Fleas for Diatomaceous Earth

5 star (13) 
  62%
1 star (8) 
  38%

Gloria (Chicago, Il) on 08/06/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

I have used diatomaceous earth now for a couple of years. It is incredible and safe (as long as you don't use the pool-grade stuff), and works.

I have used it for fleas by just applying it on a wood floor and sweeping it to get it in the cracks and along the baseboard. I also applied it gently to one of my cats. I use the product at http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-All-in-One-Flea-Remedy/999013.aspx and follow their instructions. There are a lot of reviews of this product on this page.

Believe it or not, I also used this particular DE product to get rid of bedbugs by applying it along the baseboards in all 3 bedrooms. Bedbugs gone - permanently. I used a really small paintbrush to apply and spread it (it was time-consuming and difficult - furniture had to be moved, etc. but it was worth it), and I shaked it as little as possible to prevent any dust flying.

It also got rid of an ant problem I had - I hate killing anything, but I had no choice and over the course of several days the ants diminished until they were completely gone. I applied it in 2 places - where they were coming in my house, and the threshold to my kitchen that they were crossing over.

I am NOT associated in any way with onlynaturalpet.com, just have had great results.

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   1      

Bb (Atlanta, Ga Usa) on 10/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth & cedar based product, PCO is very effective at killing fleas in your yard.
REPLY   2      

Pennie (Indpl, In, Usa) on 10/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Natural Flea & Tick Remedy

Hi everyone! After almost losing our Baby Kitty to those dangerous advantage medications, I decided to figure out a way to live without using them year after year. So I did searches and found out about, " Diatomaceous Earth". This stuff is miraculous! I found mine at the local True Value Store, but you can also buy online at different retailers. BUY: FOOD GRADE! I spread this in all different areas of my lawn as well, and within 48 hours you have no more ticks or fleas. It harms all insects. I have plenty of flowers bees, and other wonderful insects roaming around, but this gets rid of the fleas and ticks really great. And I put it down on the ground on a NON-Windy day. ALSO: WEAR A MASK TO PREVENT BREATHING THIS SUBSTANCE! It worked great and I will never have to buy pesticide and put it on my animals again!! Late fall I again had fleas on my dog and all I did was put small quantity on his fur and within 48 hours all fleas were dead, then I washed him, the fur was slightly dry, but so well worth it to keep him flea free. After 3 days I washed him and put some good conditioner on him and he felt great. Usually you just have to put the Diatomaceous Earth around their tail and back area. Again in the fall, I put more of the earth around the areas that he lays in and no more fleas, after it rains you will have to put it back down again, but it's cheap. I also put it on all my fruit tree's and surrounding tree's to keep the leaf hoppers off, and my tree's look great too! Hope this works for all of you looking for a natural approach. With carefully placing it on the ground, I did not harm any beneficial bugs that roamed freely on my flowers. Lot's-O-Love to all our Animal Lovers out there! Pennie

REPLY   6      



Cleoppa (Cleburne, Tx) on 08/28/2010:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

I've long been a fan of DE. I know it can do wonders, but it has been less than helpful with my recent problems. In trying to discourage fleas and roaches when I was on vacation, I spread it on my carpet. Not only did it not seem to discourage the bugs, but my vacuum cleaner started smoking when I vacuumed it up. There was still dust floating around for days (which really isn't healthful to breathe). I will definitely never try that one again!
REPLY   3      

Kari (Stephenville, Tx Usa) on 08/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Diatomaceous Earth is completely safe to use, as long as it's human/food grade and NOT pool grade. Most garden stores sell it as well as a plethora of websites. My only suggestion is to not put it on your carpet. Some people have a lot of luck with this, it mostly just made my vacuum cleaner sound [permanently terrible. It still runs fine, there's just a terrible noise when it's running and I can't seem to figure out the real cause (I've taken it apart down to the motor). Also, it's not healthy to breathe in ANY dusts, so wear a mask and remove your pets until the dust settles. Otherwise it's okay for you AND your pets to consume, it's okay to put some on your pets coat (although use caution, it can dry them out). It is a natural dewormer and will rid your animals of every worm EXCEPT for heart-worms. You need about 1 tsp for cats and small dogs, 2 tsp for bigger dogs... 1 tbsp for humans. It really has a lot of benefits. I strongly urge you to research it. I've found the best remedy for fleas is this... Make sure you've found a successful treatment for your animals. I had to switch spot-on treatments because the one I had been using for years was no longer effective. Then you need to treat the infected areas.. Best method for me? Frequent vacuuming. 3-4 times a week, every day if you can manage it. Make sure you throw the bag out or empty the canister outside. I also recommend NOT bathing your animals in chemicals... If you feel it's necessary to bathe them, try to use something like the original Dawn soap, and make sure the first place you get wet and put soap is around the neck... Fleas will always try to travel up to escape... You should never put soap or lots of water on your pets face, so treat the neck FIRST and get it good and lathered. If you wouldn't use it yourself, you probably shouldn't use it on your animals.

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   1      

Erna (Venice, Ca) on 09/10/2009:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

This is a warning about Diatomaceous earth: it was extremely effective on the fleas when I used it in my carpeted apartment, however it had dire health consequences for me. I used it on my apartment, vacuumed it up and then left for several days to go out of town. I hoped this would dispel the dust in the air, but it was still there, and breathing DE after a couple of days brought on a severe first-time asthma attack. I eventually just had to move out of that apartment due to the sensitivity it created in me, and I have had an asthma condition ever since. I found out later that DE consists of billions of fossilized remains of prehistoric algae that under the microscope look like little razor blades. This is the effect that it had on my lungs.
REPLY   5      

Doglover-gsd (Morganton, Nc Burke) on 08/17/2009:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

diatomaceous earth - is a poisonous vapor producing substance.
REPLY   3      

Paul (Oakland , CA) on 08/13/2008:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

Hi, I was just about to buy garden grade DE to put in my vacuum bag ...when this clerk told me to "get away from there, sir", saying the stuff is leaking out of the boxes....(you can see fine white powder on the outside of the boxes.) Then this helpful clerk told me to go outside and meet him...I thought he gonna sell me drugs or something, but he told me that he worked in Pest Control in the past and that if you put DE in your vacuum...that it's gonna come out and you are going to breath it. So in any case---I didn't get the DE. The clerk was very pro having your house "bombed" professionally etc....P

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   2      



Valeria (Athens, GA) on 04/17/2007:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

I have been reading all of the suggestions and am planning to try some. I don't have a question or remedy to offer, but felt I must let you know about a dangerous option.

I've used Diatomacious Earth for years, I even used it to get rid of a horrific flea infestation in my asthmatic boyfriends house with no bad effects. It works against all insects and parasites. The IMPORTANT thing to note is that POOL GRADE D.E. IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE SILICOSIS (scarring of the lungs similar to asbestos poisoning) The only safe D.E. to use is natural pulvarized or ground D.E. that can be found in plant nurseries and food storage shops. This D.E. has NOT been superheated, a process which creates fine threads of silocone glass which makes it a better filtering product, but makes it dangerous to handle or breath. Flour grade D.E. is meant to be used in graineries as a bug and egg deterrant is fine enough to mix with flour. The Regular D.E. can be spread on carpets, or the cracks between wooden floors. Plan on not vacuuming for a while(like a week) in order to allow the D.E. to cut up and dry up the little buggers, and be prepared for a little dust to be produced for a short while as you walk on it. I've even heard of it being used a a coat powder and mixed in feed (for horses, cats,and dogs) but I've never tried that personally. I sprinked it in the carpets and brushed it in with the broom and let it sit for couple of weeks, them vacuumed and reapplied. This with Advantage treatment took care of all the fleas and there were none for the rest of the year.

Well I'm off to try an ear mite treatment on my new cat. Thanks for all the suggestions!

REPLY   2      

Deb (Oregon) on 11/09/2006:
5 out of 5 stars

i tried everything, permetherin, ivamex, tea tree oil, lavander oil, washing bedding,cloths, even tried animal remedies. have battled it for 5 months only with temporary relief. Diatomeceous earth is the one that worked. Its' a natural remedy that you can buy at a grange coop or garden store. i use it 3 times a day putting it on with a powder puff or big cosmetic makeup brush. careful not to get in eyes and don't use on face or breath in dust. i used it for one day and noticed a big improvement but i am going to use it for a few weeks to be darn certain they are gone. I washed bedding and vacumed floors, washed rugs all in hot water with soap and borax. I sprinkled mattresses, couches, car seats in vehicles carpets and bedding daily with this diatomecieous earth. Every day I washed used towels, bedding in hot water. the items you cant wash daily (like comforters, pillows) put in dryer for 20 minutes every day.
REPLY   1      

Fleas for Diatomaceous Earth

5 star (13) 
  62%
1 star (8) 
  38%

Gloria (Chicago, Il) on 08/06/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

I have used diatomaceous earth now for a couple of years. It is incredible and safe (as long as you don't use the pool-grade stuff), and works.

I have used it for fleas by just applying it on a wood floor and sweeping it to get it in the cracks and along the baseboard. I also applied it gently to one of my cats. I use the product at http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-All-in-One-Flea-Remedy/999013.aspx and follow their instructions. There are a lot of reviews of this product on this page.

Believe it or not, I also used this particular DE product to get rid of bedbugs by applying it along the baseboards in all 3 bedrooms. Bedbugs gone - permanently. I used a really small paintbrush to apply and spread it (it was time-consuming and difficult - furniture had to be moved, etc. but it was worth it), and I shaked it as little as possible to prevent any dust flying.

It also got rid of an ant problem I had - I hate killing anything, but I had no choice and over the course of several days the ants diminished until they were completely gone. I applied it in 2 places - where they were coming in my house, and the threshold to my kitchen that they were crossing over.

I am NOT associated in any way with onlynaturalpet.com, just have had great results.

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   1      

Bb (Atlanta, Ga Usa) on 10/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth & cedar based product, PCO is very effective at killing fleas in your yard.
REPLY   2      

Pennie (Indpl, In, Usa) on 10/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Natural Flea & Tick Remedy

Hi everyone! After almost losing our Baby Kitty to those dangerous advantage medications, I decided to figure out a way to live without using them year after year. So I did searches and found out about, " Diatomaceous Earth". This stuff is miraculous! I found mine at the local True Value Store, but you can also buy online at different retailers. BUY: FOOD GRADE! I spread this in all different areas of my lawn as well, and within 48 hours you have no more ticks or fleas. It harms all insects. I have plenty of flowers bees, and other wonderful insects roaming around, but this gets rid of the fleas and ticks really great. And I put it down on the ground on a NON-Windy day. ALSO: WEAR A MASK TO PREVENT BREATHING THIS SUBSTANCE! It worked great and I will never have to buy pesticide and put it on my animals again!! Late fall I again had fleas on my dog and all I did was put small quantity on his fur and within 48 hours all fleas were dead, then I washed him, the fur was slightly dry, but so well worth it to keep him flea free. After 3 days I washed him and put some good conditioner on him and he felt great. Usually you just have to put the Diatomaceous Earth around their tail and back area. Again in the fall, I put more of the earth around the areas that he lays in and no more fleas, after it rains you will have to put it back down again, but it's cheap. I also put it on all my fruit tree's and surrounding tree's to keep the leaf hoppers off, and my tree's look great too! Hope this works for all of you looking for a natural approach. With carefully placing it on the ground, I did not harm any beneficial bugs that roamed freely on my flowers. Lot's-O-Love to all our Animal Lovers out there! Pennie

REPLY   6      



Cleoppa (Cleburne, Tx) on 08/28/2010:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

I've long been a fan of DE. I know it can do wonders, but it has been less than helpful with my recent problems. In trying to discourage fleas and roaches when I was on vacation, I spread it on my carpet. Not only did it not seem to discourage the bugs, but my vacuum cleaner started smoking when I vacuumed it up. There was still dust floating around for days (which really isn't healthful to breathe). I will definitely never try that one again!
REPLY   3      

Kari (Stephenville, Tx Usa) on 08/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Diatomaceous Earth is completely safe to use, as long as it's human/food grade and NOT pool grade. Most garden stores sell it as well as a plethora of websites. My only suggestion is to not put it on your carpet. Some people have a lot of luck with this, it mostly just made my vacuum cleaner sound [permanently terrible. It still runs fine, there's just a terrible noise when it's running and I can't seem to figure out the real cause (I've taken it apart down to the motor). Also, it's not healthy to breathe in ANY dusts, so wear a mask and remove your pets until the dust settles. Otherwise it's okay for you AND your pets to consume, it's okay to put some on your pets coat (although use caution, it can dry them out). It is a natural dewormer and will rid your animals of every worm EXCEPT for heart-worms. You need about 1 tsp for cats and small dogs, 2 tsp for bigger dogs... 1 tbsp for humans. It really has a lot of benefits. I strongly urge you to research it. I've found the best remedy for fleas is this... Make sure you've found a successful treatment for your animals. I had to switch spot-on treatments because the one I had been using for years was no longer effective. Then you need to treat the infected areas.. Best method for me? Frequent vacuuming. 3-4 times a week, every day if you can manage it. Make sure you throw the bag out or empty the canister outside. I also recommend NOT bathing your animals in chemicals... If you feel it's necessary to bathe them, try to use something like the original Dawn soap, and make sure the first place you get wet and put soap is around the neck... Fleas will always try to travel up to escape... You should never put soap or lots of water on your pets face, so treat the neck FIRST and get it good and lathered. If you wouldn't use it yourself, you probably shouldn't use it on your animals.

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   1      

Erna (Venice, Ca) on 09/10/2009:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

This is a warning about Diatomaceous earth: it was extremely effective on the fleas when I used it in my carpeted apartment, however it had dire health consequences for me. I used it on my apartment, vacuumed it up and then left for several days to go out of town. I hoped this would dispel the dust in the air, but it was still there, and breathing DE after a couple of days brought on a severe first-time asthma attack. I eventually just had to move out of that apartment due to the sensitivity it created in me, and I have had an asthma condition ever since. I found out later that DE consists of billions of fossilized remains of prehistoric algae that under the microscope look like little razor blades. This is the effect that it had on my lungs.
REPLY   5      

Doglover-gsd (Morganton, Nc Burke) on 08/17/2009:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

diatomaceous earth - is a poisonous vapor producing substance.
REPLY   3      

Paul (Oakland , CA) on 08/13/2008:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

Hi, I was just about to buy garden grade DE to put in my vacuum bag ...when this clerk told me to "get away from there, sir", saying the stuff is leaking out of the boxes....(you can see fine white powder on the outside of the boxes.) Then this helpful clerk told me to go outside and meet him...I thought he gonna sell me drugs or something, but he told me that he worked in Pest Control in the past and that if you put DE in your vacuum...that it's gonna come out and you are going to breath it. So in any case---I didn't get the DE. The clerk was very pro having your house "bombed" professionally etc....P

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   2      



Valeria (Athens, GA) on 04/17/2007:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

I have been reading all of the suggestions and am planning to try some. I don't have a question or remedy to offer, but felt I must let you know about a dangerous option.

I've used Diatomacious Earth for years, I even used it to get rid of a horrific flea infestation in my asthmatic boyfriends house with no bad effects. It works against all insects and parasites. The IMPORTANT thing to note is that POOL GRADE D.E. IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE SILICOSIS (scarring of the lungs similar to asbestos poisoning) The only safe D.E. to use is natural pulvarized or ground D.E. that can be found in plant nurseries and food storage shops. This D.E. has NOT been superheated, a process which creates fine threads of silocone glass which makes it a better filtering product, but makes it dangerous to handle or breath. Flour grade D.E. is meant to be used in graineries as a bug and egg deterrant is fine enough to mix with flour. The Regular D.E. can be spread on carpets, or the cracks between wooden floors. Plan on not vacuuming for a while(like a week) in order to allow the D.E. to cut up and dry up the little buggers, and be prepared for a little dust to be produced for a short while as you walk on it. I've even heard of it being used a a coat powder and mixed in feed (for horses, cats,and dogs) but I've never tried that personally. I sprinked it in the carpets and brushed it in with the broom and let it sit for couple of weeks, them vacuumed and reapplied. This with Advantage treatment took care of all the fleas and there were none for the rest of the year.

Well I'm off to try an ear mite treatment on my new cat. Thanks for all the suggestions!

REPLY   2      

Deb (Oregon) on 11/09/2006:
5 out of 5 stars

i tried everything, permetherin, ivamex, tea tree oil, lavander oil, washing bedding,cloths, even tried animal remedies. have battled it for 5 months only with temporary relief. Diatomeceous earth is the one that worked. Its' a natural remedy that you can buy at a grange coop or garden store. i use it 3 times a day putting it on with a powder puff or big cosmetic makeup brush. careful not to get in eyes and don't use on face or breath in dust. i used it for one day and noticed a big improvement but i am going to use it for a few weeks to be darn certain they are gone. I washed bedding and vacumed floors, washed rugs all in hot water with soap and borax. I sprinkled mattresses, couches, car seats in vehicles carpets and bedding daily with this diatomecieous earth. Every day I washed used towels, bedding in hot water. the items you cant wash daily (like comforters, pillows) put in dryer for 20 minutes every day.
REPLY   1      

Gloria (Chicago, Il) on 08/06/2011:
5 out of 5 stars

I have used diatomaceous earth now for a couple of years. It is incredible and safe (as long as you don't use the pool-grade stuff), and works.

I have used it for fleas by just applying it on a wood floor and sweeping it to get it in the cracks and along the baseboard. I also applied it gently to one of my cats. I use the product at http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-All-in-One-Flea-Remedy/999013.aspx and follow their instructions. There are a lot of reviews of this product on this page.

Believe it or not, I also used this particular DE product to get rid of bedbugs by applying it along the baseboards in all 3 bedrooms. Bedbugs gone - permanently. I used a really small paintbrush to apply and spread it (it was time-consuming and difficult - furniture had to be moved, etc. but it was worth it), and I shaked it as little as possible to prevent any dust flying.

It also got rid of an ant problem I had - I hate killing anything, but I had no choice and over the course of several days the ants diminished until they were completely gone. I applied it in 2 places - where they were coming in my house, and the threshold to my kitchen that they were crossing over.

I am NOT associated in any way with onlynaturalpet.com, just have had great results.

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   1      

Bb (Atlanta, Ga Usa) on 10/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth & cedar based product, PCO is very effective at killing fleas in your yard.
REPLY   2      

Pennie (Indpl, In, Usa) on 10/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Natural Flea & Tick Remedy

Hi everyone! After almost losing our Baby Kitty to those dangerous advantage medications, I decided to figure out a way to live without using them year after year. So I did searches and found out about, " Diatomaceous Earth". This stuff is miraculous! I found mine at the local True Value Store, but you can also buy online at different retailers. BUY: FOOD GRADE! I spread this in all different areas of my lawn as well, and within 48 hours you have no more ticks or fleas. It harms all insects. I have plenty of flowers bees, and other wonderful insects roaming around, but this gets rid of the fleas and ticks really great. And I put it down on the ground on a NON-Windy day. ALSO: WEAR A MASK TO PREVENT BREATHING THIS SUBSTANCE! It worked great and I will never have to buy pesticide and put it on my animals again!! Late fall I again had fleas on my dog and all I did was put small quantity on his fur and within 48 hours all fleas were dead, then I washed him, the fur was slightly dry, but so well worth it to keep him flea free. After 3 days I washed him and put some good conditioner on him and he felt great. Usually you just have to put the Diatomaceous Earth around their tail and back area. Again in the fall, I put more of the earth around the areas that he lays in and no more fleas, after it rains you will have to put it back down again, but it's cheap. I also put it on all my fruit tree's and surrounding tree's to keep the leaf hoppers off, and my tree's look great too! Hope this works for all of you looking for a natural approach. With carefully placing it on the ground, I did not harm any beneficial bugs that roamed freely on my flowers. Lot's-O-Love to all our Animal Lovers out there! Pennie

REPLY   6      



Cleoppa (Cleburne, Tx) on 08/28/2010:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

I've long been a fan of DE. I know it can do wonders, but it has been less than helpful with my recent problems. In trying to discourage fleas and roaches when I was on vacation, I spread it on my carpet. Not only did it not seem to discourage the bugs, but my vacuum cleaner started smoking when I vacuumed it up. There was still dust floating around for days (which really isn't healthful to breathe). I will definitely never try that one again!
REPLY   3      

Kari (Stephenville, Tx Usa) on 08/16/2010:
5 out of 5 stars

Diatomaceous Earth is completely safe to use, as long as it's human/food grade and NOT pool grade. Most garden stores sell it as well as a plethora of websites. My only suggestion is to not put it on your carpet. Some people have a lot of luck with this, it mostly just made my vacuum cleaner sound [permanently terrible. It still runs fine, there's just a terrible noise when it's running and I can't seem to figure out the real cause (I've taken it apart down to the motor). Also, it's not healthy to breathe in ANY dusts, so wear a mask and remove your pets until the dust settles. Otherwise it's okay for you AND your pets to consume, it's okay to put some on your pets coat (although use caution, it can dry them out). It is a natural dewormer and will rid your animals of every worm EXCEPT for heart-worms. You need about 1 tsp for cats and small dogs, 2 tsp for bigger dogs... 1 tbsp for humans. It really has a lot of benefits. I strongly urge you to research it. I've found the best remedy for fleas is this... Make sure you've found a successful treatment for your animals. I had to switch spot-on treatments because the one I had been using for years was no longer effective. Then you need to treat the infected areas.. Best method for me? Frequent vacuuming. 3-4 times a week, every day if you can manage it. Make sure you throw the bag out or empty the canister outside. I also recommend NOT bathing your animals in chemicals... If you feel it's necessary to bathe them, try to use something like the original Dawn soap, and make sure the first place you get wet and put soap is around the neck... Fleas will always try to travel up to escape... You should never put soap or lots of water on your pets face, so treat the neck FIRST and get it good and lathered. If you wouldn't use it yourself, you probably shouldn't use it on your animals.

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   1      

Erna (Venice, Ca) on 09/10/2009:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

This is a warning about Diatomaceous earth: it was extremely effective on the fleas when I used it in my carpeted apartment, however it had dire health consequences for me. I used it on my apartment, vacuumed it up and then left for several days to go out of town. I hoped this would dispel the dust in the air, but it was still there, and breathing DE after a couple of days brought on a severe first-time asthma attack. I eventually just had to move out of that apartment due to the sensitivity it created in me, and I have had an asthma condition ever since. I found out later that DE consists of billions of fossilized remains of prehistoric algae that under the microscope look like little razor blades. This is the effect that it had on my lungs.
REPLY   5      

Doglover-gsd (Morganton, Nc Burke) on 08/17/2009:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

diatomaceous earth - is a poisonous vapor producing substance.
REPLY   3      

Paul (Oakland , CA) on 08/13/2008:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

Hi, I was just about to buy garden grade DE to put in my vacuum bag ...when this clerk told me to "get away from there, sir", saying the stuff is leaking out of the boxes....(you can see fine white powder on the outside of the boxes.) Then this helpful clerk told me to go outside and meet him...I thought he gonna sell me drugs or something, but he told me that he worked in Pest Control in the past and that if you put DE in your vacuum...that it's gonna come out and you are going to breath it. So in any case---I didn't get the DE. The clerk was very pro having your house "bombed" professionally etc....P

 View Entire Thread

REPLY   2      



Valeria (Athens, GA) on 04/17/2007:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

I have been reading all of the suggestions and am planning to try some. I don't have a question or remedy to offer, but felt I must let you know about a dangerous option.

I've used Diatomacious Earth for years, I even used it to get rid of a horrific flea infestation in my asthmatic boyfriends house with no bad effects. It works against all insects and parasites. The IMPORTANT thing to note is that POOL GRADE D.E. IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE SILICOSIS (scarring of the lungs similar to asbestos poisoning) The only safe D.E. to use is natural pulvarized or ground D.E. that can be found in plant nurseries and food storage shops. This D.E. has NOT been superheated, a process which creates fine threads of silocone glass which makes it a better filtering product, but makes it dangerous to handle or breath. Flour grade D.E. is meant to be used in graineries as a bug and egg deterrant is fine enough to mix with flour. The Regular D.E. can be spread on carpets, or the cracks between wooden floors. Plan on not vacuuming for a while(like a week) in order to allow the D.E. to cut up and dry up the little buggers, and be prepared for a little dust to be produced for a short while as you walk on it. I've even heard of it being used a a coat powder and mixed in feed (for horses, cats,and dogs) but I've never tried that personally. I sprinked it in the carpets and brushed it in with the broom and let it sit for couple of weeks, them vacuumed and reapplied. This with Advantage treatment took care of all the fleas and there were none for the rest of the year.

Well I'm off to try an ear mite treatment on my new cat. Thanks for all the suggestions!

REPLY   2      

Deb (Oregon) on 11/09/2006:
5 out of 5 stars

i tried everything, permetherin, ivamex, tea tree oil, lavander oil, washing bedding,cloths, even tried animal remedies. have battled it for 5 months only with temporary relief. Diatomeceous earth is the one that worked. Its' a natural remedy that you can buy at a grange coop or garden store. i use it 3 times a day putting it on with a powder puff or big cosmetic makeup brush. careful not to get in eyes and don't use on face or breath in dust. i used it for one day and noticed a big improvement but i am going to use it for a few weeks to be darn certain they are gone. I washed bedding and vacumed floors, washed rugs all in hot water with soap and borax. I sprinkled mattresses, couches, car seats in vehicles carpets and bedding daily with this diatomecieous earth. Every day I washed used towels, bedding in hot water. the items you cant wash daily (like comforters, pillows) put in dryer for 20 minutes every day.
REPLY   1      
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