There is a little known substance that gardeners and farmers have been using for centuries to fend off insect-pests. And it works amazingly well. The substance is called “diatoms,” and it is a type of algae that has many uses other than pest control.
Diatoms are very important to ocean-life since diatoms produce a phytoplankton species that accounts for about forty percent of all food consumed by secondary feeders dwelling in the ocean. Diatoms were officially discovered during the nineteenth century, but then they were put to use as filters or cleaning products. Diatoms use as an insecticide has been a centuries long secret among farmers and gardeners.
The manner in which diatoms attack insects and spiders is somewhat macabre. For example, tiny diatoms have sharp and pointed surfaces that cause extensive damage to a bug’s exoskeleton
Diatoms work well with many different types of bugs, including stinkbugs, crickets, aphids, spiders, scorpions and even bedbugs! Diatoms are non-toxic and it should be used sparingly on your indoor and outdoors plants since a little seems to go a ong way at keeping your garden bug-free
Why are insets attracted to diatoms? What is it about diatoms that make it so dangerous and yet so attractive to arthropods?