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How a non-toxic solution to ticks was found.
Some friends asked me if I knew how to get rid of ticks in their garden.
They couldn't see any on their lawn, but they had a puppy whose ear was infested. The puppy had only been allowed out into the garden only, so it seemed reasonable to conclude that they were on the grass. Their house is a new build and they surmised that the original field had a residual tick population from grazing animals.
So was there something I could do? Ticks don't generally fall under the general pest control remit.
I did some research and came across an article by the American National Pesticide Information Center. They stated “Diatomaceous earth (DE) causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect’s exoskeleton. Its sharp edges are abrasive, speeding up the process.”
At a microscopic level DE looks like shards of glass. It kills fleas and ticks by scoring the hide as they crawl over the powder, which causes them to dehydrate and die.
DE kills other pests, too, including ants, cockroaches, slugs, grubs, bed bugs, larvae, maggots and more.
Of course! I carry tubs of DE as part of my non-chemical bed bug treatment. DE is not a poison, but Wikipedia explains: "Diatomaceous earth is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that can be crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It consists of fossilised remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled protist."
Pest controllers use food-grade diatomaceous earth, which is low in crystalline silica -- it’s safe for humans and pets.
So how could I treat a large lawn?
A little more research and I found a solution. DE can be mixed with water to make a slurry. A ratio of 1:4 was recommended and so I mixed an amount of DE with four times the volume of water. I did this with a whisk and poured it into a compression sprayer. I then methodically sprayed the whole lawn.
So did the experiment work?
It certainly did. They were able to treat the puppy's tick problem at the same time as the lawn treatment and there has been no recurrence. They kindly gave me a 5 star review which you can read here.
It helped that it was a sunny day. The water in the slurry quickly evaporated leaving the DE powder clearly visible all over the lawn. My friends said it became less noticeable over time. There is some anecdotal evidence that DE is effective for three months even with rain.
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