Diatomaceous Earth?

[4yearsofchickens]

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.

I've had poultry lice once and got DE bc it was more readily available. I used it for that one episode and have never seen a louse since. And I regularly check for them. But I would definitely try something else just for experimentation if I ever need to. Just hasn't been a problem again.

 

[rascal66]

I've had poultry lice once and got DE bc it was more readily available. I used it for that one episode and have never seen a louse since. And I regularly check for them. But I would definitely try something else just for experimentation if I ever need to. Just hasn't been a problem again.

I just feel like there is indeed too much mixed info out there on DE, and lice are a true pain to get rid of sometimes. Permethrin seems to kill them within the hour if not sooner in my experience. It is what I would recommend. However I don't think DE would hurt at all as a preventative around the coop

 

[4yearsofchickens]

I just feel like there is indeed too much mixed info out there on DE, and lice are a true pain to get rid of sometimes. Permethrin seems to kill them within the hour if not sooner in my experience. It is what I would recommend. However I don't think DE would hurt at all as a preventative around the coop

Sure! Back when I had the outbreak I was still relatively new and had no idea what to do lol. I was freaking out and bought the first thing I saw but yes, now that I know stuff like permethrin exists, I would def give it a try if I ever need to

 

[aart]

Are we talking about the same grades?

Both are bad, neither prevents nor kills mites/lice.

 

[Araucana Nest]

Well, I’ll add to the conflict. I use it in coops and loafing sheds for mites and when I don’t use it -like this entire summer when it rained almost every single day- I had mites show up for the very first time. Additionally I found out about three days ago that it kills ants. I dislike killing anything but the ants are overly abundant and destroy root systems I’ve had my fill of red ant attacks on my legs. I’d been battling some mounds for months with every ant product imaginable. Had the DE in hand and thought, why not? They were immediately writhing and the next day the mounds were gone. Maybe they just moved but good riddance. I’d done everything I could think of to eradicate those mounds in my veggie garden.
I don’t think it aids in anything else and I don’t use it for anything else.

 

[CHlCKEN]

DE is not effective in killing worms, and mites in my experience- it just doesn’t make sense, it can’t work- though it is still damaging, only it’s not damaging to your problem, it’s damaging to you birds. The DE is made of fossil remains, broken down over time by bodies of water, where the organisms lived. The DE is tiny, but when inhaled by chickens (who already have poor respiratory systems) it makes micro-cuts in their lungs- this is very similar to the effects of Insulation when you do not wear a mask (i can imagine that when you dust your bird with DE it would make them itchy from the tiny cuts, just as the micro cuts on your skin make you itchy when you are exposed to insulation) it causes you do cough due to the cuts made by the Tiny glass particles. Of course, if your birds breathe this in it can cause their respiratory systems to become very vulnerable. It truly is not worth the risk, despite the possible unrelated benefits when you do use the DE.

There are going to be people who disagree with what I’m saying, or tell me that I am wrong- but while it’s possible that parts of what I say is false, the undeniable truth is that it cannot possibly be good for your birds to breathe it in. So frankly, it is not at all worth the risk unless used as a complete last resort (although I would not use it at all)

sure there are some good stories about it working, and yes in some cases, while it really is almost never effective, people say it does work- There are going to be people that say it kills lice and mites, and maybe it did for them, but do you really want to dust your bird, in the thing that is so dangerous for them to breathe in?

(correct me if any of this is wrong, or if I need to add any information, I will happily edit this post- but please go by fact, not opinion or personal experience)

 

[Folly's place]

I'll add here that any grade of DE is still not safe to inhale.
It's open pit mined; look it up! Imagine how well those workers are doing?!
As far as how it does kill soft bodied critters; it's the 'death of a thousand cuts', also not so nice.
When using ANY insecticide at the coop, including this one, wearing a N95 face mask or a respirator is very necessary. There's nothing terribly healthy about inhaling coop dust, or anything else out there.
Mary

 

[4yearsofchickens]

correct me if any of this is wrong, or if I need to add any information, I will happily edit this post- but please go by fact, not opinion or personal experience

I wanted to do what you said and go by fact so I'll put this in and then leave it at that The FDA has stated that food-grade diatomaceous earth is low in crystalline silica and considered safe for humans. The filter-grade type is high in crystalline silica and toxic to humans.Jan 7, 2019
I got this by googling FDA diatomaceous earth, if you want to look it up

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Well, I’ll add to the conflict. I use it in coops and loafing sheds for mites...

You have coops and loafing sheds just for your mites?!? Wow.

 

[jolenesdad]

I wanted to do what you said and go by fact so I'll put this in and then leave it at that The FDA has stated that food-grade diatomaceous earth is low in crystalline silica and considered safe for humans. The filter-grade type is high in crystalline silica and toxic to humans.Jan 7, 2019
I got this by googling FDA diatomaceous earth, if you want to look it up

That’s for eating it.

OSHA and the CDC have weighed in on silica deeming that both crystalline and amorphous silica represent health hazards when inhaled.