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Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Facts and Information (Diatomite-Amorphous Silica)

Food grade diatomaceous earth has many uses and excellent health benefits for humans,plants, and animals. The diatomaceous earth information below will tell you:

*Some of the differences in grades of diatomaceous earth

*What food grade diatomaceous earth is and where it comes from.

*Why it is important to use ONLY food grade diatomaceous earth.

*Information on the many health benefits of food grade diatomaceous earth for people, pets, livestock, and plants.

*How to use food grade diatomaceous earth to increase the health of people, livestock  and plants.

*How to use food grade diatomaceous earth for naturally effective parasite control.

 

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is the remains of microscopic one-celled plants (phytoplankton) called diatoms that lived in the oceans and lakes that once covered the western part of the US and other parts of the world. These deposits are mined from underwater beds or from ancient dried lake bottoms thousands of years old. This means that diatomaceous earth has an unlimited shelf life provided you keep it dry.

Diatomaceous earth is mined, milled, and processed into a variety of types for many uses. Filtering and filler are two main uses but diatomaceous earth also ends up in paints, cosmetics and drugs, chemical insecticides, etc.

Because the milling causes different size and shaped particles, it is important NOT TO USE the filtering type for agricultural purposes.

Pool filter diatomaceous earth has been heat and treated and will POISON an animal or human who would ingest it, so it is always VERY IMPORTANT to only use FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH to use in and around your household.

DIATOMS are the grasses of your oceans and lakes, and just as grasses are the staple of earth animals, DIATOMS (algae) are food of the ocean or fresh water grazers. Magnified 7000s, Diatomaceous Earth looks like spiney honeycombs.

Food grade diatomaceous earth is EPA approved to be mixed with grains to control mealworms and other pests and has been exempted from tolerance requirements as an inert, inactive ingredient in chemical pesticides. Diatomaceous earth is EPA approved to be used against inside and outside crawling insects. It is also USDA approved for an anticaking agent in animal feed. Diatomaceous earth is FDA approved for internal and external use and has a rating of food chemical codex grade. The best is usually white in color containing less than .5% silicon. There are food grade diatomaceous earth that are yellow or tan in color, which indicates highter iron content. Those that are grey contain more clay.

 INTERNAL PARASITE CONTROL: Food grade diatomaceous earth makes a very effective natural insecticide.

The insecicidal qualities of diatomaceous earth is due to the razor sharp edges of the diatom remains. When diatomaceous earth comes into contact with insects, the sharp edges lacerate the bugs exoskeleton, and then the powdery diatomaceous earth absorbs the body fluids, causing death by dehydration. Food grade diatomaceous earth has been used for at least two decades as a natural wormer for livestock.

Some believe that diatomaceous earth scratches and dehydrates parasites. Some scientists believe that diatomaceous earth is a de-ionizer or de-energizer of worms and parasites. Regardless, people report definite contol.

Better yet, parasites don't seem to build a tolerance or immunity to it's chemical reaction, so rotation of wormers if unnecessary.

People wonder why Diatomaceous Earth has a food chemical codex grade. If it were only labeled food grade, people would think it was only useful as a food supplement, and since diatomaceous earth acts like a chemical by dehydrating insects, it was labeled "chemical grade" because it acts like a "chemical", but it is not a "true chemical" like a pesticide or insecticide.

It is perfectly safe for oral consumption.

Daily recommended dose of food grade diatomaceous earth feeding rates:

Kittens- 1/2 teaspoon

Cats- 1 teaspoon

Puppies- 1 teaspoon

Dogs under 35 lbs. - 1 teaspoon

Dogs over 35 lbs.- 1 tablespoon

Dogs over 100 lbs.- 2 tablespoons

Internal feeding of food grade diatomaceous earth helps eliminate most internal worms, including roundworms, hookworms, pinworms and tapeworms, etc.

 It is also excellent when fed daily to keep down fly loads, since food grade diatomaceous earth is eliminated from the body, exactly the way it went in, it helps reduce the manure odor and kills flies that come in contact with it.

 

Feeding too small of a dose of diatomaceous earth will not give the desired results. Increasing the dose, even if above the recommended dose, will not harm anyone

The worms can kill your pet, but not the diatomaceous earth.

The DE must come into contact with the worms to dehydrate them. Diatomaceous earth can be fed to pregnant animals. It benefits the unborn by eliminating the worms and parasites, and helps absorb the nutients to help them grow stronger and healthier. 

Food grade diatomaceous earth can be applied to baseboards,under appliances, inside drawers and cabinets, inside wall outlets,lightly on carpeting, and anywhere you are having an insect problem.

Test a small area inside your home, to be sure you or your family members will not have a reaction to it and then apply and reapply as needed. Since most insects have a laying cycle of 7 to 21 days, it is recommended to treat for 30 days for maximum effectiveness.

If the insect problem is coming from outside the home, treat both inside and outside for maxiumum effectiveness.

External application on dogs and cats

Lightly rub food grade diatomaceous earth on coat, fur and bedding to dehydrate fleas,lice,mites and ticks.

Dust lightly but thoroughly since the parasites must come into contact with the diatomaceous earth to dehydrate and kill them. External application may take up to 72 hours to dehydrate and kill the parasites.

Lightly sprinkle the carpet and leave on for two to three days, and then vacuum.

On external damp area, nematodes may be purchased to rid the area.

Nematodes kill the flea larvae. It is said that only 5 to 15% are the adults that you see. The other 85 to 95% are the larvae waiting to hatch. Apply to moist kennel areas to reduce odors, dry the area and prevent pest infestation.

Can be added to kitty litter to keep down odors and increase drying of litter.

Remember to reapply when the wind or rain takes it away. As with any dusty agent, be careful not to inhale it, to get it into your eyes, which is why we use only light dusting on carpet and bedding. It can be drying to your hands, skin, or feet.

The information here is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your Vet.

It is suggested that everyone should seek out as many sources and counsel as possible, so that one can make a well informed decision about your pet's health, because it is in the end, a decision that only you can make. The information is for educational purposes only.