Diatomaceous Earth?

[4yearsofchickens]

I know that this thread is very old but I stumbled on it asking the same thing in the search engine It's kinda expensive to buy, so I wanted to make sure it's useful. I see a lot of people here saying it does nothing esp in humid environments, but I do want to say that last year I had a massive poultry lice infestation. Like, they were losing feathers and not laying(not a molt). I bought DE and would dump it on the backs of my chickens: a few weeks later, no lice. At all. That may be a coincidence I don't use it as a preventative, only when I see a problem. My chickens are lice free and I didn't have to buy any sprays. I'm not a scientist so I can't give any info there though sorry I know this is old news but I wanted to give my thoughts ( I'm not at all against sprays or anything like that. I also live in a very humid place)

 

[Folly's place]

Glad it worked for you!
I won't have it here, because it's so bad for anyone, bird or human, to inhale.
Mary

 

[4yearsofchickens]

Glad it worked for you!
I won't have it here, because it's so bad for anyone, bird or human, to inhale.
Mary

I have read that, and, having asthma, was a bit worried. But it didn't seem to affect me or the birds

 

[MarkJr]

I have read that, and, having asthma, was a bit worried. But it didn't seem to affect me or the birds

Look up silicosis. It’s exactly the same results from inhaling DE.

 

[4yearsofchickens]

Look up silicosis. It’s exactly the same results from inhaling DE.

I'm not sure what you mean?' I've had asthma for years- long before I even knew de existed.

 

[MarkJr]

I'm not sure what you mean?' I've had asthma for years- long before I even knew de existed.

Silicosis is the medical term for the damage done by inhaling silica. DE is just as damaging.

 

[4yearsofchickens]

Silicosis is the medical term for the damage done by inhaling silica. DE is just as damaging.

Oh okay gotcha.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Are we talking about the same grades? Because the only grade safe for use from our research is food grade DE which is made and labeled specifically for use with parasite control. We got food grade DE to help with a flea infestation in our barn because nothing else was working. We don’t use it a lot because it is rather dusty and we wait until it settles to let the animals back in. So far, along with regular flea treatment baths, it’s helped keep the mutant flea populations from overpowering us again. Other grades or processed DE isn’t safe. It has to go through a certain process to be considered food grade.

 

[4yearsofchickens]

Are we talking about the same grades? Because the only grade safe for use from our research is food grade DE which is made and labeled specifically for use with parasite control. We got food grade DE to help with a flea infestation in our barn because nothing else was working. We don’t use it a lot because it is rather dusty and we wait until it settles to let the animals back in. So far, along with regular flea treatment baths, it’s helped keep the mutant flea populations from overpowering us again. Other grades or processed DE isn’t safe. It has to go through a certain process to be considered food grade.

I use the food grade

 

[rascal66]

I don't know enough about DE, havent used it. But please, if you want to get rid of external lice, skip the DE and use Permethrin dust or liquid spray. As for mites, you'll probably need something else other than the two.
I deal with lice every season, and python dust does the trick in ridding the lice very well.