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Diatomaceous Earth - The Best Pesticide You've Never Heard Of

beejium

Member
it works well on fleas, you can coat the cat too, but don't let it breathe it. heck if it's food grade you and your furry pets can drink it to rid parasites like the tapeworm. i mixed mine into a soil less mix and started to see the gnat population drop. i really don't see any improvements in the plant, but hey the gnats are at a tolerable level now. also on things like fleas, or even some flying critters... i like to coat the carpet and then sweep it so that it's dust covers everything. don't do this without the proper mask and the windows open, cover electronics so you don't have to blow them out with air as well. then just wait a few days and vacuum like mad; don't worry if you miss a few spots vacuuming, as this stuff is pretty much good forever. oh yea any time you use this product wear a mask or you will most likely make your self sick.
sorry for this super stoned ramble.
 

JJScorpio

Thunderstruck
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I know a couple that purchased the food grade DE and drink a tablespoon a day mixed in with juice. They both say they feel much better after using it....
 

beejium

Member
I know a couple that purchased the food grade DE and drink a tablespoon a day mixed in with juice. They both say they feel much better after using it....

yea i saw an online add where the guy drank it to show that it's safe, but i'm still iffy about it. i dunno why...
 

Chief

Member
Do you need to reapply after every watering? I think i read somewhere 1 tbls per gal as used in soil mix but i applied more than that to cover the surface in a dust.

btw i got the pool filter stuff, it says "Pure Diatomaceous Earth". Anywho $19.00 for 25lb at the depot
 

NiteTiger

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright...
Veteran
Yeah, the pool filter stuff is industrial grade, and it has different safety precautions than Food grade.

But yes, reapplying after watering is a good idea. Not strictly necessary, but it can make it less effective as a pest barrier.
 

Ligyron

Member
Thanks for reminding me about this great stuff. Now I just gotta find the food grade version, as I never realized, 'til you pointed it out, that there are different kinds/grades.

BTW, I use that granular, DE based "Oil Dry" form mentioned earlier instead of regular kitty litter mainly 'cause it's just way cheaper - like $10.00 for 50lbs. Come to think of it, we didn't get fleas until I ran out and used something else. I forgot it was a form of DE made (I think) from "Fuller's Earth": that clay deposit people used to use for soap and as a polishing agent. Oil Dry also makes a good soil amendment or straight growing medium even and it's a great aquarium/aquatic soil too. Hmmm, I wonder if this is the "agricultural" grade? It does break down into smaller particles (dust even) with physical agitation (cat box) or back to a sort of clay eventually, depending on how wet it is kept, but it's way cheap.

Most of the critters we're trying to kill are quite small. The DE dust's micro spikes and shards are like knife and sword sized weapons to them but as nothing to us for the most part. Well, eyes and perhaps lungs excluded just to be safe. It doesn't take a ton of this stuff to be effective on those little shits anyway - just enough distributed evenly and thoroughly in the right places.

Tiger, dude . . . good work! Say, wait a minute . . . don't I remember you from OG? K+ and peace.
 

NiteTiger

Tiger, Tiger, burning bright...
Veteran
Thanks for reminding me about this great stuff. Now I just gotta find the food grade version, as I never realized, 'til you pointed it out, that there are different kinds/grades.

BTW, I use that granular, DE based "Oil Dry" form mentioned earlier instead of regular kitty litter mainly 'cause it's just way cheaper - like $10.00 for 50lbs. Come to think of it, we didn't get fleas until I ran out and used something else. I forgot it was a form of DE made (I think) from "Fuller's Earth": that clay deposit people used to use for soap and as a polishing agent. Oil Dry also makes a good soil amendment or straight growing medium even and it's a great aquarium/aquatic soil too. Hmmm, I wonder if this is the "agricultural" grade? It does break down into smaller particles (dust even) with physical agitation (cat box) or back to a sort of clay eventually, depending on how wet it is kept, but it's way cheap.

Most of the critters we're trying to kill are quite small. The DE dust's micro spikes and shards are like knife and sword sized weapons to them but as nothing to us for the most part. Well, eyes and perhaps lungs excluded just to be safe. It doesn't take a ton of this stuff to be effective on those little shits anyway - just enough distributed evenly and thoroughly in the right places.

Tiger, dude . . . good work! Say, wait a minute . . . don't I remember you from OG? K+ and peace.

Glad you found it helpful!

And yep, old OGer here :joint:
 
I also use this in my carpet to keep bugs (which are prevalent in my area) away from my grow!

Every week I alternate between DE'ing the carpet and using baking soda.

I also have a rabbit who doesn't seem bothered by the stuff FYI.
 

bergerbuddy

Canna Coco grower
Veteran
Ok.. I have a 50lb bag of this stuff sitting out in the shed I'll gladly send to someone for half what you can buy it for anywhere else...
Why???

IT DIDN'T DO SHIT... IT DOESN'T EVEN KILL BUGS YOU PUT INTO A BAGGIE OF THE SHIT... LIKE IT CLAIMS TO ON THE VIDEO...

YES ITS FOOD GRADE...

I have the stuff. . have used it... and it doesn't work.... I put fleas even ants in with this stuff.... they weren't dead hours later...

I have not eaten it.. maybe it works that way... but I was HIGHLY DISSAPOINTED
 

Ligyron

Member
Bergerbuddy, I think what happens is the bugs do die, but it takes more than just a few hours, IDK, maybe days or a week or more even. It's not like, a deadly nerve poison, but it's presence eventually creates an environment that's most unfavorable for the long term existance of creatures with ectoskeletons.

I live at the total opposite end of the country from you, and we have insects galore down here. After I treat (or re-treat), say, the garage -- I'll start finding dead cockroaches, etc. a good week later.

I'll admit -- I never tried the food grade version tho' - I've just been applying the pool supply stuff I use in my aquariums.

I do know one thing: I'd rather risk breathing in some of this stuff while applying it around the house than getting a lungfull of my only real alternative - insecticide.
 

Kaneh

Member
How much I need this stuff???
I found 100g - 6kg packages of foodgrade from Amazon UK.
Shipping doubles the price for me so I don't wan't to order more than I need.
I have around 250 liters of soil that's infested with gnats.
 

atomicfield

Member
Ok.. I have a 50lb bag of this stuff sitting out in the shed I'll gladly send to someone for half what you can buy it for anywhere else...
Why???

IT DIDN'T DO SHIT... IT DOESN'T EVEN KILL BUGS YOU PUT INTO A BAGGIE OF THE SHIT... LIKE IT CLAIMS TO ON THE VIDEO...

YES ITS FOOD GRADE...

I have the stuff. . have used it... and it doesn't work.... I put fleas even ants in with this stuff.... they weren't dead hours later...

I have not eaten it.. maybe it works that way... but I was HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED
my experience exactly,DIDN'T DO SHIT!!!!!!!!!!
 

RetroGrow

Active member
Veteran
I use it on outdoor grows, spreading it around the base of the plants. It works for sure.
Was wondering if breathing in the dust was a problem, so good to know it's safe.
 
I am trying DE for the first time to try to rid myself of a pest problem. They are some sort of mite that doesn't make webs. Some posters said it doesn't do anything so I'll see for myself. Either way I plan to keep it using it in my gardens for the silica.
 

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