5 Steps to Take If Using Diatomaceous Earth to Get Rid of Roaches

Diatomaceous earth is an excellent option for pet-friendly natural insect pest control. It’s praised for being just as effective as boric acid for roaches.

Why not stick to traditional sprays? Some roaches develop a resistance to chemical insect repellents, and pet owners don’t want to expose their pets to harmful chemicals. Pet-friendly insect control provides peace of mind to those pet owners.

What is diatomaceous earth, and how does it work? Diatomaceous earth is a fine white powder made from the ground exoskeletons of fossilized diatoms, which are microscopic algae living in fresh and saltwater. Their crushed skeletons form a silica powder that is deadly to roaches because those tiny particles act like glass. The particles shred an insect’s exoskeleton, which causes dehydration.

There are downsides to the use of diatomaceous earth, however. The powder isn’t selective and harms all insects that walk into it. Before using diatomaceous earth to eliminate roaches, understand how it works, why it’s so effective, and the five steps to using diatomaceous earth to get rid of roaches.

How Does Diatomaceous Earth Eliminate Roaches?

An insect has a waxy coating called the epicuticle covering its exoskeleton, and the epicuticle’s role is to hold moisture. When diatomaceous earth clings to that waxy coating, movement from the legs and wings scrape it away. As the tiny particles continue to scratch the insect’s softer parts, they lose moisture and dry out. The dehydration process kills insects after exposure to this fine, white powder.

If a roach has the powder covering it and returns to its nest, it spreads the diatomaceous earth around to the other roaches. It ends up killing its family through this transfer.

Five Steps to Follow When Using Diatomaceous Earth to Get Rid of Roaches

It’s an effective form of roach control, but its success relies on patience. Roaches live solitary lives, yet they’re usually found in a group as they seek the ideal living environment of darkness and moisture. These five steps ensure roaches get into the powdery residue and transfer it to the roaches in their nest.

1. Address the Situation That’s Drawing Roaches to Your Home

A moist, dark environment is a requirement for a cockroach. Find where they’re gathering by looking for a leaking pipe or drain in a wall, cupboard, shower, or other unlit area. Typically, cockroaches live within 10 feet of a food source, so that narrows down the range.

Once you find where they live, you can seal up any entrances they have from the outdoors into your home. Small cracks, holes, and gaps around pipes, doors, windows, and dryer vents make it easy to enter. A crack or hole as small as 1/16 inch is all it takes.

Clean up any crumbs or open food supplies that attracted them. You might need to pull out appliances and clean hard-to-reach spills, but it’s important to remove their food source before you start killing them.

2. Purchase Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth

Purchase food-grade diatomaceous earth for use inside your home. Regular diatomaceous earth isn’t as carefully filtered as the food-grade option, which increases the potential exposure to the heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, and lead that are commonly found in the powder. It needs to be safe for humans and pets, as even with the utmost care, some airborne particles can transfer to your kitchen counters.

3. Spread Diatomaceous Earth Around Their Access Points

Male cockroaches create a sugary substance to draw a mate. Over time, some female cockroaches have grown averse to sugar, but others love it.

Our tip is to mix some food-grade diatomaceous earth with sugar and another batch with potato or rice starch. Cockroaches love just about anything starchy. Powdered sugar or sweetened hot cocoa mix should draw them in, but back that up with diatomaceous earth mixed with potato or rice starch.

Sprinkle the mixture lightly in areas where cockroaches enter your cabinets, walls, or flooring. Aim for a light coating as they’re likely to avoid a mound or thick pile.

4. Wait

Death isn’t instant. Prepare to wait up to two days before roach populations diminish. It takes time for the powder to slice their softer areas and cause life-ending dehydration.

How long does it take to kill roaches? A study at Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University in Turkey found that diatomaceous earth killed 90% (concrete), 92.3% (ceramic), and 97.5% (parquet) of roaches by the end of the first day and 100% by the end of the second day.

5. Clean Up and Reapply

After a couple of days pass, clean up the area and apply a new light coating. As it can take up to 60 days for cockroach eggs to hatch, you need to be diligent and exterminate new roaches for several months.

Things to Consider When Using Diatomaceous Earth to Get Rid of Roaches

Diatomaceous earth isn’t selective, and it won’t differentiate beneficial insects like spiders or bees from roaches. Make sure you’re spreading it only in indoor areas. If you spread it outside your home in areas where the insects enter, honeybees may find it and end up suffering the same fate as the cockroaches.

Food-safe diatomaceous earth won’t harm pets, children, or adults, but it can cause skin irritation. It can also irritate the airways in people with underlying health issues like asthma and COPD. Try to put the powder in areas where pets and children won’t get into it.

Cockroach control doesn’t have to rely on unsafe chemicals. Diatomaceous earth provides a pet-friendly way to slowly kill the roaches in your home. Just make sure you also take measures to keep new ones from getting in by addressing the water leak and food sources that draw them in.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/RHJ