Hi Natasha, I was just curious I was looking to use DE on my carpets and rugs upstairs where my cat was until i found fleas. Will use on carpeting also. I have bought DE, and have scattered it around the bedroom, but as I understand it, the fleas are just waiting for a body to hatch from larval stage and then leaping on me! makeup, etc.) in a few days, so will wash most of it away, and Ill reapply it more lightly next time but Im wondering if its bad if they breathe in some of the dust. Hi Natasha, I did a search of this page for the term Red Earth with no results. Thank you so much much for all this information. The DE is still a powder so its not gotten wet. I called my local tractor supply store and they have Red Lake DE food grade, but I looked online at the contents and it is 95% mineral matter (max) and 8% moisture (max). Hope that helps . I have a 9 month old daughter and I saw one on her neck! I plan spreading the food grade DE on the carpeting in the rest of the house, let it sit for 24 hours then vacuum, then re apply. We live on a nature preserve and have found them in our yard. I also use this for flea control and for personal use. Try Red Lake, but just search Amazon or something like that, there are plenty good options . Second? Try a spot on for your pets and continue the DE on the floors, etc. Hi Vickie! And, the dog had been on the foot of my bed.) Hi Mandy! In laboratory tests, it caused lung inflammation and emphysema [13]. Should I try a light dusting on the comforter cover? I heard that salt can kill fleas also. Go easy on DE on their fur. Shes always been a licker and managed to lick herself right into an infection. Their little faces are only inches from the dust so they are going to have more irritation that faces that are 5 plus feet off the ground. Diatomaceous earth is easy to use and non-toxic to pets and humans. I just got a nine week puppy and my yard has fleas, I have a canal in the backyard and also some stray cats, squirrels and opossum visit my yard. Let me know how it goes! It can be used for killing fleas in your garden. Hi Peggy! I wanted to sprinkle DE on my carpets for a flea infestation, then vacuum it up. Just tonight I found one just chilling on my chest. Hi Marie! I really appreciate it!! I am not sure what food chemical grade means, sounds like a contradiction so just be careful with it. Then use the dry DE powder on your floors, I have an article that you can check on this blog for more details. What about red lakes brand of diatomaceous earth? Fleas like a certain amount of heat. Finding a safe and effective flea preventative is essential for your pets health and comfort. According to some experts, adult fleas can die as quickly as 4 hours after contact with this natural substance. Thanks for all your help already. Does DE dry out eggs and larve too or t least eggs? I was so pleased to read your article. There are many dangers of using flea poisons, both for your pet and the people in your home. Can I mop it up after sweeping? The bag is the same size as the Safer brand, 4.4 lbs. Also, our animals (one cat, one dog) sleep on our beds at night. Yesterday I vacuumed and washed all my bedding, and today I saw one sitting on my pillow after I woke up. I recommend getting your yard a lime treatment (its not too expensive) or alternatively, as I just recommended to Shannon, get yourself some beneficial nematodes to kill those fleas outside. I will be purchasing the food grade for the rest of the house. Kimball. Can I use it around my 2.5 month old puppy. So although you may need to clean up that filter a couple times during the process, it should be fine. Cant say for future, I usually just treat a new flea issue when I see it. I seem to see some conflicting info about how long to leave the DE before vacuumingranging from 3 days to 1 week. Like I dont want to hurt my cats or chihuahua and while this is probably selfish of me but even more so I dont want to hurt myself. Much appreciated, the extra exposure will help and your kind words give me energy Thanks for the heads up, I will definitely keep that in mind for my community! Seeking flea advice! Also when do I clean it up after how long and how to clean up on hardwood floors? But when searching, there it was. There are a lot of uses for it and I love that it safe around my little ones. I put the DE in an old flour sifter to use on my bed and my dogs. is the DE going to do this also? If you decide to apply DE to your yard, please do it on a non-windy day, keep dusting to ground level, and consider temporarily covering flowering plants. Hi Sharon, I am sure that those steps will definitely help. I have not seen any more since that time; about 2 wks. Where do they get their victims? Im suprised we never had a problem before now. Im wondering if a mixture of both DE and Boric acid would be more effective than just using one or the other. Yep, dust there too and after you wash any clothes they could have come into contact with, keep them out the wardrobe. I have tried all kinds of stuff. I knew the DE is used in chicken pens to keep fleas out, so I went to a local farm supply store and picked up a jug of food grade DE. Hey Xara! Will this work if I put it on and then vacuum later? You can use this on plants and the ground and it is suggested that it be applied in the morning hours. I was going to sweep up the DE, and then vacuum, but since the floor is slate or some type of rock, and the walls are crumbling, I didnt know how to correctly clean up all the DE. Yes. Check out my fleas on dogs article on this blog , I have reduced the amount of fleas caught in my flea traps to just 1 or 2 in the last few days, last week I caught 42 in just a few days, YUK. I also use just the DE food grade alone on carpets, floors and bedding. Thanks Natasha! Hi Lisa! Just an fyi for anyone looking for this stuff, I just bought a 20 lb bag of it from tractor supply company for $9. Please help. I need to have these gone by Friday and I am desperate to get them dead ASAP without using a bug bomb. I recommend just using a soapy mixture that is specifically made for your hardwood floors, as most cleaning agents will kill fleas on contact. Thanks for all the information. Today we are going to talk about Beneficial Nematodes and Diatomaceous Earth. The DE shouldnt affect your GF, leave it down for as long as 2 weeks, just brush it in. Im going to be traveling for several weeks and I wondered if its safe to leave the DE on the carpets while Im gone. Hey Shawn! I have never read anything that suggests that Diatomaceous Earth can kill the beneficial nematodes or bees. The Diatomaceus Earth (food grade), salt, and DIY traps are just as well Just a little more effort but better for your health and pets well being. It already had salt rubbed into it and was sprayed earlier so we just put a clean mattress pad on it and he got a clean blanket and slept in his room. Anyways, I tried frontline and to my surprise it wasnt working, I was told it could be working but it might be a case that I needed to treat the house too, indoors and patios (we dont have grass areas) and somebody suggested DE. Hey Nina! I dont own any pets, so its even more frustrating. Hi, Why do you advise not rubbing DE on pets directly? Any pros or cons to not cleaning up the whole thing. In fact, wait another 2-3 days (also brush it into the floor) before cleaning it up. If breathed in, diatomaceous earth can irritate the nose and nasal passages. My drugs are white, so I could see the fleas trying to get out of the de. There are a variety of generalist predators and parasitic wasps that can help in the effort to manage a flea beetle population. Thank you for your input. Thoughts on purchasing diatomaceous earth for fleas online at Home Depot or Amazon? Good luck! Wayne. We have 2 rooms that are carpeted and the rest are hard floors. Appreciate your lovely comment and your kind words. Hi Joe, I have not but if it is 100% food grade DE, use it. This really doesnt have to take more than a few minutes to accomplish, depending on the size of your garden. Hey Meeshall! I hope that your comment encourages those that have not had a chance to use DE to give it a try Cheers! Hope that helps. Please share it with your friends! Gonna do my bed, clothes, drawers and everything. Highly magnified diatomaceous earth shows the intricate fossils that make up the substance. Please remember that my guides are for informational purposes only, and that you agree to the terms of use when reading content on this website. Yum! Hey Yvette! This is great stuff. Hi Jen! Just specify that you are looking for the kind for pest control, and NOT for pools and theyll show you to the food grade package. We all have computers, and Im a bit worried about the fridge as well. Hi, thanks for this informative article. The vet had said avoid bathing as it would dry out her skin, but applying DE may as well. Why does this matter? Ive only seen dead fleas to be honest but hate not knowing if Ive got them all or not ha. Will try tractor supply or home depot. Its labeled Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for human consumption. . Hello! Anyway, we have a 10,000 sq ft warehouse and a pit bull that stays here, she and the shop is infested with fleas. Hey Adrienne! I put Advantage on my kitties last evening because I had a supply of it on hand. Thanks for posting these detailed steps! ago. Hi I was just wondering I sprinkled the pool grade on my floor is that bad? No its not dangerous, provided its food grade DE. However, I am sure that removing them, applying the DE and once it has been removed, bringing them back should not harm them. I think it dried out the motor and made grind to a halt. Its time to get down to business! Do you know if the DE will hurt her if she walks on the floor or furniture where it was? See our TOS for more details. I also wanted to ask.the DE my husband got is food grade mixed with bentonite clay (Red Lakes brand).is that sufficient? I now have a horrible flea infestation. Thank sfor helping Sharon, really appreciate it. Or no??? I also spread it all over floors and carpet. Please do, you are doing well though, keep it up! Great article. Can I mix DE with borax when I put it down on the floors and carpet? Is there a brand that you can direct me to? The label states that its organic and OMRI approved for organic gardening. What is Lime Treatment and Beneficial Nematodes? Being diligent about keeping your garden clean and free of too much debris may help to keep pest pressure at bay. Im wondering if you think it would work to put DE in an A-frame tent? However, there are other alternatives for flea control and I highly recommend that you take a look at and if you would like me to point you in the right direction, let me know what else you have tried and I will help you out . Thanks for the great tips and website this whole experience is nerve wracking and it helps to have others offering suggestions and sharing. Whats the best way to clean it up? I did one bedroom and the hallway and closed the door. Can. We have a very small kitten that we found and bless his tiny heart he is covered in fleas. Makes you think, huh! How many times should we repeat? I became a host, now my battle is ongoing. Cedarcide is the product that I came across and it works. About to fog again ( 2nd time in two weeks) had my hair cut to two inches long to ensure there are no eggs on my head. I tried a natural spray I found at hardware store without luck. Also, I live in 80-90% humidity right now so dry climates for preventing a sticky mess are impossible. If you were told by a certified individual that it will not hurt your pets, then you should be able to trust them. There are a variety of methods for controlling these pests, including cultural, physical, and biological. 1. I am freaked out by all of this. This is ground remains of a freshwater algae called Diatoms. Hey Shannon! If not, do you have any suggestions? Hopefully this will eliminate the problem! Flea infestation. Not sure I can do this in our offices as the dust will be killer on our computer equipment. The vet said a flea bath from a groomer may help, but they cant guarantee to get all of the fleas, and then if our house isnt completely free of them, itll start the cycle all over again. So if you could help me with this I would so appreciate it. Should I have them flea dipped at the groomer and then treat the house while they are away?? Good luck! Great blog and suggestions.. Thank you for all the wonderful information on DE. Still a ways to go yet as the dog seems to have a histamine reaction to the fleas, but havent seen live ones in a few days. The abrasive particles of Diatomaceous Earth are ideal for damaging and penetrating the hard exoskeletons of fleas. Have to check out. Readers, this is also beneficial for humans to take for many reasons. Was a mission to clean it up, but honestly was SO worth it. is going to be your best option. We also fed it to her and it killed the ear mites. Hi, I have enjoyed reading your articles. You recommended to leave DE for 12 hours before vacuuming up. Hey Debbie! Also can you recommend a way of spreading it lightly without using a duster? Im sure that cant be applied very frequently. The vet would have recommended a spot-on liquid flea control product applied to the animals neck to combat fleas on the animal, thus preventing future tapeworms. Nematodes need to be applied when the soil is about 60-65 degrees, so get busy as soon as the weather allows. I tried refined salt, several bombs and what not. Does not say anything about FOOD GRADE. Im off to try and find your article about flea solutions for cats! Its really as easy as that. Thanks for such a good article! Any ideas? Dont be fooled. What schedule would you recommend? Because even though the article says its safe for lungs, the bag itself (Harris brand, food grade, 100% pure) says the dust can cause permanent lung damage and to wear an approved respirator and goggles and work area should be equipped with adequate dust collection or exhaust ventilation. They should beware of any product that says that it should be applied directly to the pet.. 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