A safer de-wormer for your pets - plus has many other healthy uses

Diatomaceous Earth - What is it?

Diatomaceous earth is a remarkable, all-natural product made from tiny fossilized water plants. It is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae.

Diatomaceous Earth can be found in two forms. The most common form is processed and used for pool filters, it’s the cheapest variety you can get - BUT it is not safe for consumption by people or animals - or for use on animals! The second type is not processed, and is safe for animal or human consumption. It of course cost more. Why? Beats me when the cheap stuff needs more processing, but that’s the way it is - so if you want to buy some for your own use, or for use on your pets or livestock, be sure that it is food grade! Pool grade Diatomaceous Earth is treated with heat, causing the formerly amorphous silicon dioxide to assume crystalline form, which is dangerous and harmful for human or animal use.

What do you do with Diatomaceous Earth?

The cheaper version, that is not food grade is primarily used as a filtration aid in pools. DO NOT use for people or pets - DANGEROUS!!!!

The other type - food grade - has MANY uses.

Animals have fleas or other pest on their skin bothering them? - not a problem, lightly dust them with Diatomaceous Earth. It will effectively kill any parisites on the body, and also kill hatching parasites so long as it’s still there. Be sure to also dust their bedding, and anywhere they tend to hang around - will help to kill those as well to prevent re-infestation.

Puppy have worms? - not a problem - Simply sprinkle a small amount on the food (dry) once a day for about a week - and no more problems! Also works for most any other internal parasite. Can treat dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cows..... works the same on all of them - just I find it works best if it’s dry when they eat it. It won’t harm people or animals (including dogs, cats, fish, birds, etc...)

It can also be used in toothpaste and polishes - but as most of us don’t make these sort of things for ourselves, not likely you’ll need this. But you never know who’ll want healthier toothpaste? - you can just mix baking soda with Diatomaceous Earth, wet your toothbrush, dip in the mix, then brush - safe and effective.

Have cockroaches or other pest problems in your home? YUCK! It is most commonly used to help control and eventually eliminate cockroach and flea infestations. Sprinkle a light layer of Diatomaceous Earth in areas where pests frequent, including under stoves, cabinets, sinks, garbage cans, window and door frames and sills, entrance ways, sewer pipes and drains, and in cracks and crevices. Repeat treatment as needed. A much safer alternative than toxic poisons that can hurt animals and people as well as the pest they are designed to kill. Diatomaceous Earth won’t hurt humans or their pets. Diatomaceous Earth may be used as a barrier to control adult flea beetles, sawfly, coddling moth, twig borer, thrips, mites, cockroach, slugs, snails and many other insects such as: Aphids, thrips, earwigs, silverfish, and ants. Can be used for bedbugs, cabbage root flies, carrot root flies, fleas, pillbugs, ticks and is helpful in dealing with fungus gnats.

Its absorbent qualities make it useful for spill clean-up and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends it to clean up toxic liquid spills. These qualities also lend themselves to use in facial masks to absorb excess oils. It has been employed as a primary ingredient in a type of cat litter. The type of silica used in cat litter comes from freshwater sources and does not pose a significant health risk to pets or humans.

People can eat it too. You’ve most likely eaten it much of your life without even knowing it because it's in lots of grain based foods. Grains are stored with diatomaceous earth to keep the bugs from eating the grain! Many people eat a quarter cup of food grade diatomaceous earth every day mixed into juice. I have found references where it is cited for colon cleansing, parasite control and detox, but can’t validate these uses - won’t hurt though to try.

How it works?

Has two ways in which it dispatches nasty things....

1 - The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate.

2 - To insects Diatomaceous Earth is also a lethal dust with microscopic razor sharp edges. These sharp edges cut through the insect's protective covering drying it out and killing them when they are either dusted with Diatomaceous Earth or if it applied as a wettable powder spray. If they ingest the Diatomaceous Earth, it will shred their insides.

One strange thing about diatomaceous earth is that for it to work on killing bugs, you have to keep it dry. Even morning dew can make diatomaceous earth ineffective. But once inside the body, it doesn’t seem to matter - just it’s important to start out dry till time for use. I imagine there’s a certain amount of time once it comes into contact with moisture before it becomes ineffective - which accounts for being able to feed it to animals for worms - and yes, it’s all I use to control pests in my animals on the farm, from the dog/puppy for worms, to the chickens and turkeys for bugs that might get on their skin - for that I just dump some on the ground and they take over from there. A bird just seems to know instinctively to take a nice dust bath in the stuff - and then no more critters bothering them!

WARNING!

It is important not to breath it in, as the dust is harmful to your lungs. But if you use it carefully, this should not be a problem. And if you dust a pet to help with fleas or such - just keep the pet from small children for an hour or so, this will allow plenty of time for any large amount of excess to fall off the animal, and even if the child were to hug the pet, it shouldn’t be a problem. You shouold wear a dust mask when applying it as it can irritate the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth, besides being a potential harm to your lungs if you breath it in. Once the Diatomaceous Earth dust has settled it won't bother you.

There’s lots of Diatomaceous Earth out there - so when you go shopping for some, be SURE to get FOOD GRADE!!!!!!!!