diatomaceous earth

Status
Not open for further replies.

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
2,312
Location (City and/or State)
Orange County, So Cal
Kameo37 said:
So just to get this straight...
I can sprinkle DE all over my yard and if my sulcata eats it, it's ok. Beneficial, in fact.

Very beneficial, as long as it is FOOD GRADE. Sorry for yelling it out like that but the thought of someone, anyone giving the pool grade to their pets, freaks me out.

However, "all over my yard" is a problem because not only will it destroy bad things like fleas and ants, but it can also affect beneficial insects like bees IF it gets on them. As localized as you can and not on a windy day.

People can use it too. Very good for our health, in my humble opinion. Parasites can do great harm and there is a school of thought that many icky people diseases start with parasites in our system. Ewwwww. : 0


mike taylor said:
If you look at though a magnifying glass it looks like shards of glass . That is why I thought of fiberglass . When the pool guy told me about it thats what he said fiberglass and it cuts into the bugs exoskeleton killing the bug .

Sent from my C771 using TortForum mobile app

Crystalline silica is fiberglass looking so I can see that being said. But remember (okay, okay BeeBee, they say) FOOD GRADE only. None of the pool guy's truck bed stash around our beloved chelonians, LOL. Safe. Not sorry. : )
 

Kameo37

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 22, 2013
Messages
137
Cool!! Guess who's got two thumbs and is getting some DE this weekend...this gal!! (Points at self with thumbs like a huge dork)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using TortForum mobile app
 

mike taylor

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
13,461
You can get a 20 lbs bag at tractor supply. 12 /15 dollars .( food grade)
I feed it to my chickens and dogs . I did feed it to show pigs too.
Sent from my C771 using TortForum mobile app
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Well, I must say, I'm very disappointed.

I feed my YF tortoises on a small square of plywood. Before I put the food down, I tip the wood up to dump all the dirt off. There are usually many, many baby roaches under the wood...the kind that grow up to be those big ugly brown things about an inch long.

So I bought the DE from Tractor supply. I put down a thin layer of it under the plywood, with a bit of a heavier layer all around the edge.

The next day when I lifted up the wood to dump off the dirt...many, many baby roaches.

Maybe baby roaches aren't soft enough to be affected by the DE?
 

CourtneyG

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
846
Location (City and/or State)
Auburn, Alabama
I won't lie here but before there was the food grade one, I know quite a few people who used the pool one when it came to deworming their dogs and geckos, there has been no ill effect at all on them and it still removes the worms. I even used the pool one before the food one came along.
 

Kameo37

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 22, 2013
Messages
137
Yvonne, that must be the case because I put down some on our ant heavy areas and we have not seen them since! Granted, I didn't check back the very next day, maybe it takes a few days?
 

Thalatte

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2012
Messages
889
I know no one will want this opinion but yvonne let me know if it doesnt kill the roaches.

I had recently started having ant problems in my roach colonies and if this diatomaceous earth doesnt harm the roaches then it would help me out immensely. If it does kill them then I will have to think of something else.
 

kathyth

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
3,156
Location (City and/or State)
Beaumont, CA.
This is a very informative thread.
Are there stores in the L.A. Area that might carry this?

Another member on this forum just lost his tortoise to ant's.
That scares me.

Thanks!
 

BeeBee*BeeLeaves

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Messages
2,312
Location (City and/or State)
Orange County, So Cal
And once again, I yell FOOD GRADE. CourtneyG, thanks for that info but it still is scary if it is not FOOD GRADE. Phew, that no one was hurt but why take chances. Of course, before FOOD GRADE was clearly defined and available, who knew, right?

Kathyth, in Los Angeles, Centinela Feed used to carry it but also check in your feed stores near you in Walnut. Maybe even a trip to Norco? I order from wolfcreekranch.net because they have lots of organic, holistic products I can get at once. It's ma-thing. : )

And don't forget, FOOD GRADE. (I know, I am getting to be obnoxious with that). No more, I promise.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top