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I poured some diatomaceous earth on an ant colony a while back, and the ants simply relocated :/
not sure how it works, but from what i read you should use a light dusting. then, when the insect travels over it, the tiny fossils (DE) cut the exoskeleton of the insect and it dries out/dies.
I use both... and both work. My exterminator comes by twice a year, I keep DE in corners, under beds, behind cabinets, behind washer/dryer/refrigerator, etc. I never get bugs besides an occasional spider coming in. No roaches, fleas, bedbugs, nothing.
I've been using pure food grade DE for almost 10 years and no one in my home has breathing or lung problems.
I use both... and both work. My exterminator comes by twice a year, I keep DE in corners, under beds, behind cabinets, behind washer/dryer/refrigerator, etc. I never get bugs besides an occasional spider coming in. No roaches, fleas, bedbugs, nothing.
I've been using pure food grade DE for almost 10 years and no one in my home has breathing or lung problems.
how do you apply it? some actually soak it in water and spray it via spray bottle, others just *poof* out the dust in areas they want it and others do that but then vacuum afterwards.
with what I use (both the ingredient and the specific brand), why and the main alternative. It's the same stuff used by the pros. I DIY every 3~4 months, though I've gone ~6 months once and only had very minimal intrusion (mostly spiders). My in-laws have converted from paying $80 every 3 months to spraying their own as well once I did a spot treatment for them after finding a bunch of spiders that the pros weren't getting rid of.
Look into the stuff, but I've been unable to find a single bad thing about it. It's safe for everything but bugs, has no odor, dries clear and is super simple to apply.
Location: Stuck on the East Coast, hoping to head West
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I had a minor roach problem. I tried DE and it did absolutely nothing. I followed the directions, etc. I called in the pros and haven't had a problem since. There is a sticky for do it yourself pest control with lots of helpful information.
If you don't mind dust, use 20-Mule Team laundry enhancer. It's basically boric acid.
When bugs walk over it, it burns their feet. They then lick their feet and the boric acid kills them.
If you have access to your basement, put it on the sill plates and other areas where the bugs come in.
It doesn't hurt anything bigger than a bug so it's safe for pets unless you have a really stupid pet that goes around eating all the laundry detergent it can find...
The safest you'll ever use is boric acid based. The most popular is named Roach Prufe. It is a white powder that you can dust inside the home and out. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=roach+prufe
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