Diatomaceous Earth For Ants
Being one of the most common insects that invade the home, it will make some folks prepare for warmer weather. When they may want to come inside your home or when they have entered the home, looking for food, is when you want to have diatomaceous earth applied as a preventative measure. They can be a nuisance for the single family home all the way up to become a problem. Ants diatomaceous earth is so effective, I wouldn't use another product in its place. Because it is an organic option instead of harming your pets, kids, and yourselves using expensive chemicals. As long as the product stays dry it will outlast any residual effect pesticides have. Plus this product kills by a physical action and not a chemical so there is no way for the ant colony to become immune to it. Diatomaceous earth works 100% effectively as long as you are applying it correctly in the area where ants are noticeable and the ant actually comes into contact with it. Diatomaceous earth is commonly referred to as a mechanical insecticide.
Diatomaceous earth or also called diatomaceous earth de is the naturally occurring, fossilized remains of single celled organism called diatoms. Even as simple as applied de to the entry points of the home will add much needed protection from these insects. Ant trails are easily spotted, just follow them to see where they are coming from and apply this product to get rid of ants, even carpenter ants. Fire ants also have trouble moving through this fine powder without being harmed. Pest control is made easy because of the nature of the sharp edges of diatomaceous earth. They get stuck on the exoskeleton of the ant and will dehydrate it the more it moves. For effective ant control be sure to use diatomaceous earth and be sure you are not using the filter grade version as that is only used for filtration purposes. For more analysis, be sure to check out our blog section for post named, does diatomaceous earth repel ants?
How to Identify an Ant
Ants can range in size from 1/16" - 1/2" long depending on the species and depending on the job it has in the colony. Ants can vary in color from black to grey to reddish. Common household ants in the United States are the small sugar ant (crazy ant) and the red ant. Ants have 8 long legs and two antennae.
Ant Behavior & Life Cycle
Ants have a very short life span. It depends on the species, but an average worker ant usually lives between 4 – 12 months. Some only live 1 month, while others can live for years (especially queen ants, which can live as long as 15 years). Ants start as an egg that is laid from the queen ant and are taken care of by the female worker ants. This stage lasts 7-14 days and are taken After the egg hatches a larvae emerges and again the female workers bring it food so it can grow. This stage lasts about 6-12 days. The ant will eventually use metamorphosis to change itself into the pupa stage. The pupa stage is when the any spins a cocoon around itself to grow further. This stage lasts 9-30 days. The adult ant is the final stage of the any life cycle and are separated by drones (female workers) and males. Ants live to serve their queen and female worker ants do nothing by work while being sterile. Male ants do not do work in the colony but rather are there for reproduction and quickly die after mating.
How to Apply Diatomaceous Earth to Kill Ants
Over the years we have learned that ants really are in every state as we have heard from thousands of customers regarding ant infestations. Many people use those poison traps, sprays, and even powders that contain chemical pesticides that are not safe for your pets, children, or you. If there was something that would only kill ants naturally! Luckily, we are offering food grade diatomaceous earth to replace those chemical pesticides. An application of diatomaceous earth is highly effective at killing ants as long as it is applied correctly. Lets take a look at how to apply diatomaceous earth to kill ants noting that ants come in a variety of species and DE is effective at killing each one.
Indoor Application Directions
Step 1: Find areas around your house where you have seen ants crawling. Mark places where you think and where they may be able to enter your house.
Step 2: Spread the powder in an even fashion and apply a thin layer to all baseboards using our pest pistol powder duster in every room and be sure to focus on window sills and doorways.
Step 3: Apply a layer of diatomaceous earth in an even and light application to the outside foundation of your home being sure to go out 6″ from the start of the foundation.
Step 4: Leave application indoors and outside applied for 7 days and then clean the best you can. in most cases the ants are eliminated and in other cases you may see 1 or 2 of them. Just be sure to repeat if you see more. Its a matter of time as they get killed off that they will realize it is not the best place to look for food and they will leave.
*Please ensure you are wearing a dust mask during application of the product*
What Diatomaceous Earth Do I Use to Kill Ants?
There are very few items that you really need to get the job done. For starters we recommend these two bundles below. The crawling insect control diatomaceous earth shares the exact composition of the food grade de, but contains an EPA label to register it as a legal pesticide. Without absorbing the us food drug administration, we are forced to ensure labeling requirements are followed as set forth by the governing bodies of the EPA and FDA. Our JT Eaton Red Insecticide Duster works well to get the product in cracks and crevices and hard to reach areas. The Diatomaceous Earth Dispenser helps you apply evenly without the worry of missing a spot, making the application too thick, or preventing an easy chore when you clean up diatomaceous earth.
