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DIY Pesticide Duster




Yum

April 27, 2015 by Andrea Fabry 6 Comments

Looking to avoid hazardous chemicals while fighting uninvited guests this season? Try this simple and effective DIY pesticide duster!

DIY Pesticide Powder ITT

This DIY pesticide duster uses readily available herbs and spices. It also calls for diatomaceous earth (DE), a naturally occurring siliceous rock that is easy crumbled into a fine white powder. (Learn more about DE here.)

DIY  Pesticide Duster

1/2 c. bay leaves

1/2 c. peppermint leaves

1 1/2 tsp. each citrus peel, garlic powder, diatomaceous earth, cayenne pepper, salt

Grind the ingredients into a powder using a blender or mortar and pestle. Dust along affected areas.

This combination acts as a deterrent because of the smells of garlic, cayenne and mint. It can also kill insects that have an exoskeleton thanks to the diatomaceous earth and citrus oil. When a bug comes in contact with DE the bug “dries up” because the diatomaceous earth sticks to the waxy layer found on the exoskeleton and prevents them from hydrating. Citrus oils are caustic to the exoskeleton. The salt is also drying.

For more natural pest solutions download the FREE  momsAWARE  Pest-Punching Printout.

 

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Filed Under: DIY, House, Natural Living Tagged With: cayenne powder, chemical-free, chemicals, diatomaceous, Diatomaceous Earth, DIY, exoskeleton, garlic, lemon peel, natural pesticides, non-toxic, pest-punching, pesticides, powder, salt, siliceous

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Comments

  1. JOHN says

    April 27, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    What bugs does this repel and what is in the ingredients that repels them? Do it only turn them away or does it actually kill bugs?

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      April 27, 2015 at 2:28 pm

      Diatomaceous earth actually kills insects with an exoskeleton. Peppermint deters. Citrus oils are caustic to the exoskeleton and can therefore be deadly. The cayenne and garlic are mainly deterrents as pests don’t like the odor generally.

      Reply
  2. kim says

    April 27, 2015 at 7:38 pm

    Thanks for the reminder to order DE from Azure this week! We use it in our chicken coop and need to make up some of this concoction as well. https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/4651// Hope chocolate mint works cuz I cut a bunch of that for smoothies and forgot about it in the fridge. All shriveled and dry now but might work for this!

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      April 27, 2015 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks for mentioning Azure Standard. Hope the mint works. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Deborah Gatz says

    April 28, 2018 at 8:31 am

    Andrea, for the pesticide dust, is the citrus peel a dried product? Can I substitute a citrus essential oil and, if so, how much? Thanks! (4/28/18)

    Reply
    • Andrea Fabry says

      April 29, 2018 at 10:10 am

      I know that I wouldn’t hesitate to try it!

      Reply

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MEET ANDREA

I am a certified Building Biology Advocate, a former journalist, mother of nine, and avid CrossFitter who likes to think outside the box. After our family's health crisis in 2008, I learned to ask questions about what's in our food, our water, and our air. I hope to empower you as you seek to live safely in a complex world. Thankfully, small steps lead to big changes. Let's travel this road together, one step at a time.

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