Asking for Diatomaceous earth in other language

[FoodKillah]

I want to get DE, but i dont know how to ask for it. I dont live in an English speaking country.

I want a definition of what it is, where else is it used, should i just walk in a feeder store and ask for "the white dust you spread around the coop" ? It sounds stupid to me to ask for it this way.

Please tell me where else is it used, what was it made for in the first place and what are the places you buy it from at a good price? Is it expensive?

edit to add: do you put it in a pool too? i have access to all the pool chemicals needed for a pool to run, is DE the same stuff that comes in tablets and you place it in the pool skimmers/filters ?

 

[gryeyes]

First, it is NOT the same thing as the pool stuff. You need Food Grade DE. You may have to order it on-line because I cannot imagine the difficulty in translating it to another language! After all, it's hard enough to understand the difference in English.

Second, ummmm... I got nuthin' for ya. Sorry. Order it online is my only suggestion.

 

[SpeedysBigRed]

Diatomaceous earth (pronounced /ˌdaɪ.ətəˌmeɪʃəs ˈɜrθ/) also known as diatomite or kieselgur, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from less than 1 micron to more than 1 millimeter, but typically 10 to 200 microns.[1] This powder has an abrasive feel, similar to pumice powder, and is very light, due to its high porosity. The typical chemical composition of oven dried diatomaceous earth is 80 to 90% silica, with 2 to 4% alumina (attributed mostly to clay minerals) and 0.5 to 2% iron oxide.[1]

Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is used as a filtration aid, as a mild abrasive, as a mechanical insecticide, as an absorbent for liquids, as cat litter, as an activator in blood clotting studies, and as a stabilizing component of dynamite. As it is also heat-resistant, it can be used as a thermal insulator


Natural freshwater diatomaceous earth is used in agriculture for grain storage as an anticaking agent, as well as an insecticide.[14] It is approved by the US Department of Agriculture as a feed supplement.

It is also used as a neutral anthelmintic (dewormer). Some farmers add it to their livestock and poultry feed to improve the health of animals.[15] "Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth" is widely available in agricultural feed supply stores. It is acceptable as organic feed additive for livestock.

The above from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Google it - interesting reading.

 

[patandchickens]

I do not think it is widely available everywhere on the planet -- you can try, but who knows. "Fossil flour" is another English name for it, if that helps any. I think your best bet (for the food grade stuff) would be to call places that process grain into animal feed or flour, and describe what you are looking for as best you can ("it's this powdered stuff made from fossilized teeny tiny ocean organisms with silica shells, that is used as an anti-caking and anti-bug additive for feeds and food that are made from grain products") and hope for the best.

You really don't need it though, you will be FINE if you can't come up with any, really

Good luck, have fun, (and if you DO find some, you gotta post and tell us what it turned out to be called

),

Pat

 

[FoodKillah]

That tablet for the pools i mentioned is just clorium tablet, not DE.

I do use google and wikipedia, i have read it but i still cannot figure it out. I know what DE does and where i need it for, but just asking "hey i need that white dust you throw around the coop" does not make any sense to me and i will be laughed at again like i usually do when i visit a feed store and ask a random question.

But unfortunately i really think its the only way to find out if they have it.

Only if somebody could tell me where else they use it at. Coops, grains, what else. Is it been used in anything other than livestock and grains? Its not lime dust, is it?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I think someone else has mentioned that the Pool stuff is not good to use. It has been heat treated causing it to crystalize int something that can cause severe respiratory problems in people and chickens. The food grade stuff can be bought on line in a pinch. Let me see if I can find some European sources.... I know they use it in England.... Other terms for it is Fossile shell Flour, Dolomite,

http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/DE-Diatomaceous-Earth-50lb
http://www.earthworkshealth.com/products.php?gclid=CMf1xu6L1KcCFRUq2godfQw3_Q

OK here is a source in England.

http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=232

You might contact the last one directly to see if they have a local source for you. I hope this helps.