It is an amazing dust cloud! Unfortunately, it also wipes out all beneficial insects, such as ladybugs (who eat aphids for a living), and pollinators(bees, butterflies, etc). or anywhere else, so questions are how bad is the infestation and what do I need to do to get rid of them for good? Yes you can use that outside, it will work nicely (presuming that its not too wet outside. Or would I need to wait the 3 weeks, hoover, then apply the DE? However, dont stress. Good point about the food grade DE and where to locate it, Thank you for pointing that out! My question or questions are..is it safe for your pets to ingest? We are going to be using Capstar daily x 5 days per our vet, followed by Nexguard (they said that the topical flea prevention isnt regulated and fleas have become resistant to most). Was a mission to find this product, but we were able to purchase it at Lowes. My kitty has tapeworm, and is never going outside again because all she does is eat grass. , Hi Lee! I love your site! You can put DE in the cupboards and anywhere where you think fleas may be hiding. Again, all the previous pointers need to be reviewed (above) but to add to them, dont purchase any DE products that are marked for pest control. Thorough vacuuming every three days (including all crevices) can really help control House Fleas, too. The place I bought it told it was very safe to use on them & the house. Having researched the deadly effects of Avantix and other poisonous big company products, I found myself reading an FDA Study report from a major topical flea poison maker and was thoroughly disgusted with what I read. It is a pleasure, I try my best to answer everyone Good luck! Thanks for sharing your story, I am here for you if you still cant get rid of them after that, you are not alone! After vacuuming and laying down another layer, were pretty much 99% flea free!! Thanks. Hey Yvette! Cheers! I have discovered my three cats have fleas and one of my cats has been diagnosed with cancer and I dont want to add to her troubles. Under her belly especially and under the arms. Hi Natashathe article was very informative, so thank you so much for that. It does make a bit of dust when spreading with a broom, but its worth it to me. We have to take our dog to doggy day care three days a week (every other day). DE is safe to use on all animals from the very large to the very small, I have even heard of people using it on their snakes and reptiles for mites. Works great! In this case, the fleas will be torn apart. We are in week 3 and seem to have gained the upper hand. I hate fleas. I read that it can dry out your eyes, what precautions should be taken with this? Trying the tealight method now these last few nights which seems to help some, will try to order some DE online that were mentioned here in the and try that soon. I use a Shop vac to suck the clogged filters. Not to get to far off track but my dog had a close encounter with a locale skunk. Its not dangerous but its best to combine a pet specific product (e.g. She has a strong interest in crafting content that will inspire and help pet parents make informed decisions. I started cleaning the Borax from my hardwood floors and I couldnt believe the amount of fleas and flea dirt I was seeing. We have taken into consideration the varied needs and wants of all segments of . . Hi Jon! Nothing seems to be helping. Speak soon , Heya Katie, it is a pleasure! Hi Lisa! I put this on her and all in the yard and in the shop yesterday and the fleas are still all over the dog. I dont know how they got in here again, Unless through open windows (with screens.) Hi Kim! The second day I dusted them with a Shaker and rubbed it in real good but there are still fleas on all four of them. Hey Brenda! Remember, if you have any questions, you can always leave a comment and I will get back to you! From what Ive read you need to treat the the lawn, house, animals at same timedo one must do the others and vacuum vacuum vacuum. I hope that your comment encourages those that have not had a chance to use DE to give it a try Cheers! I have never had a flea problem before in my 27 yrs as a pet owner, and Ive only recently heard of DE so I was just wondering what the best way to use it would be. My answer is that it should be enough to finely cover the surface and if you are unsure, a little more is better. I apply it with my hands, they get a little dry but nothing a good wash and some lotion wont cure. No problem, your wish is my command. I also have intense reaction to fleas bites. Thx for your help! Also the place I am at is a bit humid. It will not be effective when wet, but when it dries out, it should have some efficacy.. As for keeping them away, if you have succeeded in killing the current infestation, and you dont bring anymore into your home, you shouldnt have a problem again. This stuff is messy and we are covered in the stuff. I bought a bottle of Diatomaceous earth from green acres market brand is LUMINO does this work for roaches plz help. Hey Nina! I hope you find these answers satisfying, thanks for taking the time to comment! To be extra cautious, just take your cats out the room while you are applying the DE to the carpets, etc. I do have a question and I am sure it has already been answered but there are so many comments I cant read them all in one sitting. Hope that helps! Thanks for sharing your experience and keep up the good work, it is very admirable . Put on your scout cap, and get to work identifying and tackling these pests, utilizing the cultural, biological, and (only if absolutely necessary!) DE isnt really for direct application (not dangerous though), rather use it in your hotel room (if allowed). I am also sprayed Zoecon Precor 2000 Plus Premise Spray, 16 oz and all carpet and cloth couch. Will this one still work just a good as the food grade? Sorry for the late response. Hi Aileen, probably just a couple to be honest. They should beware of any product that says that it should be applied directly to the pet.. He is now flea free. Just keep an eye on it thats all, ironically it is probably a lot less dangerous than other flea control methods. My name is Natasha, and I have been helping people with their insect problems since 2012. And in my laundry, there are black specks in my clothes? Direct contact with diatomaceous earth can cause irritation, dryness, and in rare cases, skin abrasions, says Chantelle Hanna, a dermatology technician at Southeast Veterinary Dermatology and Ear Clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina. I suggest you use DE in your home, not for direct application to your dog. Diatomaceous Earth is made of siliceous sedimentary rock crushed into tiny particles. However, this is just a suggestion, doing it right away is not harmful so its really up to you. And if you have vacuumed up some of the DE powder that is an excellent way to kill bugs in the vacuum cleanerno need to remove and toss vacuum cleaner bags. Is there a measurement that I should give to my dogs. i dont know WHAT HAPPENED!!!! Pleasure Brenda, thanks for getting back to me . Hi Deb, excellent! Hi. Have a question. Thank you for sharing such thorough guidance. Thank you so much, Love Amita. Sounds like you are making process, well done! Hi Allison! Make sure you use a shopvac or something like that to suck it up, and leave it down for a couple days before you do it. I have 5 indoor/outdoor cats and one dog. Thank you so much for this! Im off to try and find your article about flea solutions for cats! Thanks for sharing! Can the cats remain in the house when the carpets and furniture are treated with DE? Better to clean it up?? This is not due to toxicity or anything like that, it is just because they have small noses and it can get clogged up. We cover some of the more common beneficialones here. Nematodes - Beneficial nematodes are a microscopic, worm-like organism that live in soil. There are also harmful nematodes in your soil already like the Golden Root Knot Nematode, but the one you will be applying is friendly. So its time to get rid of those bugs! I really like your webpages, Natasha. This is often referred to as pool grade diatomaceous earth and its important that you dont use this! Hope that helps! I wear contacts and after applying the DE dust my eyes got irritated. Thank you so much! Thanks! Had her drink one teaspoon mixed with chocolate milk (yes chocolate is bad but it was the only thing we could get her to drink) and when we woke up in the morning (within 8 hours of treatment) she was finally up and about again. I make my own bug wipes to keep fleas and mosquitos away from me because bugs find me delicious 5 select-a-size paper towels cut in half to make 10 squares. It has a clay in it that acts as a desiccant. However, its really based on how much you need. I always recommend a decent spot on treatment for that. I dont think just using DE on the dogs will work at this point since there are so many on them. 21 Comments. on the box it has a variety of animals on it and says its ok to use on them as well as the lady who rang me up said she uses it for her chickens. It doesnt but will instantly kill them if they hatch and the food grade one is perfectly safe. We have a 4 bedroom house with 3 living rooms and its a split level house so 3 sets of stairs and most of our house is carpeted how much DE would you recommend that i buy? . It didnt say food grade. Also might be worth putting a spot on for your kitty. Here is everything you need to know about using diatomaceous earth for fleas so that you can make an informed decision about whether it is the right choice for your home and pets. That sounds perfect, let me know how it goes and make sure that you apply it slowly otherwise it can make a bit of a mess , How do I know if its the food grade DE? Still, gonna keep going till the traps are ZERO. After reading your blog I ordered food grade D-Earth from Amazon and put it down today. Used properly, DE is effective as a preventive immediately; with a flea infestation it takes about a month after you dust with DE then vacuum. I plan on using it indoors and outdoors. Love the stuff, its natural and chemical free as long as you get the food grade. Great informative information. Also, our animals (one cat, one dog) sleep on our beds at night. Hi Mary! Hiya, I have my DE, do I need to cover every flat surface? You should not dump this product all over your floors, that is not only ineffective but it is a dusty mess for months afterward and it is wasteful. I double up duct tape so that both sides are sticky, sprinkle DE on one side and stick it in our windowsills. This is ground remains of a freshwater algae called Diatoms. I dont have pets, but the people who just moved out had 2 outdoor cats. I have vacumed entire house daily for past 2 weeks. I have 2 cats and lots of fleas this year, tried advantage, didnt work so 2 weeks ago tried Frontline, I still had lots of fleas. You are an angel <3, Hi Teri! Thank you so much much for all this information. It sounds like some vacuum up immediately. Can I rub DE on my cat? Best not to apply it on areas visited by pollinators. We put down DE on the couches and carpeting on Tuesday. I would start with just the floors honestly, the likely hood of fleas being in their toys, the bookshelves, etc. I will definitely add that to the main article so that others can benefit from your suggestion. And while I know it is a non-toxic and an overall safe product., I am paranoid about spreading it around my house for my familys lungs sake. I have a indoor cat who has made herself comfortable outside lately, what a bad idea on my part. Hi Cate, DE wont kill the eggs but yes, you can definitely do that , Hi! Read more about floating row covers here. Can you give instructions on how much to feed them (with their food). Food grade DE is used in products like facial masks and scrubs because of its gentle abrasiveness. We have sprinkled some DE on our dogs but they are still scratching like crazy. If you keep catching fleas in it, then proceed with the more drastic steps . (The cats will be in residence; the dog will not). I would say not to mix them. They all like to roll about on the carpet, stretching out, indicating they want pettings. away from the treatment areas until its sucked up. I bought the DE, food grade, sprinkled it all over the room and on the cat. There are many dangers of using flea poisons, both for your pet and the people in your home. If you cannot find at local stores ( I did not know about Tractor stores), you can order it from Amazon. Hello! I work 10am to 7pm and so I cant vacuum very often? How MUCH of this DE do I need to buy? Id like to use both methods if they can be used together. At first I wasnt sure what it was, but after the normal reaction of hitting it with my hand and it leaping to another part of my arm, I knew that it was a flea! Hi Jessie! (The idea at first wasnt to treat the cat so much as kill the fleas trapped in the comb.) This has had the cats seek out alternative sleeping sites. If you visited the orange hardware store, they sell St. Gabriel online for about $11 a bag. After reading these replys, I am afraid that I used too much and will not work. I cant seem to find one in any of my local shops or hardware stores (I live in a small town in Ireland).I heard if you just sprinkle it with your hands it can dehydrate the skin. I have borrowed a live trap for the racoons, but I am wondering if I use DE outside on the deck and adjacent ground if that will harm any nematodes I plan to release afterwards? I think we brought them home from groomer when they were shaved in July. Diatomaceous earth is a natural mineral that is safe to use around humans and pets alike. Let me know if you have any other questions! Hi Kerry, yeah that should be fine. Hi Angela! However, they were to loose. Yes its safe, its just not the best way to kill the fleas. You can get about 5lbs for $14. Another great success story, thank you very much for sharing it with us. @Bonnie, the itching and scratching will usually last awhile, especially if they were infested pretty bad. Anyway, we have a 10,000 sq ft warehouse and a pit bull that stays here, she and the shop is infested with fleas. I put in in my backyard today. And whats the best way to apply it on the carpets so it dont make so much dust? I just bought some diatomaceous earth to help deal with a burgeoning flea problem and Im excited to begin using it. I had a professional steam my carpets and then he used boric acid powder but I would like to add DE if I could learn how it is used. Mainly just wanted to pass along the suggestion on where to use DE on your pet if you get that desperate, and thank you for all your hard work. In fact, food grade diatomaceous earth can even be used to kill other pests like bed bugs, chiggers and gnats so feel free to try it elsewhere if you are having a problem with those in your home. Freshly hatched larvae feed on the roots of plants for the next three to four weeks.