Dri-die

Description

[W.R.Grace] A brand name for an insecticide originally composed of amorphous silica-gel when marketed in 1956. On contact or ingestion, the Dri-die powder kills insects by physical dehydration. By 1958, researchers discovered that fluorinated silica gel (ammonium fluorosilicate) was more effective and it was marketed as Dri-die 67. By the 1960s, it was used as a standard treatment for termites in homes and buildings to prevent long-term infestations. Dri-die was also mixed with boric acid (called B & S) to additionally kill cockroaches. The product was discontinued in 1987, although the underlying technology of using silica gel, or diatomaceous earth as a non-toxic pesticide remains.

Note: A related product called Tri-die is marketed by BASF. Tri-die combines amorphous silica gel with a fast-acting pyrethrin type pesticide. It is used to kill crawling insects (roaches, ants, silverfish, bed bugs, etc) on contact.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Dri-die 67; ammoniumfluorosilicate; B & S (boric acid and silica); B + S

Resources and Citations

• MuseumPests.net: Pesticide Database
• Lynda A. Zycherman, J.Richard Schrock, A Guide to Museum Pest Control, FAIC and Association of Systematics Collections, Washington DC, 1988
• Marie Svoboda, Conservation Survey Index, unpublished, 1997
• Verseris: Tri-die