Diatomaceous earth is absolutely fascinating. Diatomaceous earth is a compound created from fossilized diatoms.
The many uses of diatomaceous earth:
Insecticide – the powder sucks the lipids off of the exterior of the insects and causes them to dehydrate. Can lightly be sprinkled around the base of plants, inside coops, barns, garages or where ever bugs congregate outside.
Wormer – Dosage is 1 teaspoon of food grade diatomaceous earth for dogs under 35 pounds (1 tablespoon for dogs over 35 pounds, 2 tablespoons for dogs over 100 pounds) for seven days. Affected worms include Ascardis, Hookworm, and Whipworm. Dosage for other animals: Kittens 1/2 teaspoon, Cats 1 teaspoon, Puppies 1/2 teaspoon, Cattle, Cows and Hogs 2% of feed ration, Chickens 5% of feed ration, Goats and Sheep 2% in feed ration, horses 1/2 to 1 cup in feed.
Drying agent – great for drying up wet areas in coops, barns and garages. Extremely helpful in out bulidings during the rainy season. Even used for toxic spill clean up. Certainly keeps the coop dry and keeps flies away.
Digestive supplement – some people stir 1 tablespoon in water daily before bed. It contains 15 trace minerals.
Mite, flea and tick repellant for animals – lightly dust animals outdoors, avoid eyes as this is a drying agent.
Upholstery dust – lightly dust carpet or affected area. Allow to sit for 3 days, then vacuum.
Before you think about using a chemical for a certain job, think about what you could use instead – perhaps something natural and less invasive. If you buy diatomaceous earth, just make sure what you buy is food grade. All of the applications suggested above should only be done with food grade diatomaceous earth. Be careful when purchasing diatomaceous earth. When I went to my local nursery and asked for some, they handed me a bag of pesticide! I found a fifty pound bag of diatomaceous earth online with shipping included in the price.