this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2025
49 points (96.2% liked)
Gardening
5307 readers
316 users here now
Your Ultimate Gardening Guide.
Rules
- Be respectful and inclusive.
- No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
- Engage in constructive discussions.
- Share relevant content.
- Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
- Use appropriate language and tone.
- Report violations.
- Foster a continuous learning environment.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Will diatomaceous earth work on them?
I believe that diatomaceous earth works on all insects. It's not poison; it's finely ground silica, and it essentially wrecks their insect lungs. It will also wreck your lungs if you aren't careful with it (silicosis is super-bad, m'kay?). The issue will be getting it where it needs to be to affect them, and you'll have to re-apply after rain.
Actually diatomaceous earth isn't silica - it's fossilized diatom skeletons that works by physically cutting insects' exoskeletons causing them to dehydrate, not by affecting thier lungs.
{Diatomaceous earth (/ˌdaɪ.ətəˈmeɪʃəs/ DY-ə-tə-MAY-shəs), also known as diatomite (/daɪˈætəmaɪt/ dy-AT-ə-myte), celite, or kieselguhr, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth)
If you inhale it in significant quantity, you'll end up with silicosis.
Not in my experience. Even if you coat the eggs and them directly.