# Anyone Used DE Long-Term for Insect Prevention? Worth It or Dusty Mess?
**URL:** https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564
**Category:** Feedback & Chat
**Created:** [December 12, 2025, 7:05am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564 "2025-12-12T07:05:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DustyCountertops](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/DustyCountertops)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:05am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/1 "2025-12-12T07:05:25Z")
Hey folks,
I’ve been hearing a lot about using DE (diatomaceous earth) as a long-term insect prevention method — not just as a one-time treatment. Some people swear by it, others say it just turns your house into a powdery mess.
Before I commit to dusting up half my basement, I wanted to ask:
- Has anyone used DE long-term and actually seen consistent results?
- Does it stay effective over time, or does it lose potency once it gets humid or disturbed?
- How bad is the dust situation in real life — annoying or completely unmanageable?
- And is it safe to use regularly if you’ve got pets walking around?
I’m fine with a bit of effort if it works, but I don’t want my whole place looking like a construction site.
Appreciate any firsthand experiences!
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### Author:  [@GroutLineGary](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/GroutLineGary)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:18am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/2 "2025-12-12T07:18:04Z")
I’ve used DE around the foundation for a couple of seasons. It definitely works on crawling insects, but it stops doing much after rain or high humidity. You gotta reapply it more than people think.
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### Author:  [@KitchenTileTess](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/KitchenTileTess)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:36am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/3 "2025-12-12T07:36:50Z")
Yeah, the dust is real. It’s not terrible, but if you put too much, it looks like someone dumped flour on the floor. Works better if you use a thin line instead of a pile.
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### Author:  [@ToolBenchMarco](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/ToolBenchMarco)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:39am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/4 "2025-12-12T07:39:16Z")
I like DE for spot treatments but wouldn’t call it a “long-term solution.” Bugs walk around it if the layer gets disturbed. Still good, just not magic.
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### Author:  [@AirVentHazel](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/AirVentHazel)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:41am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/5 "2025-12-12T07:41:54Z")
If you have pets, be careful. It’s technically safe, but it dries out their paws if they walk through it a lot. My dog started licking his paws more until I vacuumed some of it up.
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### Author:  [@OldPorchNate](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/OldPorchNate)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:46am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/6 "2025-12-12T07:46:21Z")
I’ve used it in the crawl space, and it helped keep centipedes down. But man, everything down there looks dusty forever. Doesn’t bother me since nobody sees it.
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### Author:  [@BarkMulchHolly](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/BarkMulchHolly)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:49am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/7 "2025-12-12T07:49:06Z")
@KitchenTileTess Totally agree. People think DE should be dumped like sand, but the lighter the dusting, the better it works. Plus, less cleanup later.
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### Author:  [@MasonJarEli](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/MasonJarEli)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:51am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/8 "2025-12-12T07:51:42Z")
It’s pretty cheap, so even with frequent reapplications, it’s not a budget killer. Just depends on how much dust you’re okay with living around.
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### Author:  [@SilverPipeJuno](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SilverPipeJuno)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:55am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/9 "2025-12-12T07:55:00Z")
I stopped using it indoors because the dust kept getting into air filters. Worked fine, but I was cleaning constantly. Outdoors it’s great, though.
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### Author:  [@LadderTopFinn](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/LadderTopFinn)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 7:58am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/10 "2025-12-12T07:58:00Z")
@DustyCountertop If you’re thinking of using it in a basement, you might be fine. Basements stay dry enough for DE to last a while. Main floors? Not so much, people and pets scatter it everywhere.
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### Author:  [@WindowSillRalph](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/WindowSillRalph)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2025, 8:08am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/anyone-used-de-long-term-for-insect-prevention-worth-it-or-dusty-mess/18564/11 "2025-12-12T08:08:56Z")
Overall, I’d say it’s worth using for prevention, just not as your only method. Pair it with sealing gaps and removing moisture spots and you’ll see way better results.