Diatomaceous Earth (DE): Safe Product for a
Spider-Free Home
If
you freak at the sight of a spider in your house, you’re not alone. Up to half
of women and 10 percent of men fear spiders. Psychologists think that fear of spiders may be a “disease-avoidance” behavior that goes back thousands of
years, but whatever. You can make your home a spider-free zone by dusting
crevices, corners, and the spaces under beds and furniture with diatomaceous earth (DE), a natural mineral dust that dries out spiders
within days after they come into contact with the sharp prehistoric particles.
Because
DE kills spiders by physically drying them out, it remains effective
indefinitely as long as it stays dry. Reapply after vacuuming — the idea is to
have a light layer of the dust in places where spiders or other insects are
likely to walk or crawl. Using too much at once may backfire, causing them to
avoid the place altogether. In addition to spiders, you can use DE to control roaches, carpenter ants, and even centipedes that come inside your
house.
DE
is most effective on pests that live in dry habitats so that they are under
constant moisture stress — the typical life situation of most house spiders and
insects that wander in from outdoors. Particles of DE scratch and abrade the
spiders’ bodies, causing them to dry to death. DE that ends up in your vacuum
cleaner bag may be good, too, in that it will help to kill any live insects
present in the bag.
DE
is widely available from companies that sell organic pest control products (you
can use our Organic Pest Control and Garden Products
Finder to locate a source). In
addition, you will need a small handheld puffer to apply the dust to spidery
hangouts without breathing it in. These cost from $8 to $15.
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