buying more!
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
I admit this product is easy , but my animals keep biting and scratching themselves. It Is only effective on them for about 15 minutes. i sprinkle some on the area that is itching and rub it into their fur but it doesn't seem do anything. Also, after vacuuming, there are fleas still jumping. I used on carpets, upholstery, cracks on baseboards, tile floor, bedding and linoleum. The flea catcher, with the adhsive seems to work better than the dust.
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Not sure
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Worked well for me.
By on 7/21/10
My cats are outdoor cats, and they bring in fleas from time to time. If I see any evidence of fleas, I'll take a teaspoon of the DE and sprinkle it over their back, then rub it through their fur. I'll also sprinkle some around where they sleep, to kill any lingering fleas. I don't like Frontline or any chemical flea killers as they can be hard on my cats.
Would you recommend this product to a friend? Definitely yes
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