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Garden Gate:  Diatomacious Earth  |
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
 Posted - May 12 2006 : 04:51:20 AM
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Can anyone tell me more about this DE powder for pest control? A blog buddy turned me onto it, and since I'm a organic gardener I can't wait to use it. I know you can use it inside and out, on pets and plants, but how? I'd also like to know if I can give it to my chickens for mites? I bought a pound of it to start and can't believe how cheap it was, now for some tried and true advise! 
www.sageflowerfarm.blogspot.com
www.herbalfarmstead.blogspot.com
www.countrypleasures.motime.com |
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frontierlady
True Blue Farmgirl
57 Posts
KY
57 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2006 : 06:17:08 AM
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I purchased some of this yesterday.  Great minds think alike!
We purchased ours to worm our goats with. I've heard good things
about it and bad about using it as a wormer. We are going to try
it and see.
I'm more of a "let's try a natural way first" kind of person. We
shall see. 
I'm not sure about using it in the garden. It's a drying and cutting
"dust". I would be afraid it would kill the good while it's killing
the bad.
Now for animals, I've heard it's great for killing mites and things
on chickens. Set some out in a shallow pan and they will give
themselves dust baths.
How much was yours? We purchased 50 lbs. Ours came out to be $1/lb.
 This "dust" will damage your lungs, handle with care.
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cowgirlinthesand
Farmgirl in Training
38 Posts
maggie
Williston
Fl
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2006 : 10:12:02 AM
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| We tried using it for deworming the horses without much success :( We had high strongles when we did fecals. Ive also tried it in the carpets for fleas without much success. |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2006 : 11:23:09 AM
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My understanding is that once it is wet it's not sharp anymore so it can't inflict any damage. If it would I would think it would do the same thing to horses that sand does :( I haven't been able to find it anywhere. I want it for the chickens' dust baths. Where has everyone else gotten theirs?
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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rabbithorns
True Blue Farmgirl
544 Posts
Allison
Fort Scott
KS
USA
544 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2006 : 11:36:11 AM
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I got a box from a local nursery so it's not "industrial" farm size! But I use it to keep ants out of the garden. One day I found them climbing into a large potted plant to make a nest for their eggs. I watered well so they'd leave, and then I put DE around the bottom of the legs of the table the pot was on so they wouldn't cross it and climb up again. When I water, it wrecks the barrier, so I just do it once a week to keep them trained away. They haven't come back to that spot anyway.
I also dust around the perimeters to keep them from nesting in the general area. It seems to keep them away from nesting close to the house where they just get into the house from underground. That's my real goal after last fall's invasion. |
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
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frontierlady
True Blue Farmgirl
57 Posts
KY
57 Posts |
Posted - May 12 2006 : 1:25:05 PM
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I ordered mine from a feed store. They in turn ordered it from
a food supply store. It's food grade. Makes you wonder who
orderes it from the food supply store and what do they do with it?
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almostidaho
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
Tami
Richmond
Utah
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Jun 09 2006 : 10:55:45 AM
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I've heard it's ok to add to feeds - I even once saw someone's muffin recipe which included it. Don't know that I would go there, however!
I use it on my eggplant plants to control fleabeetles and it works like a charm.
Tami |
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
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TillieB
Farmgirl in Training
25 Posts
Marjorie
Berwick
ME
USA
25 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2006 : 5:27:30 PM
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Hi Girls,
Diatomaceous earth is fossilized shells of diatomswhich are prehistoric one-celled organisms. I work at a feed/grain store we sell it for gardens and we sell the food grade versions. According to some farmers it has helped reduce worm counts but depending on where you live and the worming schedules it probably won't work 100% in high worm areas, i.e. Northeast, we worm our animals a lot. The garden version is being used by organic gardeners for ants and ticks and they are having luck. It's cool stuff, and yes perfect for chicken dust baths but get the garden kind, it's cheaper. There is a company called "Concern" that sells it. It's also used in swiming pool filter systems. Weird uh?
marjorie |
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junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
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Garden Gate: Diatomacious Earth |
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Diatomacious Earth
