Hi Charlene! For applying the DE, use a broom to brush it into the carpet, that works the best. Thanks a million for getting back to me Natasha! Should I wait until the dew is dry in the morning and sprinkle it around, under, and inside the shed? I think I will try the DE but need some further help. Hi Rob. We put a pretty thick layer on the carpet, beds, basement, animal areas and animal then went camping for three days. It shows photos of animals and says it is safe to use in a chicken coop. We recently discovered we have a flea infestationafter myself and 3 of our children were getting mysterious bites. There are also harmful nematodes in your soil already like the Golden Root Knot Nematode, but the one you will be applying is friendly. I have DEd my back yard yesterday and today (its a rather large fenced in area) And Ive applied it rather heavily (I realized after reading your comments). I have read your comment and I feel that you are doing the right thing, you will get relief but I am sorry that it is causing so much distress. These skeletons are largely non-crystalline (amorphous), although diatomaceous earth can contain varying amountsof crystalline quartz. Hi Michelle! But I have seen flea dirt in the sheets just 1 or 2. I read on one of the comments that you should only do a light dusting and vacuum the next day, then repeat every week for 4 weeks. Your best bet is to wash them gently in warm water and dawn soap, kills fleas instantly. There are a lot of uses for it and I love that it safe around my little ones. Thanks for reading my article on using diatomaceous earth for fleas and I encourage you to share this article with your friends. This is definitely an option as boron based products are very effective for flea control, and I have personally used borax powder to kill fleas around my home over the past couple years (with great success). Just made sure its food grade please. Should I vacuum up the DE I put down and reapply? Hi Pelican, thanks for taking the time to share these lovely tips, really appreciate your contribution. Give all your carpets a brush (stiff bristles) and a thorough vacuum. There are many dangers of using flea poisons, both for your pet and the people in your home. OR can you safely use both without one canceling the other out? While its not a big problem for methe fleas dont like me muchits driving the cats more nuts and honestly, its embarrassing. Im going thru this flea invasion and have discovered something that may be helpful to some of you. i have used DE before when i had a dog and it worked well along with vacuuming and bathing him, but now i have 2 cats approx 14 months old is it safe for my kitties to be walking around with DE on the carpets, or should i keep them off the floors im treating? I put down a heavy dusting of DE and will vacuum up in the morning as well as bomb the place in a few days, but is there even a point when as soon as I leave the house they get back in? Tapeworms in animals can be caused by fleas. Hi Barbara! Its disgusting and gross. Hey Vicki! So, it takes me several hours to cover one room. The only two ways that you will keep fleas off your pets is either constant grooming with a flea comb (check out my guide on this) or a monthly spot on treatment. Got my powder spreader and DE today and sprayed the crap ton in all my rooms. Hi George! If there are cracks between the wood, DE can help a bit there. Was just at our vet with two infested kittiesshe gave them a Capstar and used Cheristin topical that lasts 30 days and is only for cats. Another record-keeping tip: If you arent keeping a gardening journal already, start one. I had used de last year for flea control and i will never use anything else since this worked wonders and did rid my flea infestation. Thank you so much for your informative article. Alternatively, try your local garden shops or farm stalls if you have any nearby. You can just put a spoonful in their foot, thats pretty much it. I got fleas about a year and a half ago., Now here is the problem, the fleas are living on my body.. I removed her from the room and placed her in a smaller room that had already been treated. However, I have had a couple people tell me that direct application works, just make sure it doesnt dry your pets skin out too much! Thanks to you & commenters who shared how they apply it! My recommendation is that you really rub it into your carpets (I use a broom) and after leaving it for the day, vacuum it up and repeat if necessary. Do exactly what you have planned except, dont go out and buy flea traps, just make them (info on this blog, check it out). Also I have set up a flea trap in my room. I have used a spot treatment for both of the cats I rescued from the shelter, but found theyre still scratching and Im seeing fleas. Good luck! Owner of 3 dogs and 2 cats in a house with 2 backyards. My poor little feral came limping up my driveway today, dont know what she did but I fixed up a box with a blanket, sprinkled the DE on the blanket and she is napping in the box. I just put down de for fleas. In fact, their relatively smaller size and proximity to the application surface may put them at a higher risk for experiencing side effects than the pet parent.. We finally decided to try food grade DE. Still, gonna keep going till the traps are ZERO. I ordered from Amazon the correct type of DE to use on the carpets and patio. Only did carpets, furniture, & beds. Hi! I found a 40 lb bag of DE food grade at the tractor supply store for under 30 dollars and will be trying it today. One night recently, I had seen numerous small beige-colored bugs crawling around on my black night table next to my bed. A couple times I must have been standing in an old deer bed because Id come home after leaving the woods and would find fleas all over my clothes. Food grade DE is sprinkled on vegetable and flower gardens, as well as within the home to prevent insect infestations. Ugh. I didnt think so. Hi Natasha, Im currently living in a pet friendly hotel with my dog Thorn and we picked up fleas, a week or two passed before I discovered the invasion. Fleas have to come into contact with the DE to die so a repeat application will just ensure that it works 100%. I gave him a good 10min soak in dawn soap last night and afterwards brushed him out like crazy. I decided to do Amazon and purchased Thomas Labs Organic DE. I also want to hook up a radio loud, to keep them thinking someone is home, or whatever they say to do, to keep them hatching. I used the flea bath soap, Dawn dish soap, flea powders while my cats are locked out of rooms, flea sprays, small amounts of essential oils, you name it. Hi Karen! I wouldnt take their word for it. I suggest you brush it into the carpet, leave it for 2-3 days, vacuum it up and repeat if necessary. Diatomaceous earth for cats and dogs is only effective at killing insects and parasites when it comes into direct contact with them, so according to what type of parasites you are dealing with, your treatment method may differ. Intercropping companion plants helps deter flea beetles from the host plant. I use just the neem powder with water to make a paste for my own hair, rub into scalp, leave on for 30 minutes and wash out. Our content and products are for informational purposes only. Dont do it too often though because it can dry their skin. What color should it be? I have a 5 moth old infant and was wondering if it is safe to use DE. We are in week 3 and seem to have gained the upper hand. Love the stuff, its natural and chemical free as long as you get the food grade. From what I have read it will not kill the beneficial nematodes but will kill the harmful ones. Hi Dotti! I also recommend rubbing it in with a broom (to reach down into the fibers). sprinkle on top then mix it up or sprinkle and leave alone? Just be careful you dont get too much powder puffing into the air when you apply it to the targeted area. Is that ok- also, I did not see it say good for humans or pets. Yes it is safe to do that, and I recommend that you do all the rooms at once (or well, maybe one per day is fine). And, the dog had been on the foot of my bed.) Luanne S. Hi Luanne, yes I am sure its fine, just dont let them ingest it or anything. How about my 2 year old son? Today a flea was on my husbands leg, do you think this means I still have a lot of fleas everywhere, or could it be a couple that havent died yet? 21 Comments. The bag is the same size as the Safer brand, 4.4 lbs. How do I use DE on hard surface floors? Silica is a. I have read many comments but none that stated it finally worked. Hi Lisa, it can usually be avoided by brushing it slowly and no, it is not dangerous, it just makes a real big mess hehe. I have carpet only in the bedrooms and closet, can I sprinkle DE on my hardwood floors and tile? Hey Linda! I dont know how they got in here again, Unless through open windows (with screens.) I have article on it, check it under the fleas category and let me know how that works out for you. One of the most common uses for food-grade diatomaceous earth is in the yard or garden. Do you think that keeping the rabbit off the carpeting being treated will make it safe for him? Spray it on your hand or directly on your pet and massage it to the skin. Thank you for this great website!! I never want to be without it! My only concern is with my parrots, many products that are safe for animals arent so safe for birds due to their fragile respiratory system. Hi Natasha! For long term, use a spot on treatment (no flea collars please). Hi Patty, thanks for checking out all my articles Yeah you can do that, or just hire a shop vac perhaps? We came back from a 5 day trip in july and i could see them crawling on my cats faces from 2 rooms away there had to be hundreds on each of them. Thanks. It kills by piercing the body parts of the passers by, or by ingestion, which punctures the internal organs of the pests. and for my pets, I either use a natural treatment (check out my articles on specifically killing fleas on either dogs or cats) or a spot on treatment like Front Line. At just about the same time when we begin to emerge from our homes in springtime, so do they. BTW, I have ordered it on Amazon both times I have needed it. Once the predicted storms are done and things dry out again, Ill put it around the yard, raking it into the dirt to dilute it a bit. This will avoid getting the DE into the air. Diatomaceous earth is extremely effective for killing fleas that are hiding in carpets, either in your home or even outside where your pets might enjoy taking a rest. DE is not for direct pet application, its pretty much only for your carpets, etc. Hi! Natasha, thank you for providing this site. Hi there, my 6 month old kitty got out a bout a month ago and weve noticed a few weeks ago that she broughtback fleas and now my 3 cats are infested, ive done alot of reasearch and my plan is to use dawn to bathe them should i sprinkle some de on them afterwards? The first time I did it lightly with flea DE from Home Depot (only 90% DE) and the fleas were still there but less. 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