Description
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is the remains of microscopic one-celled plants (phytoplankton) called diatoms that lived in the oceans & 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, diatomaceous earth has an unlimited shelf life provided you keep it dry.
Diatomaceous earth is mined, milled, and processed into a myriad of types for a large variety of uses. Filtering & filler are two main uses but diatomaceous earth also ends up in paints, cosmetics, drugs, etc. Because the milling produces different sized & shaped particles, it is important not to use the filtering type for agricultural purposes.
Pool filter grade diatomaceous earth has been heat & chemically treated and will poison an animal or human who ingests it, so it is always of utmost importance to only obtain food grade diatomaceous earth to use in & around your household.
Diatoms (DE) are the grass of the oceans & lakes. Just as grass is the staple food of earth animals. Diatoms (algae) are the food of the ocean or fresh water grazers. Magnified 7000x, diatomaceous earth looks like spiney honeycombs.
Food grade diatomaceous earth is mined from the purest of deposits. Out of 600 deposits in the U.S., only 4 of these deposits rate in purity by FDA standards to be labeled as “food grade.”
Human consumption of DE varies and can be anywhere from 1/4 teaspoon to multiple tablespoons, once daily. The manufacturers recommended feeding rate is 1 heaping tablespoon daily.
It is best to slowly acclimate, any signs of constipation from a given dose, back off of that dosing slightly.
For parasite removal it is important to consume enough to allow wall to wall intestinal “coverage” during normal digestion. This dose will vary per individual.
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
| |
|
| |
| |
Cattle, Dairy Cows & Hogs | |
| 1/2 - 1 cup in daily ration |
It is best to slowly acclimate, any signs of constipation from a given dose, back off of that dosing slightly.
For parasite removal it is important to consume enough to allow wall to wall intestinal “coverage” during normal digestion. This dose will vary per individual.
Internal feeding of food grade diatomaceous earth helps eliminate most internal worms, though possibly not all. It’s also excellent when fed daily to keep down odors, since food grade diatomaceous earth is a drying agent & is eliminated from the body, exactly the way it went in, it helps reduce manure odor.
If fecal counts are not zero for worms & ova after feeding DE for 30 days, increase the daily dose. Feeding too small a dose of DE will not give desired results. Increasing the dose, even if greater than the above recommendations, will not harm anyone.
Apply in well ventilated space & wear appropriate protective PPE during application.
Avoid getting diatomaceous earth in the eyes at all cost. In the event of an accident thoroughly flush the eyes until all debris is clear. DE is drying to the eyes, so do not put it out when you or your pets are down wind of it.
Diatomaceous earth has great absorption properties which can dry the skin. You may want to use gloves for extensive handling as well as temporarily remove pets during application time.
Beware heavy use on carpets, the fine particulate may clog general vacuum cleaners. Shop-vac style vacuums may be used for larger cleanups without issue.
Difference from Acid Solutes. Purity of the Diatomaceous Earth was confirmed by MALDI mass spectometry, indicating that the material is virtually free from any other form of contamination.
MALDI is a technique in which the matrix is used to assist ionization of molecules on the surface of the material, caused by a blast from a UV Laser. This analysis confirms purity and suggests that even the above listed trace elements are not readily ionized and volatilized from the surface.
Laura G. –
I wanted to take a moment to drop you a note about the DE I recently purchased from you.
I currently have seven dogs and one cat and since I live very closely with them, when I spotted remnant of tapeworms, I was sure everyone had them, including me, so I started researching. Chemicals are expensive and out of my financial means, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to take them myself, so, as pointed out on your website, why would I give them to my dogs?
I decided to give the D.E. a try. It’s not the first time I’d heard of it, but it hadn’t come to my attention for some years – which I find surprising and all of us began injesting it about two weeks ago. Since I do not follow my dogs into the woods to check their feces, I don’t know what has come out for them, but for me – well, the proof was in the pot.
I was concerned as to how I would administer the DE to my dogs as they are fed primarily dry food, but I’ve put it on their food and they eat it with no hesitation! In addition, every morning they get a spoonful of a special concoction of chicken, brown rice, and carrots was thoroughly cooked and mixed with two parts DE and enough broth to wet it all (1 quart rice mixture with 2 quarts DE). The dogs LOVE it! Even my cat loves it and lets me know she’s ready for it in her bowl.
I intend to switch from chemical flea killers to DE as well. I know the chemical stuff stings as I’ve splashed it on my skin, so it always pains me to apply it to my dear critters.
Donny –
I have to tell you i started use DE about 3 weeks ago…I am a dog breeder of about 80 adult dogs…The first thing i have noticed is the fly population is going…I live in a rural area across the street from a dairy farm. Been living here two years, the flies were horrible. I also worked in the pest control business for years and have never seen anything like this. I just mix it in their dog food and that’s the only way I am using it so far. This is some amazing stuff. I am going to tell the dairy farmer about it.
Darlene –
I’ve really found the DE to be one of the best things to feed my animals. The most noticeable difference has been in my 20-something-year-old mare. She was skinny and in pathetic condition nearly 3 years ago when I rescued her. Now people think she’s young (except for her sway back.) Good stuff!