Flea Problem? Diatomaceous Earth is a Natural, Safe, Effective, & Cheap Option to Rid Your Home, Garden, and Pets of Fleas!
Do your pets have fleas? Diatomaceous earth is a cheap, natural, and effective way to get rid of them that is non-toxic* to mammals!
"Diatomaceous" means filled with diatoms, which are tiny fossilized phytoplankton. This off-white powder is mined from rivers, lakes, and seabeds where ancient algae collected in the sediment.
Diatomaceous earth (or DE) has so many uses around the home and even in the human body that we believe every household would be wise to keep it on hand! In this article, we will go over how to use DE to rid the home and pets of fleas.
Using Diatomaceous Earth to Kill Fleas
When DE is sprinkled on insects, "it compromises their waxy coating so that their innards turn into teeny tiny bug jerky" (source). Fleas dry up and die! The amazing thing is that this is basically dirt that is rich in silica, and there are no serious adverse side effects for mammals who come in contact with it.
Application
Proper application is the key to ridding your home or garden of insect infestation! DE is not bait; bugs are not attracted to it, do not take it back to their lairs, and simply avoid big piles of the dirt. Rather, insects must come in contact with it, so it is best to sprinkle or spray a fine layer through your home or garden.
- Remove clutter for best results.
- Vacuum the area to get rid of flea eggs.
- You can use a sieve to sprinkle food grade DE on dry carpet, bedding, clothing, furnishings, and in the yard to control a flea infestation (DE does not work well if it is wet).
- Vacuum again after 2-3 days.
For pets, you can sprinkle them directly with DE and pat it into their fur. Whether you apply it directly to them or not, give your pet a bath after a day or so because DE is very drying to their skin. Because it is so strongly dehydrating, you might not want to apply DE to your pets every single day or use very large amounts directly on them.
Repeat these steps for 2-3 weeks to break the fleas' life cycle, as DE does not kill flea eggs, only the adult fleas.
Flea control is just one property of this incredible substance; it has many more uses around the house as well as inside the human body, including killing parasites, enhancing joint health, and increasing calcium absorption! We will go into these and many other uses in upcoming posts.
We are pleased to offer Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth by donation towards building a healthier, happier world for ALL!
www.intothegardenofeden.com
@gardenofeden amazing post
Thank you!
I love natural solutions! Better for everything--all around! Great post.
Thanks @everlove! All-natural and it actually has benefits for the human body as well...but we'll get more into that in upcoming posts :)
Should people with breathing problems take any special precautions?
Don't stick your face right up in it! If you're concerned, you can cover your mouth and nose with a bandana, cloth, or mask.
meep
@gardenofeden followed you
Thank you, @lemoneequeen!
Great post for fur-baby parents @gardenofeden!
Thanks, @liberty-minded! It's quite wonderful to know non-toxic options for keeping the whole family happy and healthy :)
Wonder if this would be good for dust mites causing mange. Also where would someone buy the food grade at a store in town? Not overly fussy on ordering online. Thanks
We have used it to slaughter mites on chickens if it helps (don't know if they're related).
Although it was hard to get where we are so we ended up having to fall back to chemical warfare.
It's great for chickens too! We're happy to supply it because it can be difficult to get - we'll even offer it for SBD or Steem trades!
Hmm...seriously considering now XD will have to build up more steem first and talk to the husband and then see how we are for supplies here first :)
Yes, you can use diatomaceous earth for dust mites and we've heard of success using it for mange as well. Don't know what's available in your town, but a google search for diatomaceous earth + your town's name would probably give you some good leads. Whatever source you find will not be more sustainable or honorable than ordering from us, though.
Interesting post. Thanks for the info
You're welcome, @draoissey!
Thank you! Sometimes really actual for us:)
You're welcome, @animal-shelter!
Didn't know that!
It's really cool stuff, and this is just one of its uses! We're going to shed more light on more of its incredible properties in upcoming posts too. Food grade diatomaceous earth is actually beneficial to the human body!
Lots of useful information here. Thanks a lot!
You're welcome!