DE - Diatomaceous Earth

[RickiHupp]

Here are alot of uses for DE :

http://www.shadowridgedonkeys.com/food_grade_complete.htm

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

So it must be the same stuff? It was like $12 for a bag--not sure the size of bag--but I guess the guy asked why we had ants in the dead of winter & my hubby said it was for a chicken coop & the guy basically refused to sell it to him...

 

[mothergoose1963]

Quote:
Just make sure it is NOT the stuff for pools. Use the foodgrade. I bought mine at Earl May--they ordered it for me. I think it was 12 dollars for ten pounds. I ought several bags so I wouldnt have to order it again for a while. It works just fine. I read on one of these threads that someone uses a flour sifter to put it evenly in her coop. I thought that was a great idea and am going to do that next time, too.

 

[speckledhen]

I can almost guarantee that 95% of feedstores, home improvement stores, garden centers, etc do not carry FOOD GRADE DE.

My 50# bags cost $25 each from Custom Milling, however, a feed mill in Cleveland, TN, (Beaty's) carries it and the same bag is $42, plus an hour drive for us. It's not at all the same thing as what most places carry. And they'll tell you it's food grade when it isn't. This is up to YOU to be sure you have the right stuff because most people are clueless about it.

 

[mothergoose1963]

Quote:
Mine says it is food grade on the bag, but that is good to know!

 

[junebug7334]

Don't forget--Country Side Natural Products here in Virginia. I got a 50lb bag of food grade DE for 14.00. I use it all the time.......I will say it upset my stomach....when I drank it.

 

[speckledhen]

If the bag says food grade (Perma Guard Fossil Shell Flour is Food Grade DE, for example), then it is, but also check the silicon percentages. If 85%, it's for pool filters and dangerous to sprinkle around your birds. I had a feedstore tell me they carried Food Grade, but were out of it. When it finally came in, it was a 2 lb bag of 85% silicon dioxide, very disappointing. Prices vary widely on food grade, but if it's too cheap, I'd be skeptical.

 

[RickiHupp]

Quote:
Oh my gosh, Thank god you knew to check that!! I would have never checked the silicon. I think I bought my two 10 pound bags for like 40 dollars shipped.

 

[gkeesling]

I asked the guy at our local grain Co-Op about DE. they didn't have it but he suggested using something called Sevn (spelling?) Is Sevin (sp?) ok to use in place of DE? i would think it would be a lot cheaper than DE.

 

[spatcher]

Quote:
I think you may be confusing people Cyn! PermaGuard Food Grade Fossil Shell Flour CONTAINS 79% silicon dioxide! It is the CRYSTALLINE SILICA you have to watch out for and MUST be 3% or less to be FOOD GRADE. The BAD DE (for pools) has a crystalline silica content of 85%. Thats the difference. What you had with silicon dioxide was probably in fact, food grade.