DE is a great natural product that you can use to kill roaches inside of your home.
In particular, DE will eliminate 60% of roaches within 24 hours, 80% within 48 hours, and a 100% mortality rate at one week.
The killing happens in two steps.
First, DE absorbs the oily and waxy outer cuticle layer found on a cockroaches exoskeleton.
Second, once the outer layer is destroyed, cockroaches lose water and die from dehydration.
You can use DE as a dust bait and apply it under appliances and crevices to eliminate cockroaches.
Keep in mind; Diatomaceous Earth is only effective when it’s dry.
For best results, clean the area before applying the DE to remove any oil and grease on the surface.
Then give it a few minutes to dry.
If your attic, basement, or bathroom is too humid, use fans to minimize moisture before applying DE.
You’ll also want to apply a thin layer of DE so the cockroaches will not avoid it.
Another thing you could use with DE is a duster.
A duster will help you get DE into tiny holes, small crevices, and gaps on your walls.
For treating larger areas, I recommend using a slurry.
A slurry is a mixture of DE powder and water.
While DE will not work when wet, it will work once the solution has dried up.
To make a slurry, mix eight tablespoons of DE with two cups of water in a spray bottle.
Increase the amount of DE to ⅔ cup if your infestation is extensive.
If you are interested in learning more about Diatomaceous Earth check out this article.