How To Use Diatomaceous Earth To Kill Fungus Gnats

With your cattle or horse feed at a 2 ratio by weight.

How to use diatomaceous earth to kill fungus gnats. 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. Mix your food grade d e. Insects typically pick up de particles on their cuticle as they move. 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. Purchase diatomaceous earth that s non toxic from a local garden or home improvement store.

An effective pest control solution for dealing with fungus gnats is food grade diatomaceous earth de. Diatomaceous earth works by removing the waxes on the insect s body and by absorbing oils and waxes on the outer cuticle. Follow the instructions that come with the diatomaceous earth and mix it into your houseplant s soil or just spread it on the top layer of soil so it s about 1 in 2 5 cm thick. The whole key is to keep the dust dry. Literally sprinkle a layer of the powder over the topsoil of your pot plant.

Fill a new pot with fresh healthy soil mixed with a scoop of diatomaceous earth to prevent the development of gnat eggs. So for every 10lbs of food you can use 3 to 4 ounces of feed. Feed your horses or cattle as you normally would and make sure they have access to plenty of drinking water. 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. The most common reason to use diatomaceous earth is that it kills pests in your potted plants.

Overwatering indoor plants also contributes to gnat infestations. Fungus gnats and crawling insects can make their way into your seed starts. You want the insect to crawl across the dry dust and get the microscopic sharp silica into its joints. Mix food grade diatomaceous earth into the soil to kill the gnats. 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. On the day you water your plant add some more crawling insect control diatomaceous earth to the soil again. You can get rid of several insects like aphids whiteflies beetles silverfish earwigs gnats and ants using it. De is made from the fossilized skeletons of diatoms.