I prefer sulfur.
Sulfur is several times more effective than DE, and much safer to breath.
I avoid using DE as it's an extreme lung/eye irritant and loses it's "slicing and dicing" properties once wet anyway.
Yes, hay attracts mites (Straw Itch Mite-Pyemotes tritici) and others, but insects won't be able to live in sulfur dusted hay on the ground.
I use sulfur in my coops, dust baths etc.
Sulfur is listed as an "acaricide"(organic pesticide) and "fungicide" yet an essential nutrient to all life.
I use EPA Approved for Feedstock Grade
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***Research on feeding sulphur to laying hens as a way to control Northern fowl mites was presented at the International Poultry Scientific Forum, held in Atlanta, US in January 2012.
The Northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, is the most important ectoparasite of commercial poultry in North America. Feeding sulphur to layers was successfully tested as a way to control fowl mites yet still not affect the production parameters of layers.
The research was conducted by Dr Wallace Berry, S. Oates and J. Hess from Auburn University in the US. ***
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How this can effect your soil...
Sulfur works great in the desert as our soil ph is too high...nothing can grow. In addition to repelling insects, it also repels snakes and good for the garden...
If you live in where rainfall is naturally low, or where limestone is abundant in your soil, you'll likely need to take steps to lower your soil's pH. Usually, the best product to use is 100 percent finely ground sulfur, a mined mineral. Sometimes called "flowers of sulfur," this is the same material that gardeners use as a fungicide.
PH stands for the "negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration." It's simply a measure of the acidity ("sourness") or alkalinity ("sweetness") of soil. The scale ranges from 1 to 14, but few soils are more acidic that 5 or more alkaline than 9. A pH of 7 is perfectly neutral, but most plants grow best when the pH is a slightly acidic between 6.5.
Soils in areas with low rainfall tend to be alkaline. Where rainfall is high, soils are more often acidic. This happens because rainfall gradually washes calcium from soil. In practical terms, if you live east of the Mississippi River, you'll need to add calcium to your soil to raise the pH; in the arid West the reverse is true. There, you'll need to add amendments such as sulfur in order to gradually increase the hydrogen ion concentration.
You can use PH test strips or...
- Add a few drops of vinegar to a tablespoon of dry garden soil. If it fizzes, your soil's pH is greater than 7.5.
- Add a pinch of baking soda to a tablespoon of moist soil. If it fizzes, your soil's pH is less than 5.0.
Sulfur is several times more effective than DE, and much safer to breath.
I avoid using DE as it's an extreme lung/eye irritant and loses it's "slicing and dicing" properties once wet anyway.
Yes, hay attracts mites (Straw Itch Mite-Pyemotes tritici) and others, but insects won't be able to live in sulfur dusted hay on the ground.
I use sulfur in my coops, dust baths etc.
Sulfur is listed as an "acaricide"(organic pesticide) and "fungicide" yet an essential nutrient to all life.
I use EPA Approved for Feedstock Grade
......................................................................................
***Research on feeding sulphur to laying hens as a way to control Northern fowl mites was presented at the International Poultry Scientific Forum, held in Atlanta, US in January 2012.
The Northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, is the most important ectoparasite of commercial poultry in North America. Feeding sulphur to layers was successfully tested as a way to control fowl mites yet still not affect the production parameters of layers.
The research was conducted by Dr Wallace Berry, S. Oates and J. Hess from Auburn University in the US. ***
..........................................................................................................
How this can effect your soil...
Sulfur works great in the desert as our soil ph is too high...nothing can grow. In addition to repelling insects, it also repels snakes and good for the garden...
If you live in where rainfall is naturally low, or where limestone is abundant in your soil, you'll likely need to take steps to lower your soil's pH. Usually, the best product to use is 100 percent finely ground sulfur, a mined mineral. Sometimes called "flowers of sulfur," this is the same material that gardeners use as a fungicide.
PH stands for the "negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration." It's simply a measure of the acidity ("sourness") or alkalinity ("sweetness") of soil. The scale ranges from 1 to 14, but few soils are more acidic that 5 or more alkaline than 9. A pH of 7 is perfectly neutral, but most plants grow best when the pH is a slightly acidic between 6.5.
Soils in areas with low rainfall tend to be alkaline. Where rainfall is high, soils are more often acidic. This happens because rainfall gradually washes calcium from soil. In practical terms, if you live east of the Mississippi River, you'll need to add calcium to your soil to raise the pH; in the arid West the reverse is true. There, you'll need to add amendments such as sulfur in order to gradually increase the hydrogen ion concentration.
You can use PH test strips or...
- Add a few drops of vinegar to a tablespoon of dry garden soil. If it fizzes, your soil's pH is greater than 7.5.
- Add a pinch of baking soda to a tablespoon of moist soil. If it fizzes, your soil's pH is less than 5.0.
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