Delta Dust Insecticide - Questions & Answers

You will need to apply about 0.5 lbs -1.0 lbs of Delta dust for each 1,000 sq ft of the crawl space. Spreading the dust over the entire crawlspace using a hand duster can be a labor intensive job. Most folks choose to use a Dustin Mizer Duster to help cover the area and save their hands from pumping a hand duster 100's of times.

Yes, Delta Dust Insecticide is effective for killing roaches. Delta Dust Insecticide would be best used in the wall voids. You cam remove the faceplates of your electrical outlets and dust inside the wall voids. However, if you have a roach infestation we would highly recommend our Roach Control Kit #2. This professional kit includes 1 packet of Demon WP Insecticide (which makes 4 gallons of finished solution) for spraying the outside perimeter of the home and inside underneath appliances, behind cabinets, under toilets and sinks, etc. You'll also get 4 x 35 gram tubes of Invict Gold Roach Bait Gel--one of the best roach baits on the market. Invict Gold can be applied up high in the kitchen in the corner of cabinets and in cracks and crevices in kitchens and bathrooms. The bait contains a slow-acting poison that attracts and kills feeding roaches, who also spread the bait to other roaches by contact or by sharing food. Finally, 20 Gentrol Point Source stations provide an IGR (Insect Growth Regulator) that will stop roaches from laying eggs, helping to halt the infestation. The combination of an IGR with roach bait is a highly effective roach control strategy that is widely used by pest control professionals. Demon WP must be applied with a 1 gallon pump sprayer, like the Chapin 1 gallon sprayer.

We do not advise using Delta Dust to target bird mites. Please review to our guide on How to Eliminate Bird Mites for further information on how to properly treat your area. 

Yes, you can apply Delta Dust Insecticide in furniture under the cushions, at furniture joints, and behind fabric tacking. We recommend using a hand duster such as the B&G Bulb Duster 1150 when applying insecticide dusts. Be sure that you do not apply dust directly on skin contact areas. Excess dust can be wiped up with a damp paper towel.

The difference between Delta Dust and Alpine Dust are the active ingredients. Delta Dust is waterproof and contains deltamethrin. Alpine is a reduced risk dinotefuran dust. Both will last many months in undisturbed voids and treat many insects.

Delta Dust Insecticide is actually the most recommended dust for cicada killer wasps holes as it is 100% waterproof so will still work when wet.  

No, Delta Dust cannot be used on dogs.  You may want to check out the products on our Dog Flea Control page. 

You can use Delta in the cracks and crevices in and around your baseboards. You should not apply it on the outside of the baseboards because it will get moved around just through normal daily activities (walking past, vacuuming, sweeping, etc) and will not remain in the areas where you applied it. Bedbugs usually start dying within 1 week of coming into contact with areas treated with Delta dust. Please note that you should not use Delta Dust alone to combat bedbug infestations as it is slow acting. Please checkout our bedbug kits for our product recommendations.

A 1lb bottle of Delta Dust is enough to treat 1,000 sq feet. When applying, the duster should be filled only halfway - no more than two-thirds full. This allows for adequate air space to create the desired air/dust mixture prior to application. If there is too much dust in the duster, clumps of dust on treated surfaces may result, leading to overapplication. Please refer to our Article "How to Get Rid of Yellow Jackets" before treating for safety tips and proceedures.

Delta Dust is meant to be used in cracks and crevices and inside wall voids.  It is not labeled to apply out in the open like on a window sill where people could easily touch it.  It is meant for places people cannot easily access it, like underneath appliances and inside wall voids.   

For cicada killer wasps, it is commonly recommended to use Delta Dust in each individual burrow. Cicada Killer wasps thrive in disturbed environments, such as landscaped yards and places where bare soil is exposed. You can discourage the wasps from nesting in your yard by cutting your grass on the highest setting and by adding a thick layer of mulch to flower beds during the Cicada Killer Wasp season. These wasps do not like over saturated lawns either, so over watering during their season will help prevent them. Unfortunately, there is no fool proof way to prevent cicada killer wasps.

We also like to let our customers know that the Cicada Killer wasps are beneficial insects that provide free pest control for a couple months each year. Cicada killer wasps paralyze and provision their burrows with other insects to feed their young.  The beneficial Cicada killer wasps, while large and intimidating to see, are mostly harmless and there have been very few reports of anyone getting stung by just being near them. In most cases where a sting was reported, the wasps were being held or molested in some way. Cicada Killer Wasp stings are also reported to be almost painless. 

The Delta Dust would be an excellent option to use with the B&G Electric Duster for attics, crawlspaces or other large areas. It covers all the insects you mentioned you are looking to control and many others, and is water proof so in protected areas like crawl spaces it will provide a good residual.

When using insecticide dust such as Delta Dust you should apply it using a hand duster but you will be required to get to all of the areas where these pests can enter. The B&G M1150 duster can give you a little further reach in some areas if needed.

Delta Dust Insecticide will not react with boric acid dusts but applying too much dust to an area can make insects avoid it.  If you can see the dust so can they, we would not recommend applying both in the same area.

Delta dust can be applied under a deck but it can be washed away by running water. You may want to consider using a concentrated product such as Talstar P that can be applied with a sprayer and will be rain fast.

Delta Dust is labeled to treat both bedbugs and carpet beetles.  However, it would not be applied in areas where walking on it would be an issue. It is labeled for application in cracks and crevices only.  For bed bug control, Delta Dust will not eradicate an infestation and is meant to be used along with other products.  It would be a good idea to take a look at our Bed Bug Control Guide for more information on how to do a complete treatment for bed bugs. 

Many products that will treat bed bugs will also treat for carpet beetles, but with different application instructions.  Please see the below for tips on treating for carpet beetles, and always follow the product label instructions.

How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles

Carpet beetle infestations can be very difficult to control. The best weapon for getting rid of them is to combine cleaning and insecticides.

• Vacuuming: Carpet beetle larvae like to feed in dark, undisturbed locations like closets, attics, basements, and storage areas. The wide availability of food sources for the larvae (including dust and lint, and pet hair) makes vacuuming the best way to ensure there is minimal food for the larvae to feed on. Vacuuming can also help to remove the larvae and adult beetles already in the home. Regular vacuuming and laundering of rugs, furniture, and linens can help to ensure the beetles are removed and have no food source. If you find a contaminated item, bag and remove this item from your home, if possible.

• Proper storage: Before storing silks, woolens, or furs, dry clean as the beetles are attracted to stains and soiled garments. Store in a well-sealed container, using mothballs. Mothballs can limit the beetle’s attraction to the wool or silk. Store pet food, dried meat, and other dried animal products in a well-sealed container.

• Insecticides: For things that cannot be washed or dry cleaned, insecticides are the best bet for prevention and eradication. Temprid SC is an excellent products to use.

Insecticides can be used for spot-treatments, as a boundary at the edges of rugs, under rugs, under furniture, walls and floors of closets, shelving, cracks, and lint or dust accumulating areas. Be careful around oriental rugs or other fabrics, as some insecticides can stain. Never spray clothing or bedding with insecticide, and always read instructions.

• Outdoor maintenance: Adult carpet beetles are most commonly found outside. They feed on pollen and nectar, but lay eggs in bird, rodent, bee, or wasp nests or old spider webs to give the larvae an abundant food source. Clearing these away from your home, along with checking near highly pollinating plants near your house and checking cut flowers for the beetles before bringing them inside. 

Delta Dust Insecticide has a 5 year shelf life but is best stored in a cool dry place, below 90 degrees and above freezing.  The efficacy may be reduced if repeatedly exposed to higher temps.

Yes, Delta Dust can be applied to all the outlets in your kitchen, as well as in your home. It is not necessary to wear gloves or a mask. Make sure that you are doing a light dusting in these areas so that the pests will walk through it and dry out. Since it's in the wall voids, it will not affect your food.

CimeXa Insecticide Dust is the newest product available in the battle against bed bugs. CimeXa Dust is 100% Silica dust (pyrethroid free), is very safe, odorless, and will not stain.  CimeXa Dust will last up to 10 years when applied to undisturbed areas like wall voids, or frames of some furniture such as couches. It is very effective on bed bugs, especially pyrethroid resistant bed bugs. It is also labeled for Ants Crazy Ants, Cockroaches, Firebrats, Silverfish, Spiders, Mites, Bed Bugs, Lice, Fleas, Ticks, and Drywood Termites. When pests come into contact with CimeXa, the product clings to their exoskeleton Delta Dust is 100% waterproof and is a synthetic pyrethroid. Delta Dust would work great for Ants, Bedbugs, Cockroaches, Fleas, Silverfish, Scorpions, Sowbugs, Millipedes, and others listed on the label.