As a continuation of our series on chemical free organic
pest control, today we are going to discuss one of my personal favorites, Diatomaceous
Earth.
The reason that I am so fond of DE is the simple fact that,
despite it having some limitations, it can be
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| Common Garden Insects |
What is Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth is the fossilized skeletons of prehistoric
crustaceans called diatoms. Over the millennium these tiny creatures died
settled to the bottoms of rivers, streams and seas, leaving deposits from which
they are now mined today.
Comprised almost completely of silica and small amounts of
calcium, Diatomaceous
Earth appears to the naked eye as a white powder and when viewed under a
microscope closely resembles a pile of broken glass, which in some ways are
exactly what it is and the secret to how I works.
How Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Insects and Slugs
The mechanics of how DE works is elegant in its simplicity.
Above, I said, it looks like microscopic glass shards and it does its job
exactly as if it were. The tiny silica crystals act as an abrasive scratching
through the exoskeleton of insects and the sensitive exscretionary membranes of
garden slugs and essentially take away their ability to hold fluids. They
dehydrate and die.
How to Apply Diatomaceous Earth
In the Garden
In your garden DE is used much as you would powdered
pesticides. Sprinkle it on the soil to control emerging slugs and insects and use
a duster on the
foliage of your plants for insect control. Here, though, is where DE’s weakness
begins to show up. When it becomes damp it losses much of its effectiveness and
in wet conditions is almost totally useless.
The other word of
caution I will add about using Diatomaceous
Earth is that just like most pesticides, beneficial insects have no
protection from it. That is why I limit my garden use, to ground applications
or cover plants with nets to protect valuable pollinators like bees and
butterflies from coming in contact with it.
In the Home
In your home Diatomaceous Earth can be applied in cracks,
crevices even around bedding and behind furnishings. Its consistency is much
like talcum powder and non-abrasive to people and animals.
What Insects will Diatomaceous Earth Control
This by no means a comprehensive list, mainly because I am
yet to find an insect that is not effected when exposed to DE but it will give
you some idea how versatile this stuff is.
•
Ants
•
Bedbugs
•
Carpet Beetles
•
Caterpillars
•
Centipedes
•
Cockroaches
•
Colorado Potato Beetles
•
Crickets
•
Darkling Beetles
•
Earwigs
•
Fleas
•
Flour Beetles
•
Grain Beetles
·
Japanese Beetles
•
Millipedes
•
Pill bugs
•
Silverfish
•
Slugs
•
Sow bugs
•
Spiders
As you can see from this list just about any hard bodied
insect is fair pray for Diatomaceous Earth and most soft bodied varieties are.
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