Updated on April 1st, 2025
Insects can be relentless invaders, squeezing through the smallest cracks and crevices with audacious determination. Whether you're battling ants, roaches or fleas and wondering "Does diatomaceous earth kill cockroaches or ants?", you’ve come to the right place (or article).
But there’s a problem: not all solutions are fast, safe or effective.
Introducing Dust to Dust Plant-Powered Insect Powder. Formulated with super-fine silica and essential-oil nanotechnology, this powerful blend helps you swiftly eliminate ants, roaches, fleas, ticks, silverfish, earwigs and more—often within 24 hours of contact.
Even better? Dust to Dust is people-friendly, pet-friendly and plant-friendly, making it the ideal choice for protecting your home, garden and loved ones without harmful chemicals.
Diatomaceous earth insect killer: How does it compare?
You've probably heard of using diatomaceous earth as an insect killer to get rid of pests, but does it perform well? And how does it stack up against Dust to Dust? Let's break it down by looking at common household pests.
Does diatomaceous earth kill ticks?
Many homeowners ask, "Does diatomaceous earth kill ticks?" The short answer is: sometimes. Its effectiveness varies depending on the tick species, the environment and even humidity levels.
Dust to Dust, however, delivers consistent results. Whether you’re dealing with black-legged ticks, lone star ticks or American dog ticks, our plant-powered insect powder works quickly—breaking down their protective layers for faster dehydration and elimination.
Research has shown that rosemary oil, a key ingredient in Dust to Dust, contains powerful compounds like camphor and cineol. These naturally repel pests—including ticks—with some components outperforming conventional repellents in controlled studies.
Diatomaceous earth for fleas: Is it effective?
Another frequent question is, "Is diatomaceous earth for fleas worth it?" While DE can kill fleas, it often takes several days to work and loses effectiveness in humid conditions. (I would therefore render it not worth it.)
Dust to Dust outperforms DE by killing fleas within 24 hours, regardless of humidity, thanks to its advanced silica and essential oil formulation. It eliminates fleas swiftly, keeping your pets and home protected.
Does diatomaceous earth kill cockroaches?
When it comes to infestations, many homeowners turn to diatomaceous earth for roaches—but does diatomaceous earth kill them effectively?
Technically, yes. Diatomaceous earth for roaches works by scratching and dehydrating their exoskeletons. However, its effectiveness can vary depending on factors like humidity, placement and roach species.
Some roaches may avoid treated areas and the process can take several days or longer—leaving you stuck waiting for results.
Dust to Dust provides a faster and more effective solution. While it leverages super-fine silica to damage the waxy outer layer of cockroaches, it goes a step further by incorporating peppermint oil and rosemary oil—two plant-powered ingredients known for their insect-repelling and knockdown properties.
- Peppermint oil acts as a potent natural repellent, deterring cockroach activity through its active compounds—terpenes, alcohols and menthol—which overwhelm the pests' sensitive smell receptors.
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Rosemary oil enhances the powder’s ability to both repel and eliminate cockroaches. In addition, its key compounds—camphor, cineol and borneol—interfere with the pests’ nervous system, breathing and pheromone communication, helping to ensure faster knockdown.
Research shows that rosemary oil has caused 100% mortality in cockroach nymphs across all tested concentrations.* This powerful plant oil, combined with peppermint oil and super-fine silica, gives Dust to Dust its superior ability to quickly repel and eliminate cockroaches.
Whether you’re dealing with American, German or Oriental roaches, Dust to Dust offers a reliable alternative to diatomaceous earth for getting rid of roaches.
How to get rid of ants: Is diatomaceous earth enough?
If you're battling ants, you've likely searched for solutions like diatomaceous earth for ants. While DE can kill ants, it often falls short. Ants operate with complex foraging trails and large, hidden colonies. Simply applying DE near a few visible ants rarely addresses the source of the infestation.
Dust to Dust was designed to overcome these challenges. Its ultra-fine silica particles penetrate hard-to-reach crevices and directly dehydrate ants. But what sets it apart is its infusion of (as aforementioned) peppermint oil and rosemary oil—two essential oils backed by scientific research.
In a Texas A&M University study, peppermint oil proved highly effective in killing and repelling red imported fire ants, significantly outperforming competition and disrupting the ants’ ability to follow pheromone trails. The potent odor of peppermint oil:
- Overwhelmed their communication system
- Lowered their invasion success
- Reduced their movement
This effect, combined with Dust to Dust's silica-based dehydration action, provides fast-acting and long-lasting ant control.
Results with Dust to Dust often appear within 24 hours—much faster than the wait time common with diatomaceous earth for ants. Plus, the added plant-powered ingredients don’t just dehydrate; they actively repel, keeping new ants from following pheromone trails back into your home.
For even more effective ant control, pair Dust to Dust with Six Feet Under Plant-Powered Insect Spray. Six Feet Under works alongside Dust to Dust by immediately disrupting ants' pheromone trails, preventing them from regrouping and returning.
Tip: For precision, use the Insect Buster Bulb Duster to evenly distribute Dust to Dust into cracks, crevices and perimeter zones where ants are most likely to invade.
Defend your home and peace of mind with Dust to Dust
Dust to Dust offers more than just insect control—it's a smarter, faster and safer way to protect your home. With its combination of super-fine silica and plant-powered oils, it tackles over 100 types of insects while remaining safe for your family, pets and plants.
In addition, Dr. Killigan’s formula is exempt from the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), meaning it poses little to no risk to humankind and the environment. Whether you're preventing future infestations or dealing with an active problem, Dust to Dust gives you the confidence to reclaim your space—indoors or outdoors—quickly and without compromise.
