I'm a Huge Bug Wuss. This Chemical-Free Powder Killed Them So I Didn't Have To.

New York Times

3 days ago

Some people fear heights. Some fear public speaking. I fear bugs — to the degree that I once engaged in a 20-minute stare-down with an already dead cockroach in my New York City apartment as I worked up the nerve to dispose of it.
When I moved from the city to the Hudson Valley in the spring of 2021, I quickly realized my garage had some arthropodic squatters in the form of cave crickets, so named because they're drawn to dark, moist spaces. You may also know them as camel crickets (for their hump-backed bodies) or spider crickets (because their legs are so long they're often mistaken for giant meaty spiders).
Whatever you call them, they're big, ugly, and annoying. Plus, they can chew on fabrics and cardboard, and their droppings can leave stains. Though harmless to people and pets, I found them unsettling to share space with.
I tried ignoring the few invaders, keeping an eagle eye on them while I grabbed firewood or plugged in my lawn-mower battery. But over time an occasional lurker turned into several. When my wife uncovered dozens of them amassed behind a sheet of styrofoam I'd left propped against the wall, I realized we had a problem and got serious about extermination tactics.
At first, I deployed a can of Raid insect spray. The spasmodic deaths felt cruel. Plus, I hated having to get close enough to spray them, and I didn't like launching chemicals into such an enclosed space. Next I tried glue traps, which didn't work since I most often found the crickets clinging to the garage's walls. Then I came across diatomaceous earth, which seemed like a hands-off, chemical-free solution perfectly suited to someone who, like me, would rather not face their fears.
Diatomaceous earth is powdered sedimentary rock made up of the fossilized remains of diatoms (tiny unicellular algae). Under a microscope, diatomaceous earth, often abbreviated as DE, has tons of jagged edges; when DE meets insect exoskeleton, those jagged edges cut right in and the powder gets to work. I chose Harris Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth because it is a good value at about $3.75 per pound and comes with a little applicator.
DE works for pest control because it is a desiccant, which means it draws out moisture. In fact, it's a material sometimes used in stone bath mats and other quick-drying bathroom products for just this reason. When the powdered rock touches the bug, rather than poisoning it, it simply dehydrates it, leaving a husk behind. Probably not the nicest way to go if you're a bug, but as a human, it was nice to not have to deal with guts or chemicals in the cleanup process. Powdered diatomaceous earth is composed of fossilized algae. Its many microscopic, jagged edges slice an insect's exoskeleton and dehydrate it. It is safe for mammals (like humans) but may irritate skin, so we recommend wearing gloves when handling it. Jen Gushue/NYT Wirecutter
Although I bought a bag of DE from Harris, any non-calcined DE should work. Non-calcined DE is often labeled as food grade (because it's commonly used as an anticaking agent in animal feed) or pesticide grade, which is safe for use around people and pets. Avoid calcined DE, which is often labeled as pool-grade DE for use as a filtering agent. Calcined DE has been heated to harden the diatom fossils, a process that transforms it into a substance that can be very irritating to the lungs, said Cody James Pace, an entomologist and technical services director at Terminix, a global pest-control company.
A little of the powdered rock goes a long way, which I did not realize when I set out to use it. Since I was determined to eradicate my cricket problem, I started sprinkling tons of the stuff across thresholds, along walls, and into every dark corner and crevice, like I was Buffy Summers laying down a circle of salt to keep demons at bay. My placement was correct, since I targeted the crickets' access points and frequent routes, but according to Pace, the quantity I used was almost definitely overkill.
'When it comes to pest management, we have this mentality that if a little bit works, a lot must work better,' he said. Not the case. Instead, use only a thin layer of DE, since large piles could actually create a physical barrier that blocks the bug's ability to move across it, said Pace. The idea is to get the insects to walk through the desiccant. 'When they walk through it, they pick it up on their exoskeleton,' he said. 'Then they start grooming themselves and spreading it across their body.' Harris Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth comes with an applicator for easier dispersal. A little goes a long way. Jen Gushue/NYT Wirecutter
And as far as I'm concerned, the best part of using DE is its ability to do its job without me. I was more than happy to be a passive participant in the process. After a few weeks, despite overdoing the DE application, I started seeing fewer and fewer crickets. I went from counting a handful at a time to seeing one or two every few days. Then I stopped seeing them entirely. I no longer feared my own garage, knowing the DE was working in the background.
Its benefit in my case was twofold, explained Pace. Not only was the DE killing the crickets that were already in my garage, but it was also doing a small part to correct the conditions that were attracting them in the first place. The crickets were seeking a dark, moist environment, and the DE may have been sucking the moisture out of the air, potentially enough to make it a little less attractive to the insect cave-dwellers. For this reason, if you're experiencing an infestation due to moisture, Pace also suggested setting up a moisture monitor and employing a dehumidifier.
While DE worked for my garage, it's admittedly not the most elegant pest-control solution, and it can be messy, a drawback that we note in our guide to the best ant killers. DE is, after all, a powder, so you need to dust it everywhere the insects are — not great for an indoor living space, especially if you have pets or kids running around, who might agitate the powder.
And the hands-off action may not be for everyone. Relative to some poisons, it's a slow-acting substance, but it's great for long-term control. 'As long as that diatomaceous earth stays dry, it will always be effective,' said Pace. Harris suggests reapplying once a week for a month to control infestations, but I didn't have to reapply nearly as often.
Though it's pretty innocuous to people and other mammals, DE's drying action can irritate the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Pace recommends wearing gloves and eye protection as you lay it down and avoiding leaving large piles that could be kicked up into the air. If any gets on your skin, wash with soap and water; if it causes eye irritation, flush your eyes immediately with clean water, per the Missouri Poison Center. Food-grade DE is not harmful if ingested.
It's been a few years since the fateful styrofoam incident, and I truly can't remember the last time I saw a cave cricket in my house. I still redust with DE periodically, especially after I clean out my garage, taking care to focus on the thresholds. Pace says cave crickets lay eggs in the spring and grow over a few months, so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled over the next few weeks. And if I do see any, I'll sprinkle a little more DE and walk away. It'll do its thing.
This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Maxine Builder.
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