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If you’re at wit’s end in dealing with bed bugs, you may want to try sprinkling diatomaceous earth in your home. But before you go on a shopping spree, you’ll need to learn which types of diatomaceous earth is safe and how to use it without messing up your home.
What Is Diatomaceous Earth?
Diatomaceous Earth is the finely ground shells of the fossilized diatoms comprising silica as the main ingredient. These fossils are mined from some selected places carefully and ground into fine particles.
Generally, there are two types of diatomaceous earth, food grade and pool grade. Pool grade DE is toxic and is used in water filtration. Meanwhile, food grade diatomaceous earth is safe for consumption and has been used for health purposes.
Diatomaceous Earth For Bed Bugs – What To Look For?
Diatomaceous Earth can kill bed bugs, and you need to take care of it. You choose quality products while you purchase. Below given are the tips to check for the quality of DE.
Source
Diatomaceous Earth is sourced from various places. However, only a few places provide quality DE, and even the mining practices play an essential role in deciding the quality. Make sure you also check for the pure and fresh water sourced DE.
Texture
The fine texture is what you need. Anything that is not fine is not effective. So make sure the DE is finely-grounded.
Certification
As you need to use it in your home, making sure it is safe is essential. Only officially certified products are safe. Do not buy if FDA or OMRI does not approve of them.
Guarantee
Some manufacturers provide a full refund, and if you are purchasing for the first time opting for the full refund providing products will ensure your money is safe.
Best Diatomaceous Earth For Bed Bugs
1. Harris Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth
Key Features
- 100% natural freshwater product
- Non-expiring diatomaceous earth
- Mined in Nevada
The chemical-free diatomaceous earth is certified by Organic Minerals Research Institute as safe to use around pets and children. It is of food grade and comes sealed in a 5 lb. airtight bag packed in Georgia.
Naturally, fossilized freshwater diatom remains are grounded into fine powder for preparing this DE. No additives are added, or fillers are used in this Nevada mined product. It comes with a duster for easy application of the fine dusting powder.
Every purchase of this product offers a donation of 10% of their profits to the non-profit organization for saving animals. Though this powder has versatile uses, it is efficient at killing bedbugs and other general infestation, causing insects and bugs.
Pros
- Listed with OMRI Organic standards
- Comes with a powder duster
- No fillers or additives
Cons
- No proper instructions on the packet
2. Organic Food Grade DE by DiatomaceousEarth.com
Key Features
- 100% organic
- Food grade
- Officially approved USA health supplement
This diatomaceous earth is a reliable chemical insecticide as it dries out the shell of the bed bugs once it strides through the powder, DE causes dehydration and destroys the waxy coating that protects the bugs, they get killed.
As this is 100% organic and food-grade powder, you need not worry about it lying around while your pets and kids play about. It is a natural ingredient and does not contain any harmful chemicals. Using it on your pets to remove fleas or dusting it in their beds is effective.
There are versatile used for DE, from maintaining health to an anti-caking agent for pet food. Hence having this product with you is useful in several ways other than killing bugs. It takes a few days to judge the effectiveness of this product as it requires physical contact with the bug.
Pros
- Quality mining and handling process
- Organic certified by OMRI
- Mining and packing in the USA
Cons
- Not for dust allergenic individuals.
3. Earthborn Elements Diatomaceous Earth
Key Features
- Pure 100% freshwater DE
- 5-gallon Amorphous silica
- FCC standards
Utah sources natural DE is packed in a resealable bucket for keeping the powder fresh and free from moisture for all the time you use it. These earthborn elements are from pure freshwater and were fossilized millions of years ago. They are carefully powdered without adding any chemicals to retain their organic properties.
Exoskeleton containing organism’s aka insects and bugs, get destroyed once they come in contact with this powder. The protective coating on their shells is dehydrated, forcing the bugs to die, and even the stubborn beg bugs die due to the action of DE.
Another advantage is that the bugs cannot become immune to the action of this element as it is rather physical than internal. Owing to its safety and harmlessness to humans and deadly to insects, you would prefer having DE as a bug controller rather than harmful chemical pesticides.
Pros
- High-quality natural product
- Money-back guarantee with a full refund
- Packed in a resealable bucket
Cons
- Getting the powder out of the carpet is hard
4. EasyGoProducts
Key Features
- 5.5 pounds Diatomaceous earth
- 100% freshwater pure DE
- Organic food graded product
Diatomaceous earth by Easygoproducts is an economical and harmless product that is safe for use around pets and humans. None of the bed bud strains are resistant to this treatment and die within no time of coming in contact with this powder.
The natural and non-toxic bug killer prevents them from entering your house when you barrier it using this powder. Use it at all the places where the bed bugs are believed to reside or move about and see the dead bugs in no time.
Apart from killing bed bugs, DE is also useful in deworming pets and also treating them for fleas without any harm. Treating your place with DE frequently, even after getting rid of pests, will keep them from re-entering your home.
Pros
- FDA approved food grade product
- OMRI certified organic powder
- Provides half-pound bonus DE
Cons
- Takes a little long time to find results
5. Pure Ingredients
Key Features
- Utah sourced
- 10 lbs weight
- Food grade
The DE by Pure Organic Ingredients is safe for use in your home and garden to eliminate bed bugs, fleas, and other pests effectively. It is non-toxic, so you can use it even when you have babies or pets that may accidentally touch the powder.
As it is a pure and natural ingredient based product with food-grade approval, you can use it to treat parasites inside humans or pet’s body by consuming it. No insect with an exoskeleton can survive after coming in contact with DE as the action of it dries out the outer shell protection of the bug.
Without the natural protective layer, the bugs cannot survive long and crumble to death. The manufacturer is offering a full refund if you find the product not satisfactory and hence you can buy it without any worries.
Pros
- Pure Freshwater deposit quality
- Non-toxic, natural ingredients
- Full refund available if not satisfied
Cons
- Packing is a little flimsy
How To Use Diatomaceous Earth To Kill Bed Bugs?
Before you use the diatomaceous earth, you need to seal proof of your home for two reasons, i.e., to make sure you kill all the bugs and prevent re-entry. You need to clean your home thoroughly by vacuuming and steaming. Then wash the infested fabrics. After cleaning and sealing all cracks, you can proceed to the process.
Application of DE is simple; you just need to sprinkle it around using the duster or any other tool that makes fine sprinkling possible. Carefully line the edges and places where the bugs live and move. Even load DE in electrical outlets and electrical appliances.
You can leave out DE for as long as you want, and it is effective till it gets wet. It is recommended to wait till the bed bugs complete a cycle. Vacuum it out using a fine filter vacuum, or you can simply wipe it out.
FAQ
1. Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Bed Bugs?
Diatomaceous earth kills bed bugs but not in the conventional way of other pesticides do. It does not affect it internally but disrupts its exoskeleton physically.
When the bed bug comes in contact with DE, the silica present in this powder attaches to the bug externally as it is superfine. Due to the dehydrating nature of silica, the shell dries up, leaving the bed bug vulnerable soon after it dies as it has no protection.
2. How Long Does It Take For D.E. To Kill Bed Bugs?
There are two phases to happen after you sprinkle DE all over the place. Firstly, the bug must come in contact with the powder. Therefore, make sure you sprinkle it in the most critical places where bugs move around is the key.
Secondly, after the bug comes in contact with DE, it needs to dry out and then die in about 4 hours but not instantaneous like in other pesticides. Meaning it takes anywhere from a day to a week for bed bugs to die.
3. Can I Use Diatomaceous Earth On The Bed?
Using it on the bed is harmless, however, as it is fine-textured and hence hard to get it out of the fabric. So, it is better to use it away from the mattress and bedsheets. The best way is to create a perimeter around the bed rather than using it on the bed directly.
4. Does It Kill Bed Bug Nymphs?
Yes, it kills bugs in all stages; however, they need to come in contact with diatomaceous earth. Even nymphs are killed similar to the adults once they touch the DE. You must make sure that the DE is away from moisture for it to be effective.
5. Is Diatomaceous Earth Safe?
There are two types of diatomaceous earth, food-grade, and pool grade. Pool grade DE is primarily used in filtration and contain toxins like arsenic and lead. Food-grade DE is safe for consumption as it does not contain harmful components.
Therefore, it’s advisable to choose food-grade diatomaceous earth if you’re to use it for killing bed bugs in your home.
The only precaution you need to take is not to inhale it directly as it is a fine powder and affects your lungs, similar to any other fine dust. To be safe, wear a dust mask when you’re sprinkling diatomaceous earth.
Summary
Diatomaceous earth is one of the safest and effective ways to kill bed bugs. If you’re using food grade DE by Harris or any in the list, you can set up a perimeter of protection that keeps you away from the bugs.
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