By Peter Roos
If you are being bugged by ants or fleas, and who in Florida isn’t, there are a number of safer, poison-free alternatives. Have you ever heard, for example, of Diatomaceous Earth (DE)?
It’s a long name for a finely ground powder, much of which is mined so pure that it is considered food grade, safe for people and animals to eat. It is an ingredient in a myriad of products that we use daily.
The powder is made of the naturally occurring fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of algae that forms in freshwater. These remains are ground up into a soft, fine white powder that carry many different uses. It’s chemical free and completely safe to use around children and pets.
It is even fed to livestock, and in zoos, and animal rescues, as a beneficial food supplement, that prevents or eliminates worms. It is a drying agent, which, at a microscopic level, has sharp edges.
The dryness and edges prove deadly to creatures like ants and fleas, and as such makes a safe, inexpensive form of pest control and prevention. You can get what is likely a year’s supply including an applicator delivered to your door for less than $20 from Amazon and others. It is available from Home Depot and Lowes as well and other websites including one that specializes in a myriad of products based around DE.
We always keep some around the house. Once or twice a year we dust the outline of our home with a light coating about six inches wide. If fleas are detected, we dust the pets’ sleeping areas with some more.
If I have gotten you curious by now, Google it and let us know how you like this suggestion.
