DIATOMACEOUS EARTH...Does It Work??? Fleas, Ticks, Lice, Internal?

[hcppam]

know that red earth well!

 

[Judy]

What it's good for is killing soft bodied insects (like tomato hormworms) in the garden. It helps some with odor and dries stuff out but you can do that a lot cheaper with other products. It's also added to feed to keep it dry and kill insects in the feed. I've read of people who used it finding infestations of lice and mites a number of times. And it is rough on the lungs, yours or the chickens'.

Read Dawg53's post here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=478958&p=2

 

[Saltysteele]

from my research, it will not stop an infestation of lice. you need to eradicate them. I used Sevin, and Sevin is suggested by every ag extension i've been able to find that has given suggestions for lice control in poultry.

as far as using it internally- it works by cutting the organism and then sucking the moisture out of it (like a desiccant). by putting it in a moist environment, it would be like trying to use a water-saturated sponge to suck the moisture out of a puddle of water. yes, if it was dry it would absorb moisture, but now that it's wet, how is it going to absorb anything?

once you've got your lice under control, it may help with prevention. however, how do you know if you're preventing something you cannot see? i'll sell you this amulate you can use to protect you from oxygen toxicity, for $1K! it works, really! O2 toxicity can cause blindness!! don't miss out!

sure, if you get another infestation, you could say it doesn't work. however, if you don't have a lice problem again, does that mean it IS working? or does it mean that you have controlled your lice situation and haven't done anything to bring more in?

i blame mine on some hay that mice had been living in over winter (OMGosh you wouldn't believe the mice)(btw, i didn't realize it was this same hay when i used it; found out after i used it, that it was the hay with all the mice). now that i'm not using the hay, i don't and shouldn't have a problem. is that due to the fact that i am now using DE, or is it due to the fact that i stopped using what was causing problems for my birds?

it may work, but i can't see the lice coming down the driveway, seeing the DE, turning up their noses and leaving. i can see how it could help if the birds are provided a dusting box full of it.

i'm obviously not going to test, because i am not interested enough in knowing if DE works, to infest my birds with lice again

now, about that amulate. interested? (yes, there is such a thing as O2 toxicity)








(more than likely, you will never experience it, though)

oh, and it dries your hands out, but it feels so soft, like corn startch!

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
I was going to say the same... In wet or very humid environments it will not work for pest control in my experience. Didn't work in Illinois so well, but here in AZ works as they all say.

 

[BookWorm243]

We use food grade DE in the run/coop, in there water, and on the birds. I have some in a ketchup bottle and spay in in there feather and have not had any lice or mite since. I put it in there coop/run and don't fly's anymore

We always have fly's even when I clean the coop every day

I hate fly's! Having the DE in the water is a way to worm them I was told and has worked great, I can't stand to use the wormer you get from the feed store. When ever I get new birds, they get the DE treatment, and it has always cleared up any bugs they may have.

I love it and would recommend it to anyone. We have a 10 pound bag of it in the kitchen right now.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
DE is ineffective when wet, til it dries. It is wet inside a chickens innards, it wont prevent nor kill worms.

 

[BookWorm243]

I don't want to argue but we have wormed our rescue/foster dogs with DE. We have had plenty of proof after we started them on it that it was killing the worms. We order our DE from a ranch that rescues animals and uses it to worm them, we used there recommended dosage for worming dogs, and it works great.

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
do you mind if I ask what is the recommended dosage?

 

[I'm1chickencuddler]

I am also curious as to what the dosage is to deworm my chickens if they have them or get them and I would like to know how much to give my dogs. THANKS!!!!

 

[NottinghamChicks]

I'm1chickencuddler :

I am also curious as to what the dosage is to deworm my chickens if they have them or get them and I would like to know how much to give my dogs. THANKS!!!!

The recommended dosage is 3 cups per 50lbs of grain. I pour 1/3 of bag into a metal can, add 1cup and mix, then agian, and again. more even distribution in the food.​