Fortunately, there’s a few things we can try before we go ballistic with poison.
Food grade diatomaceous earth is the secret weapon.
This substance has a long and illustrious organic pedigree. While nobody should breathe it in, it is otherwise nontoxic. It both dries out and disrupts the insect’s methods of keeping in the moisture they need to live.
And that’s all it does. So this mechanical, as opposed to chemical, attack method is much better for our home environment and the precious beings in it, including us.
Diatomaceous earth is actually the skeletal remains of sea algae. These mineral structures make excellent filtering agents for pools and aquariums, while a different grade is suitable for insect control. The filtering kinds have been chemically treated, so make sure to get the right kind.
There’s a great variety of areas where we can use it.
In the house. Dusted inside traffic areas in the garage or porches, we can set up barriers to infestation where our animals cross from inside to outside. It will kill bugs and dry out their eggs so they don’t hatch. If it gets wet, it stops working until it dries out again, and will not stain or otherwise mess up the surfaces it rests on.
On fibers. I first discovered its use on carpets and upholstery. We don’t have to go nuts with it, and we shouldn’t get dusty with it. Sprinkle it on carpets and other such surfaces, then leave it to do its work for a day or two. Then, when we vacuum, anything we missed will still be taken care of.
It is odorless and does no harm if it falls into cracks in our flooring or accumulates under rugs. Its only danger, as with any powder, is that it does our lungs no favors, so take precautions like wearing a mask and clearing others out of the rooms during application.
On cats. It can also be worked lightly into our cat’s fur to kill fleas and their eggs right on the cat. Just make sure we control the application so the cat does not breathe it in.
This is another reason for using the food grade type; cats will groom themselves, but ingesting the powder will not harm them. In fact:
In cats. Many animals are have the powder mixed into their food to combat internal parasites, and the minerals are even supposed to be good for them. One teaspoon daily is the standard additive for small pets like cats.
It is a substance that can be used like flea powder, only it isn’t a poison and it actually works, though perhaps a bit more slowly than a direct shot of insecticide.
Oh, diatomaceous earth! Is there anything you can’t do? Well, yes. Because it only works in a dry environment, lawns and gardens might still need an application of beneficial/parasitic nematodes. This strategy “sets a bug to catch a bug” and destroys the flea larvae, while not harming plants or animals.
What about borax? Years ago, I used this substance, aka boric acid, which is still in use as a laundry additive. While it did work on my carpets, I found DE more versatile, and switched. It turns out there are some health issues with borax.
For far more about DE (diatomaceous earth) see this article.
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