The label is the law. Read your product's label before you mix or apply; the rates here come from the labels listed under Sources.
- Active ingredient
- Silicon dioxide (amorphous silica gel) (CAS 7631-86-9)
- Chemical class
- Silica gel: irregularly shaped forms of silicon dioxide used as an insecticide.[2]
- Mode of action
- Physical desiccant: absorbs the insect's waxy outer coating so it dies of dehydration; not assigned an IRAC group[2][1]
- Signal word
- CimeXa Insecticide Dust (record name SiliCide): Caution[1]
How it works
Silica gel causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing moisture and scratching their exoskeleton.[2]
The label explains that the dust clings to the insect's exoskeleton and absorbs its waxy coating, causing death from dehydration.[1]
Where to put it
Insects need moisture, so the label says kitchen and bath areas and other damp areas should be carefully inspected and treated if needed, and cracks around baseboards, cabinets and door frames can be lightly dusted and sealed once the infestation is gone.[1]
Where it is used
For bed bugs, the label says to take the bed apart and treat the interior framework, joints and cracks of the frame and the tufts, folds and edges of the mattress and box spring.[1]
In food-handling areas of restaurants and other commercial food establishments it may only be applied as a crack-and-crevice treatment, and dust outside cracks must be cleaned up.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CimeXa Insecticide Dust (record name SiliCide)[1] | Rockwell Labs Ltd | 73079-12 | 92.1% | dust | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CimeXa Insecticide Dust (record name SiliCide) | Cracks, crevices, voids, beds and furniture (indoors) | Bed bugs, cockroaches, ants, silverfish, carpet beetles and other listed crawling insects | 2 oz per 100 sq ft[1] Apply a light, visible film with a bellows, bulb or puffer duster; a brush helps push dust into cracks and mattress tufts. |
| CimeXa Insecticide Dust (record name SiliCide) | Attics and crawlspaces | Listed crawling insects | 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft[1] Power dusters are limited to cracks, crevices, voids, attics and crawlspaces. |
How to apply it, step by step
1. Protective gear
- The label lists no protective gear: it carries a CAUTION for moderate eye irritation, so keep the dust out of your eyes and off your clothing, and wash with soap and water after handling.[1]
2. Before you spray
- It is a desiccant dust: it clings to an insect's body and absorbs its waxy coating, so the insect dies of dehydration. It has no odor and doesn't stain.[1]
- For bed bugs, strip the bedding and take the bed apart so you can reach the frame joints, cracks and the inside of the box spring.[1]
- Never dust directly into electrical boxes; take switch plates off only to reach the wall void around them.[1]
3. Mixing
- As a dust it needs no mixing; use a hand bellows, bulb or puffer duster to lay down a light, visible film, and a craft or paint brush to work it into cracks, mattress tufts and folds.[1]
- It can also be applied wet: mix up to 1 lb of dust in 1 gallon of clean water and apply about 1 quart of the slurry per 250 sq ft. It doesn't dissolve, so a visible residue stays after the water dries.[1]
4. Applying
- Apply about 2 oz per 100 sq ft in living areas and 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft in attics and crawlspaces; a power duster is only for cracks, voids, attics and crawlspaces, where the dust stays contained.[1]
- For bed bugs, treat the bed frame, mattress and box spring (tufts, folds and edges), the back of wall-mounted headboards, picture frames, moldings, baseboards, rugs, and under cushions and inside the frames of upholstered furniture; put about ¼ oz into each accessible wall void.[1]
- Don't treat toys or stuffed animals.[1]
- For ants, cockroaches, silverfish, spiders and similar pests, dust where they hide: behind baseboards, in wall voids, under and behind appliances and cabinets, in drawer wells, around pipes and drains, and in damp areas such as kitchens and baths.[1]
- For fleas, treat pet bedding and resting areas, floors and floor coverings, and cracks behind molding and baseboards.[1]
5. After you spray
- Don't leave dust exposed when you put drawers or cover plates back; once the insects are gone, the label suggests sealing the cracks you treated.[1]
- In food-handling areas, apply it only into cracks and crevices, and clean up any dust left outside them.[1]
First aid
- In the eyes, hold them open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 to 20 minutes, removing contact lenses after the first five minutes, and call a poison control center or doctor.[1]
Storage, spills and disposal
- Store it in a dry place children and pets can't get to, away from water, food and feed.[1]
- Don't reuse the empty container: put it in the trash or recycling; for a partly full one, call your local solid waste agency or 1-800-CLEANUP.[1]
From the safety data sheet
- The SDS gives the dust no GHS hazard classification (no pictogram or signal word); it is an odorless white powder of synthetic amorphous silica that contains no crystalline silica.[3]
- Because it is very absorbent, it can dry out skin and eyes, and breathing heavy dust above exposure limits can overburden the respiratory system; a particulate respirator (N95 or better) is only needed when airborne dust is high.[3]
- Clean up spills by vacuuming or wet sweeping to keep dust down, then wash surfaces with soap and water.[3]
- Store it tightly sealed in the original container in a dry place where children and animals can't reach it.[3]
Safety and environmental hazards
People
The label signal word is CAUTION: it causes moderate eye irritation, so avoid getting it in eyes or on clothing and wash after handling.[1]
Pets
The label's hazard statement covers humans and domestic animals together (moderate eye irritation); apply as a light film in cracks and voids rather than in open areas pets use.[1]
Bees and pollinators
It is labeled for indoor crack, crevice, void and furniture treatment, and the label carries no bee-hazard statement.[1]
Fish and water
The label carries no aquatic-toxicity statement for this indoor dust.[1]
Common questions
- How much CimeXa should I use?
- The label rate is 2 ounces per 100 square feet applied as a light, visible film, or 1 pound per 1,000 square feet in attics and crawlspaces.[1]
- Is CimeXa the same as diatomaceous earth?
- No. CimeXa is amorphous silica gel, a form of silicon dioxide registered as SiliCide; it kills by absorbing the insect's waxy coating.[1][2]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “SiliCide (alternate brand name CimeXa Insecticide Dust) label, EPA Reg. No. 73079-12 (EPA-stamped, June 1, 2016).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/073079-00012-20160601.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Home and Landscape Pesticide Active Ingredients Database: silica gel.” ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pesticide-active-ingredients-database/active-ingredient-details/?uaiKey=60 (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Rockwell Labs Ltd, “CimeXa Insecticide Dust Safety Data Sheet, Version 1.2 (Rockwell Labs Ltd, released September 16, 2020; printed April 4, 2024).” rockwelllabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CimeXa-Insecticide-Dust-SDS-Version-1.2.pdf (accessed 2026-10-15)