If I applied it to my home my pets would definitely smell it at least once and inhale it. So how exactly is it pet-safe?
Trying to find the best solution to get rid of some cockroaches I found in my bathroom without endangering my 3 cats.
In: Biology
Two things are at work with diatomaceous earth. Scale is important.
1. It absorbs oils and fats from the exoskeleton of insects. Tiny stuff working on tiny stuff. For humans/pets, something so small isn’t going to absorb enough from us to make a difference. Think about eating a single saltine cracker. Dries out your mouth a bit, but easy enough to recover from. Now try eating 6 in a minute without anything to replenish your saliva. Extraordinarily difficult because the saltines have absorbed all of the moisture in your mouth. You need to drink something or you’re going to be in for a miserable, possibly damaging time if that moisture isn’t replaced.
2. The sharp edges are abrasive at the scale of insects. Damaging an insects exoskeleton only allows the oil and fat absorption to occur more quickly. For humans/pets, think of rubbing some 1500 grit sandpaper on your skin a few times. Not going to cause enough damage that sprinkling some salt where you rubbed will stick or do anything damaging. Now rub some 24 grit sandpaper on your skin. It will do enough damage to those top layers of skin that salt will stick and start absorbing any moisture it finds. This is what happens to an insect’s exoskeleton.
Not a good day to be an insect.
I’m hesitant to use it for anything as breathing it can be harmful, however, if someone does pursue using it, be careful to purchase the correct kind of DE before you turn your house into a biohazard. The following excerpt is lifted from WebMD:
**Food-grade diatomaceous earth**, also known as freshwater diatomaceous earth, is mined from dry lake beds. It’s made up of very small particles. This type is used as an insecticide, added to animal feed to prevent caking, and sometimes marketed for humans to add to their diets.
**Filter-grade diatomaceous earth**, or saltwater diatomaceous earth, comes from ocean sources. This type is used in pools and other filters. It isn’t safe to use as an insecticide, or for people or animals to eat. It’s high in [crystalline silica](https://www.webmd.com/lung/what-is-silicosis), a substance known to be harmful to humans, and it can be especially dangerous if you breathe it in.
Remember, you will live 70-80 years. Your pets won’t live near as long. If you had contact with DE for years and years, down the road it would cause problems. Unfortunately, “down the road” isn’t to far for our pets.
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