diatomaceous earth

I've been reading and reading and reading about DE and my question is this: if you ingest DE with water, as most people seem to do, and it's useless when wet, how on earth can it be effective against intestinal parasites??

K I just found a response to my above question in the DE for humans forum. But that response was an uncertain one, and it was only one. So if anyone has any particular insight into the question of ingestion of wet DE and its effectiveness against internal bugs, I'd love to hear it.

Simple question...is DE with calcium bentonite (the brown kind) just as effective as pure DE (the white kind)? There's also one that has gray flakes in it. All are food grade, can be mixed with feed, etc. But I'm using for fleas in carpet and on cat specifically. Please let me know. We have a flea problem that we are having a terrible time bringing under control. Thank you!!!

Jim - Welcome to Permies...

I always go for the pure DE for a variety of reasons as I can predict how 100% DE will perform, it's cautions, etc. where as I couldn't with DE that has additives, what the proportions/percentages, etc. Now, if I only had DE with Bentonite Clay in it, as some people feed to horses, and I had a flea problem, sure I'd try it to see it could do the job instead of buying pure DE, it may or may not work. If it truly is Food Grade or even animal grade, it could work and be safe for you and your pets. You don't want to use Pool Grade. You might have to use more than once, too. Be careful and use a dust mask and eye protection, let the dust settle before re-entering... l

Did anyone take biology in school? Ok. Let me explain.

The DE is a powder. On bugs outside your body the powder gets in the breathing holes and joints of the bugs and literally cuts them up so they dry out. Some suffocate. When the "dry" powder clumps up, it does this on the micro level also, the DE can not effectively ruin the day of the bugs.

Now, put on your thinking caps. We are taking a dive.

Now, in my intestine. It is all wet and gooey. The tape and other worms present have no outer shell. Like that bug that dried out and suffocated in my carpet. In fact it is so soft the DE just slices it up so it can not hold on any longer. And out it goes. HOWEVER The worms have laid a lot of eggs today. The eggs can survive the DE. Some bugs can be cut up( not like sliced by a knife, but death by a 1000 cuts and they lose their worm fluids that use to be yours) and the head will be in my flesh. To grow again. This can happen but not often. The DE does an amazing job. Now here is the real COOL part. The only place the DE can harm us is if we breath it in large quantities and it can do stuff to our lungs. Think cement and mud. So try not to live in a bag of it. However, in my colon and other digestive places it is a bad place for the bugs to be. Our cells are basically too tough for DE to harm us. The other part is that the DE has a lot of trace minerals we need. SO cleaning up the bugs and getting some clean minerals is a good thing.

Now the poopy part. There are folds and places the DE has trouble reaching. So there will always be some that hang on after the buffet has closed down. The DE does not enter the bloodstream, so bugs in your other organs like the liver and such are safe and sound in the DE-less places. The eggs and other parts of the life cycle of many of the "bugs" will not be affected by the DE.

This is all on the internet. I also am a firm believer in the library. Real books.

DE is safe and is basically inert to us other than the minerals we may absorb. So it will not harm you in moderate common sense doses.

I use in a common way. I use pure and food grade. There are many reasons for this.

This is not advice, but what I did to MY body.

Now, to get the remaining bugs, eggs and such. I used a lot of natural herbs to use in a systematic way to rid a body of the flukes, worms and stuff that is crawling thru flesh body as we speak. From organ to organ. As part of my treatment for illness I started a cleaning of my body. I did due research and checked my sources. I started the process. I was incredibly infested. I could see results asap. This was not your "colon cleanse in a box" this went right to the source. It has been weeks now and I am cycling off. I had things come out of my skin. Eruptions and such. In my stool and rinses I saw a lot of things I could identify with my eyes. This is not the forum. But DE was and is part of my arsenal. The DE will also absorb toxins to a degree from my understanding. That is good when you kill the bugs they start to make more toxins. Just saying. Take this as not advice. Just saying what I did to my body.

Big Pharma makes a lot of stuff to kill the bugs. Just saying. Make your own decisions.

Now take your thinking caps off and have a break. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em. Now, get back to work.

Note. I never give advice. You can not. The FDA and Pharma has trolls all over this site. Beware. Never give advice about health care. But, I can tell what I do to my body. Hey, I have the right to abort my worms. I do not make the rules, I do enjoy them. Then there are those piercings and stuff,............ but they know all about them already. Right trolls.

Daniel - Good job, glad you've taken back your birthright to be healthy, I began some years ago, thought that previously I had been doing everything right, such a learning experience to see myself change and transform. Apparently, not done yet. Keep doing what you've been doing, too, Daniel...

I have read all the threads and searched many websites and still have a question as to what is the best brand of DE for human consumption? Perma Guard seems to come up with every search. Does anyone have any suggestions on which brand of 100% pure food grade DE is good to use other than Perma Guard? What do you folks use? I bought Red Lake food grade DE with calcium bentonite from the feed store for insects and chickens but am not too sure that I want to use it for my health.

E. Clement - Welcome to Permies...

I believe, and I don't believe that it is a bad sign, that Perma-Guard is of very high-quality and the one to choose. Other companies that you may consider are maybe using Perma-Guard product and re-packaging, I'm pretty sure that Soil Mender and Earthworks do just that.

I also have to agree with you about the field-grade DE, I'd rather have the cleaner product for my use, even livestock and garden, not worth the small savings for a lesser quality...

I just want to know exactly what to do to get rid of the aligheny ? carpenter ant. We have several acres and they have decided to make it their own. They are blk and red ,about 1/4" and cover the nest with pcs. of wood or grass,leaves. Please help, I have tried some dia.earth,but may have not got the proper type. it has been raining here alot.

I just want to know exactly what to do to get rid of the aligheny ? carpenter ant. We have several acres and they have decided to make it their own. They are blk and red ,about 1/4" and cover the nest with pcs. of wood or grass,leaves. Please help, I have tried some dia.earth,but may have not got the proper type. it has been raining here alot.

Use the rain to fight them -- get some Cordyceps fungi to attack them with:



Now, where to find some Cordyceps inoculate? You may try the Fungi Perfecti site. Make sure and ask for a spore product and not just an extract.

I have been using DE in conjunction with neem cake to battle a root aphid infestation in a couple of my basil plants. The DE definitely works well at killing the aphids in the soil. It was also surprisingly effective at taking down some of the winged versions of these beasts. Thought I'd share. Is it messed up that I kind of enjoy watching them squirm?

Has anyone experimented and/or had any luck with trying to mix DE into their cob or plaster mix for a structure (same for earth cement/flooring)? The thought simply being that if the structure itself has a decent ratio (without overwhelming the building components, of course), it would make the structure pest-free by default. Or am I staring into a pipe dream?

This is such a big old thread that new questions might not get help.
I think you're far more likely to get a reply by starting a new thread in the appropriate forum.

paul wheaton wrote:A series of recent bits and bobs compelled my to write an article about diatomaceous earth.

Did I leave anything out?

this is the original post in this very long thread...

apologies in advance though I would like confirmation, please... I have read some (not all) and am a little anxious about the product, a first time purchase to feed to horses. I asked for DE by full name and a local product was recommended by the name of Absorba-cide - that's the one they sell. It's the '-cide' part which has me a little concerned but then reading the article on this website can understand it as a "natural" non chemical to exoskeleton bugs etc the product is mainly bagged for. The MSDS sheet states:

COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Composition: Diatomaceous earth, which is a natural product, derived from the remains of freshwater plankton. The product contains less than 4% ingredients respirable crystalline silica.
Chemical : Powder
Ingredients Name CAS Proportion
Diatomaceous earth 61790-53-2 96%
Silica as quartz and cristobalite 14808-60-7 <4%
14464-46-1
Other information Mineralogy
Amorphous silica as diatom microfossils generally 96%, cristobalite and quartz generally less than 4%

Some places sell the diatomaceous earth (food grade) mixed with other stuff. And that is something I do not recommend. When I see a label that says "97% diatomaceous earth" I have to wonder what the other 3% is. If the packaging is about killing bugs, is it some sort of toxin? Did they add something like borates or pyrethrin for a little extra kick? I don't want that!

... so... along with the "~cide" in the name, is it best to return this product (Absorba-cide) and aim for a purer DE?

thank you
diane

The mine returned the phone call and stated that Absorba-cide wasn't the best for feeding. The better form would be a coarser product. The mine rep stated that that product would be 98% DE.

It appears that the Absorba-Cide is, in fact a 'Food grade' DE.

The food grade does not imply that it is suitable for human consumption by itself.
Food grade DE is routinely used in the storage of grains destined for human consumption.
It is used as a means of controlling the insect populations within the stored grains.
(The logic is probably that the residues are less harmful than would be all of those insects in your biscuit mix.)

I don't think any reputable distributors will endorse its consumption by humans/pets/livestock.
Too much liability in a law-suit thinking world.

The 'Cide' in its name is a marketing gimmick.
Its killing action is mechanical, rather than chemical - huge difference !

The Absorba-cide has been returned and am looking into the alternative product. Thank you.

I cant say that we've waited long enough or worked the de in our carpets enough for it to be even minimally effective for our flea infestation, but as far as the dust bothering airways...didn't find this was the case at all. Actually, myself, my 5 year old son, and my friends two children had lots of fun sprinkling all over everything in the house, ourselves included. Needless to say, having such young termination helpers, the stuff got everywhere, including the ceiling. It was pretty dusty when all was said and done. None of us coughed, none of us had any symptoms what-so-ever...can't help but wonder if it makes a difference where you buy the de from??? if manufacturing companies are somehow not packaging it the same, or putting other ingrediants in it? would be interesting to run some tests...
Another tip, my bf, suffering from athletes foot for the past 4 years, has tried ever product out there to try and get some sort of relief from it...nothing...recently it got so bad that it was pretty infected...we made a de paste (just water mixed with it) and the next morning, infection was gone! maybe my new baking soda? we shall see

I would be extremely cautious of the airborne dust. Wear a dust mask if you are just making dust clouds for better distribution. Long term exposure to DE dust can be hazardous or fatal. OSHA requires proper masks for workers exposed to DE. A little common sense goes a long way.

Hello, I am trying to get rid of my dog's flea problem, which is sort of complex. He's 14. I've only had one other time that I had a flea problem and had no trouble winning that war after finding out that the bombs were useless and resorted to the powder insecticide I at got at Walmart. This time I'm having trouble. My problem is that I rent a room now (instead of having a house all to myself and kids) and they have two cats and two dogs. My guy came into their house flea free. He is a large dog, but only goes outside to pee or poo or when he's well enough to go with me on outings. He's a service dog, but 14 is way too old for him to do that full time and I am not well enough myself to go out more than once or twice a month. This further complicates me ridding the bugs. The other dogs in the house are taking either Advanix or the pill that keeps them from being bothered by the fleas. They also get allergy shots. My dog is taking dyphenhydramine (Benadryl), but still not as good as the allergy shot. I can't afford that stuff. He is really having a horrible time of it and despite using an e-collar to keep him from biting his behind he has managed to chew off all the hair on his his hindquarters an ulcerated one of his paws. Of course, him eating so much of bis hair makes him sick. so much fun! I'm using flea shampoo on him about once a week and the Hartz oily stuff on his back (advantix-like) once a month. All the other stuff I've used on him is natural—anti itch and some flea killing spray from natural oils. This time around I have tried the carpet dust I used before. But I am only one room of many so I'm having a hard time getting the landlord's support with all the other rooms of the house and the backyard. And it's a really big house! I'm looking for some D.E. that doesn't cost more than the actual product in shipping! Pet stores prices aren't exactly cheap and because I live in a huge city the animal feed store (who caters to those wealthy enough to have horses) isn't cheap either. I also have a bedbug problem to whip thanks to an untruthful former roommate and despite my having washed everything I owned fit for a washer/dryer and not seeing a bug or a bite in about ten to eleven months (about the same time I moved from the previously infected area).

I'm glad to hear the D.E. will kill two bugs with one product, plus what doesn't go into the carpet can go into the chicken feed for my landlord's egg layers. Yay! Do you know of anyplace online where I can find the D.E. where it won't cost me $50 to $100 bucks including shipping?

One thing I wanted to address after reading your page on D.E. and how it works and the difference between the food grade and the pool grade is that I have seen in the food grade some have added bentonite. The ONLY reason I know what I'm going to tell you is because I used to teach high school ceramics. Bentonite when added to silica keeps liquid suspensions suspended. Meaning the bentonite keeps the silica equally mixed up and viscous. I'm not sure exactly why it is added to the dry stuff, but there it is on the label of stuff I'm looking at. And not every D.E. product has it. Also, crystalline silica used for ceramics is completely nontoxic in its wet state, but absolutely can cause cancer if exposed for prolonged periods via the lungs in its dry state. Not sure exactly what OSHAs required percentage is for K-12 classrooms, but I do know this is routinely NOT even considered in the classrooms I was in (before I got there, of course) because it is thought that even four years is not a very significant amount of time. Proper certified masks (not the hospital kind) should be worn during ALL dry mixing and preparation of silica based materials like clay, glazes, and I imagine feed as well, but I'm sure no expert on that. You might want to consider more research on if the food grade D.E. is at all toxic in its dry state via the lungs and at prolonged exposures if you are exposing yourself for long periods (like every day for years, not just in terms of a few hours at a time). The small difference in the percentages of crystalline silica seems worth a look. Although, being an asthmatic myself I sure know anything airborne, even at small amounts, can be a lung irritant. Completely different than causing cancer, of course, and no, I can't feel the teeny particles cutting up my lungs. That was really funny!! And when I finally get my D.E. I'm not planning on using a mask either. Just hope those out there working everyday with anything particulate will be careful.

Daniel Crockett wrote:Has anyone experimented and/or had any luck with trying to mix DE into their cob or plaster mix for a structure (same for earth cement/flooring)? The thought simply being that if the structure itself has a decent ratio (without overwhelming the building components, of course), it would make the structure pest-free by default. Or am I staring into a pipe dream?

Hey Daniel! Crockett is one of my family names. Anyway, I thought I mention that you are probably better off using a commercial building product like plaster and if you really wanted silica, clay is always available. But that might not be cost effective. Clay made from silica has been used for thousands of years. I dont know where you live, but in my state adding silica to a commercial paint is illegal. It was used to make slick surfaces non skid. Interesting question, but I fear that dream may be made of pipes after all.

*****************IMPORTANT SUPER IMPORTANT********************

I have been to SOOOOOOO many DE websites, researching and researching it. I like the stuff, really I do...BUT last nights events prompted me to dig a little bit deeper...here's whats up:
My kids, BOTH of them came down with croup...ya know that respiratory "infection?" Anyway, my 10 month old is cutting teeth, he's never had croup before, but my 5 year old gets it almost every time he gets a cold. Needless to say we went through the whole process, just this time with two children, not the usual one. (back and forth between hot steamy shower, and wrapped up in a tight bundle to the outside cool crisp air, 2am trip to wal-mart for stock up supplies of honey, lemon extract, vicks vapor rub & plug-ins) Then it hit me like a freight train...hold on here...5-year old had no prior symptoms, no cough or runny nose, no cold, no flu...healthy as can be. Same with the 10-month old, other than a slight fever, caused by the top tooth breaking through (I can only assume tho-I have no phd in pediatrics) Both kids are in fairly good health. Now here is where this gets pretty interesting...my boyfriend was sanding yesterday, taking some paint off our wood beam...and I assume this is what caused the respiratory discomfort in our kids. Though there was definitely adequate ventilation, I assume maybe not enough? Or not enough time?
This is were the DE comes in to play...AGAIN...no where have I read ANYTHING about this warning, it took my prying to figure this out. Hydrochloric Acid, look it up, its found in WAY too many products that we use, in-particular, its used in things like Lysol and even in Herbal Essence Shampoo...its also used in Goof Off, which is a product my b/f was using to take some of the stubborn paint off...now, I don't agree completely with the use of those chemicals, and I am sure that, in combination with the dust, is what caused the croupy symptoms, however, this is worth mentioning. All you DE experts out there, you already know that the main ingredient is silica...not harmful by any means...actually quite beneficial to us in ways...but, there is one thing that when mixed with, can give off lethal vapors...yes, you guessed it....HYDROCHLORIC ACID (goes by over 100 other names) so, this is definitely something I think people should be aware of, cuz this stuff is found in LOTS of stuff people use everyday...maybe a precaution that should be taken when using anything containing silica, including DE, when using with around or near anything containing Hydrochloric Acid!!!

Amanda Reykdal wrote: All you DE experts out there, you already know that the main ingredient is silica...not harmful by any means...actually quite beneficial to us in ways...but, there is one thing that when mixed with, can give off lethal vapors...yes, you guessed it....HYDROCHLORIC ACID (goes by over 100 other names) so, this is definitely something I think people should be aware of, cuz this stuff is found in LOTS of stuff people use everyday...maybe a precaution that should be taken when using anything containing silica, including DE, when using with around or near anything containing Hydrochloric Acid!!!

Chlorine pools have sand filters (silica) with DE and use hydrochloric acid in them to counter the PH, there are many reactions that create gases or byproducts that can be toxic.... in saying that i think if your aware of risks and risk management , most potential problems can be averted... i think it highly unlikely that someone would mix DE and high grade acid in a confined space for any purpose , and like anything, correct storage and handling of any material at all times would be advised.. including personal protective equipment ....

Jennifer Flores wrote:Ok, I am very new here, but am excited to see a lot of topics I am interested. To Paul, I read your article on DE and using it to treat for fleas. I absolutely loved what you wrote and the information you included. Now, I only have a gazillion questions! My biggest question is, how can you tell it's working? Ha. I have carpet and have been spreading it around and letting it sit overnight and then vacuuming frequently, but it seems like I'm just moving them around from room to room. I will dust a room, then go on to the next and they're all over me. I dust that room and go back and then they're all over me again, back in the room I started in. Even after waiting and vacuuming, they just move from one room to the next. I've been bathing my cat (who is an indoor cat, by the way. How we got them, no idea.) and killing tons of them on her, but then she roams around and I'm assuming I didn't get them all or the ones in the carpet are jumping back onto her. Maybe I'm not doing it right? Any sort of advice would be fantastic and greatly appreciated!!

Hi Jennifer,

Been a while. Hope you got sorted.

If not, leave the stuff down..... everywhere... no place to run to. Don't keep vacuuming until the flea count is right down to nil. Think of DE as clean dirt... or medical dirt.... there to get rid of something that brings disease and mega-irritation to you and your pets. Vacuuming all this health restoring product from your carpets is counter-productive until the infestation is dealt with. You wouldn't want guests in there anyway in case they get jumped. Quarantine.

People have been known to go and block every inlet or hole or crack in their house and on beds etc. to beat bed-bugs... another difficult to remove pest .... and leave it there. I read of a woman in an apartment who did this because the landlord had no interest in getting rid of the infestation throughout the building. She just left the stuff there doing its job and even 6 months after she had left that apartment the new tenant said there was no bed bug problem. Some others in the apartment building followed her example and all those particular apartments stayed clear. Pet bedding is healthier with DE in the fibres than washed and ready to receive fleas. Wash when needed and then re-treat with DE. I don't use carpets at all... just floor tiles... easier to keep clean on a farm. Animals take "dust-baths" for a reason. The dust is inhospitable to pests .... especially DE with its ability to cut and dehydrate the pests. Time and DE is all you need to beat an infestation.

My 2c in case someone else struggling with this.

I wanted to post my results to a very small science test I did, involving fleas and DE.

Background: we've had fleas since July; the dog died in November, and it's now January, and we still have fleas.

We tried DE when the dog was still alive, as suggested: spreading it on the rugs (we have wood floors) in a thick layer and leaving it, and vacuuming often. We did this for about a month or six weeks, and I was also bathing the dog every single day. It didn't seem to be working, so I conducted the following test.

I caught three fleas one day. Two went into a 1L glass jar with a thick layer of DE at the bottom. The third flea (control group) went into a matching 1L jar with no DE. After 6 hours, all three fleas were alive. After 12 hours, one DE jar flea was dead, but the other was alive, and the control group flea was alive. After 24 hours, all three fleas were dead.

My conclusion: well...hard to say really! Did the DE kill the fleas in the jar, or were they dead because they were in a jar? The fact that the control group flea died at around the same time as one of the DE fleas, makes me think it more likely that the jar killed them. I don't think the DE was a major contributor to the fleas' deaths. Or at least, not to these three fleas in my test. Further testing is required.

(Our strategy to combat fleas at the moment is setting up the night-time flea traps, and washing and drying clothes and furnishings often. At least I can say with certainty that the traps are killing fleas every day. Maybe one day we'll get to the very last flea.)

"I kinda wonder if the pesticide companies pay people to go to internet forums and say this sort of thing. Diatomaceous earth is super cheap, non toxic, and generally more effective than anything the pesticide companies have to offer - so it kinda cuts into their profit margins a bit."

No hahahah, I will never believe that! Sure, pesticide dust is $25 for 1.25 lb while for $2 more you could get 50 lb of DE. No way pesticide-selling companies would feel threatened by DE ) And if any of you wonder why pest control companies don't make the switch to DE...is simple. It is dust and that takes a little longer to apply versus liquid insecticide which could be laid in 10 minutes for a nice, by-the-book insect barrier. With DE...at least 20 minutes if the guy is good and pest control companies don't care about anything more than time and how many customers can they squeeze between 11 and 1115 hrs! A pest control tech will never have the time to use DE and that explains why all good things in life come from non-industry-giants...from small companies with time to think and perfect the pest-fighting protocol without having 10 managers and supervisors and vice-presidents pushing them to sell more, to do more accounts, to move faster, to freaking fly if possible hahahahha...For example, I worked for a company that gave me 1 hr between stops then 45 minutes then 30 minutes then kept 30 minutes on daily schedule but added some customers during the day over the phone, schedule be damned! Why? Money. Now, what if the job is not done right? Who cares, managers need to show profit THAT day and what happens tomorrow with call-backs and stuff...they will deal with that tomorrow so they load up the day like it has 50 hours in it and you can't load up a day and expect the tech to use dust...they barely have the time to use liquid so forget dusts, forget DE. And that should just about answer the logical question of why pest companies don't make the switch to a cheaper, more effective and safer product? As for...does DE works, the answer is depends who is using it. Baseball bats work too, every tool works and no tool will ever work, depending who is using it. For me, DE is king but then again doing it for a while you get good at it. Doing anything for a while makes you a pro in that thing so I can't say I'm good because I'm good but because I had the time to play with it. I would have never had the time to discover DE wouldn't be for that big company deciding to cut costs and get someone else do my job for less money and now, more than 2 years later, everybody's happy: that company spends less per tech, that tech has a job, pesticide-selling companies still have a loyal customer there and me...I am doing DE-based pest control, have more money than ever before and still be back home in time to pick up my kid from school. Life's good for everybody I guess. Pesticide-selling companies though...better have plan b ready because I don't know how many people are having their homes treated with pesticides but I know is less than yesterday and a lot more than tomorrow.

It's well known they employ forum trolls and media disinformation tactics to control the masses , They have a multi-billion dollar operation to protect, They make huge sums paying off politicians and government services to protect their interests, I use Diatomaceous earth a lot for my gardening , but i still have concerns in it's use in industry , Fair enough it's non toxic to humans if not beneficial , but it is still mined and takes millions of years to form, and kills indiscriminately , so in my eye's it's not perfect by any measure and is finite as a resource (correct me if i am misinformed on this).... Since the industry can patent chemicals , and DE cant be , they will always have more control and therefore more say, So employing people for disinformation keeping the masses on their side makes perfect business sense ... while i am sure the bulk of us permies wont like it, It's the nature of the beast as it currently stands ...
Peace and Love Dave oxoxox

paul wheaton wrote:

Dianne Keast wrote:
Would it be safe to spread a little under the carpet before you install it?? so that way when fleas go down to enjoy the habitat under the carpet they will come in contact with DE?

Safe, yes.

I'm not sure I would do it.  I wonder if it would absorb moisture in the air and then not work.  I dunno, my gut says I probably wouldn't do this.

I don't think DE absorbs moisture much at all, so I don't think it would be a problem. I bought some DE (food grade) and have not found it effective against ants or roaches.

Plain old corn meal seems to work for ants.
Just sprinkle a bunch around their foraging trails.
They take it home to the colony where it gets eaten.
It swells up inside their guts, and they die from constipation.

I read the entire article on richsoil.com on DE, and looked this forum over pretty well. What I've discovered is that DE isn't all the same, even if classified as "food grade", but I haven't found what the size of the **average** DE pieces are.

Mites can be extremely small, and I am curious if the DE fragments are just too large to present a problem to them. The scabies mite, nasty parasites that they are, can be as small as 0.15 mm (150 microns). Some of the DE sizes mentioned in the end of the richsoil article can be almost twice that size and thus probably not lethal to scabies mites. If anyone is knowledgeable about DE and how to obtain it with fragment sizes small enough to kill mites the size of male scabies mites (Sarcoptes scabiei) I would love to hear from you, or anyone else that can tell me about DE products / brands and their fragment size ranges.

Thanks Much!

Hello, does anybody have any information about the quality of DE food grade from Diatom X company? I am from Slovakia and i found only this one available in my country.

I just bought 3 bags of Safer Brand DE from Home Depot. Does anyone know if its safe to use ON the animals? Specifically cats? I have a serious flea problem and before I get rid of my babies, I'd like to try rubbing the DE on them first, but only if it's safe...