What is Diatomaceous Earth?

What is the current official EPA ruling regarding DE as a pesticide?   Answer: There is no published EPA ruling on DE or Diatomaceous Earth or Silicon Dioxide.   However during 2009 the EPA has cracked down on several companies making pesticidal claims for DE.  This is evident in the labeling, websites and advertising by the major players selling DE.   The unofficial official private mandate is DE is an inert or inactive ingredient “carrier” of a chemical pesticidal formulation and in and of itself is not a pesticide.  Huh?

DE Facts:  DE is not earth or dirt. It’s the fossilized remains of microscopic shells created by one celled plants called Diatoms.  Diatoms came in many forms and species.  Fresh water diatoms are considered to have formed the hardest and strongest shells.  Fresh water diatoms once fossilized have a very strong structure.  Less than 1% of DE deposits are considered “food grade” by FDA standards.  For a many thousands of years DE has been used as a natural pesticide in grain silos (ancient Eygpt), crop dusting and in its purist form, Food Grade or Amorphous DE as a non-caking food and feed additive.  Crystaline silica dioxide (DE) is used in water filtration.

The Process of Making Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is mined, milled, and processed into a many types and for a large variety of uses.  Filtering and filler are two main uses but diatomaceous earth also ends up in paints, cosmetics, drugs, chemical insecticides, etc.   Because the milling produces different sized and shaped particles,  the filtering type is not allowed for agricultural purposes.

So what is the big deal?  Well like everything it’s all about government regulation and fee collection.  In order to market DE as an official pesticide you need an EPA number.    That means per the EPA you have to add a pesticide or bait to the DE to make it do something to a bug or insect.   To get an EPA number you have to pay the EPA a fee for it.

Types of Diatomaceous Earth

Here is something to ponder on,  DE comes in many types and grades, crystaline silica dioxide or pool grade DE is very hazardous to breathe.  There is no EPA requirement to use safe, food grade DE in an insect killing powder.   The FDA requires less than 3% crystaline silica dioxide content to be considered safe for human and animal consumption.  Think about it.

If you read the labels and materials of 2 major brands of EPA registered DE insect killing powder, this is how the products work: ”kills insects by abrasively removing and breaking down the oily protective membrane which covers the insects body, legs and other moving parts.  Death results from dehydration because it absorbs up to 50% of the insects fluids.” or “kills insects within 48 hours after they ingest it”  Well that sounds good but how do you get a parasite like fleas or bed bugs that feed by sucking body fluids or blood of animals or people to ingest the powdery stuff?

Other companies selling food grade DE tow the unofficial ruling such as  “The EPA has approved DE as an additive in feed and grains for use as an anti-caking agent and has exempted it from tolerance requirements as an inert, inactive ingredient in chemical pesticides.  Any uses other than those presented here are strictly anecdotal reports of what our customers have used it for. We sell this product for the uses stated on the label only.  Any other benefits it may provide are incidental.”

Is DE a natural insecticide or not?  Its kind of like pushing a string these days, everything gets bunched up and confused. 6,000 years ago Ancient Egyptians were using food grade DE as a natural pesticide in their crops to keep bugs from eating it.   If it didn’t work why did they keep using it for so long? So, while many companies refuse to play the game of paying fees to be able to inform the public what is already true, the formula and effectiveness of Diatomaceous Earth remains the same.

It won’t take much research to find the answer you are looking for. Learn more about Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth Fossil Shell Flour.

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Bedbugs Terminator Diatomaceous Earth

If you have bedbugs, you are probably thinking about little else besides getting rid of them. Discovering bedbugs in any area of your house is embarrassing. Bedbugs are uncomfortable, and a huge pain to deal with. Some people choose to have a professional exterminator rid their home of bedbug infestation, but if it is not too severe, you may be able to use a home remedy. Many people have success with diatomaceous earth.

Primary Step to Eliminate Bedbugs Problem

First, you need to make sure that your problem is actually bedbugs. If you wake up in the morning with bites that look and feel like mosquito bites but are bigger and/ or more itchy, chances are you do have them. Bedbugs generally bite in a straight line. Bedbugs are not too likely to crawl inside your clothes; Bedbugs will probably just bite and exposed flesh. If you are unsure whether the bites you have are bedbug bites, a quick internet search should pull up some images or bedbug bites, and you can compare them.

If, after looking at the bites, you still want further confirmation, there are a couple of other signs. When bedbugs bite you, bedbugs become engorged with your blood. Then, if you crush them, bedbugs leave a blood spot. Check your blankets and sheets for small round blood stains of bedbugs.

During the day, the bedbugs themselves do not come out, but if you are awake at two or three in the morning, you may be able to see bedbugs. The larger bedbugs can be seen with the naked eye. If you can see them crawling, this will give you an idea of how bad the bedbug infestation may be.

If the bedbugs have gotten into your mattress, there is no way to save it. Bedbugs have burrowed into the fabric, and cannot be gotten rid of. You will need to throw the mattress away. Your clothes, sheets and blankets, however, can be treated with heat to kill the bugs. You can have them dry cleaned, or run them through a dryer on the highest heat setting. The heat should kill the bedbugs.

Getting Rid of Bedbugs

If, after getting rid of your mattress and treating your clothes and blankets, you determine that you do not need or want to hire a professional exterminator, you should take precautions to make sure that any remaining bedbugs are killed. Line the doorways of any infested rooms with Vaseline; the bedbugs cannot crawl through it, and will get stuck and die. You should also sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the affected areas, which will kill  bedbugs that crawl through it.

In the future, make sure that you do not pick up mattresses or fabric furniture from the curb. You don’t know where it came from; bedbugs could have been the very reason it was discarded in the first place. When buying secondhand clothes, be sure to wash and dry them before you wear them. Be careful about sleeping in other people’s houses, and treat you clothes if you have any cause to believe that you may have been exposed to bedbugs.

Although bedbugs are difficult to deal with, you can definitely get rid of bedbugs if you know the proper methods. Bedbugs are embarrassing and troublesome, but bedbugs are not unconquerable. Good luck!

Many have been there – You find out the cold hard truth that you have a bedbugs mattress! What, oh what are you supposed to do? We know! Diatomaceous Earth is a natural remedy that you can use safely. Finally, time to kiss those bedbugs out of the mattress.

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