Just want to share my sevin dust experience with you...

[the1much]

when they tested sevin5 on animals,, the animals were fed sevin5 at a rate of 1 cup a day,, and after 30 days, they saw BAD results........
same thing happens whenever they test poisons,, we used to do some of those tests in the lab i worked in..........
like the mention before,,, too much of ANYTHING can be harmful,,,,, and there will ALWAYS be people who try to make ya feel bad for using something they dont agree with,,, sevin5 if used correctly,, will NOT kill your birds,, or your kids, or your pets,,,, some people just got to exaggerate to make their opinion look feasible.
i have had birds for over 2 years in my front yard,, and here in texas there are more fleas and ticks then people,,,, i havent lost 1 bird to anything other then a dog. me and the family havent gotten sick from the eggs,, the eggs hatch great,, and my birds are doing GREAT.

 

[Laskaland]

Quote:
Any good alternatives............I can't find DE here?

I ordered it online, 50lb bag. I didn't think it was too expensive as it will last quite a while...
http://www.earthworkshealth.com/
http://www.gardenharvestsupply.com/product/diatomaceous-earth-food-grade-50-lb

Just make sure it's FOOD GRADE

Christina

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
And some people believe everything a company that manufactures a product for profit says - including the 'scientific data' that supports their claims. I see no reason to use poisons when a relatively benign alternative exists, and that is DE.

 

[the1much]

ive tried DE twice,, it helped in the coop ,, but didnt help outside, and after 2 weeks, the birds brought them all back in again,,, which they did the whole time, but the DE worked and would kill them,,, but that was a short time,, and the fleas took over again, then i treated again,, and the same results,, then i went back to sevin5 , and that worked till i treated again the next month,,,, i treat every month in spring and fall,, summer time i treat every other month.

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Generally, earwigs feed on decaying vegetable matter and other organic matter in the soil. In this activity, they are considered beneficial. However, they are opportunistic feeders and can damage living plants as well.

While I don't believe in DE use at all, I would never use something like sevin dust on my chickens either. I have a degree in chemical engineering technology, & have seen what residual amounts of lethal chemicals can do long term. Think agent orange folks or pesticides like DDT. Both were thought to be safe when they were first introduced.

 

[maine chicks]

Original Dawn dish detergent and water sprayed on your patio or a lawn area keeps fleas at bay. It is not poison but you do have to repeat if it rains. We have used it in water buckets to kill browntail catapillers too. Works with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to get rid of skunk better than tomatoe juice. Dawn is a great thing to have around the house if you have animals. I wonder if it works on chickens and mites. Has anyone tried?

 

[omelette'smom]

i'm just curious- how would one know if the chickens had lice or mites? are they visible?

 

[CHICKEN little 1]

Earwigs pinch,they don't bite.

 

[Jenski]

So I guess we've determined through this thread that CHICKENS are the best solution for earwig infestations.

Fleas and ticks have been worse in the southeast in the past year, and as many are finding, the chemicals that worked in the past are no longer working in all cases. We have a brick path entryway by the back door where the critters come into the house, and I have pennyroyal growing in all the nooks and crannies there: every time a person or animal walks over it, the plant's essential oils are released, and as herbalists know pennyroyal is a flea deterrent. Smells good, too. . . just watch it, since it is an invasive, like mint.

There are other herbs that may be used for pest deterrence; it's worth researching a bit if that sort of thing is of interest.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

I used a little poultry dust once, in my coop, and two weeks later my pet cat ended up in a vet clinic in critical condition with pancreatitis. 2000.00 dollars later, my dog goes in with the same condition. Both survived, but the common cause was traced back to a chemical found in the chicken dust I had bought from the feed store. Safe for chickens it may have been, but not safe for anything else, and certainly not for my bank accounts!

I only use DE now, and that at a minnimum. We dont even know how the cat and dog got exposed! neither goes in the coop!

You got lucky! and I hope you didnt eat any of the eggs for a while!