How To Use Diatomaceous Earth To Kill Fungus Gnats

The whole key is to keep the dust dry.

How to use diatomaceous earth to kill fungus gnats. The most common reason to use diatomaceous earth is that it kills pests in your potted plants. Ideally add when the soil s surface is dry to the touch but before your plant is in dire need of watering soaking up water will make it ineffective. Literally sprinkle a layer of the powder over the topsoil of your pot plant. Feed your horses or cattle as you normally would and make sure they have access to plenty of drinking water. Insects typically pick up de particles on their cuticle as they move.

With your cattle or horse feed at a 2 ratio by weight. One strategy to reduce their numbers is to use the de on the surfaces of your seed starts and on the leaves of the plants. You will firstly want to use food grade diatomaceous earth. Purchase diatomaceous earth that s non toxic from a local garden or home improvement store. Dust your potted plants with diatomaceous earth to keep the topsoil dry and desiccate any larvae or gnats that land on the plant.

Fill a new pot with fresh healthy soil mixed with a scoop of diatomaceous earth to prevent the development of gnat eggs. Mix your food grade d e. Mix food grade diatomaceous earth into the soil to kill the gnats. You can get rid of several insects like aphids whiteflies beetles silverfish earwigs gnats and ants using it. An effective pest control solution for dealing with fungus gnats is food grade diatomaceous earth de.

You want the insect to crawl across the dry dust and get the microscopic sharp silica into its joints. Diatomaceous earth works by removing the waxes on the insect s body and by absorbing oils and waxes on the outer cuticle. It helps improve the potting soil the diatomaceous earth when mixed with potting soil helps improve its texture. When the fungus gnat larvae come into contact with the razor sharp powder it removes the waxes from the insect s body and absorbs the oils located on their outer cuticle. Another way in which de can kill insects is through desiccation or by rupturing or abrading the insect cuticle and causing extensive water loss.

It s possible to use the same pot the plant was purchased in but be sure to wash it out with warm soapy water during the repotting process. So for every 10lbs of food you can use 3 to 4 ounces of feed. Overwatering indoor plants also contributes to gnat infestations. On the day you water your plant add some more crawling insect control diatomaceous earth to the soil again.