DE question?

[Acre of Blessings]

I JUST WENT IN AND SPRINKLED IT EVERYWHERE, WITH A SIFTER, BEFORE THE EARLIER POST I HAD CALLED GUMPSGIRL AND ASKED ABOUT THE DE BECAUSE THE COOP WAS LOADED WITH FLIES, ASK HER ABOUT THE CALL. THEN SPATCHER, BEING THE KIND PERSON THAT HE AND HIS WIFE AR, DROPPED OFF SOME DE FOR ME. HE AND HIS WIFE ENTERED THE COOP AND YOU CAN ASK THEM TO, HOW MANY FLIES WERE IN THEIR, HARDLY ANY. THIS WAS ALL WITHIN A FEW HOURS.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

WENT OUT THIS MORNING AND THE SAME THING NOT TO MANY FLIES.

 

[tinman9952]

I'm concerned about putting my pine shavings (containing food grade DE) into my compost. Won't it kill earthworms?

 

[trishok8]

I think DE is the best stuff on the planet.
My girls have been in the coop a lot lately so the flies start hovering everywhere (gross).
I let them out of the coop, sift the DE onto the ground, then I water it in and then sift another layer over the wet ground. Almost instantly, no flies. I also mix it into the feed as well as the water

 

[spatcher]

Tinman, DE does not affect earthworms but will harm any beneficial bugs you may encounter!

 

[tinman9952]

Spatcher, thx. I guess the thing to do is keep it seperate, and till it into the soil rather than using it as top dressing.

 

[spatcher]

That sounds good! Also, I read where it is good for gardens in that it retains moisture and releases it when needed by the plants. Kinda like those "beads" they sell that cost an arm and a leg!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Wonder if DE will get rid of tater bugs,

YUK, I hate those things.

 

[spatcher]

Theres no doubt in my mind that they will!

 

[Acre of Blessings]

I'll have hubby try it. I am severely allergic to seven dust, that stuff just about killed me about 7 years ago.

 

[allen wranch]

My two cents worth.

DE works OK for bugs in a dry environment where the critters come in contact with it. It is more of a preventative than a cure. It needs to be dry to be effective. I put it under my shavings in the coops and nest boxes.

I WILL NOT feed it to my chickens ever again. Had too many impacted crops. Vet did a necropsy on one bird and found no obstrucion in the crop or intestines. However the lump in the crop was as hard and dry as clay and the intestines were BONE DRY. (Yes, I used the recommended amount)

You don't see flies around droppings of birds who are fed DE because the DE absorbs the moisture in the droppings and dries them out before they hit the ground.