Terry:
I would very much appreciate having your file on further information about
diatomaceous earth.
I had not known about the antiparasitic value of DE before these recent
posts!
I have been using the food grade DE to store grains. I believe I mixed 1/2
cup with a 5-gallon plastic pail of wheat kernels. Within a short time, I
could see various worms crawling out of the container, and any bugs inside the
mixture croaked! In addition to the DE, keeping the wheat away from light,
heat (around 65 degrees F. is good), moisture, and sealed in an airtight
container should store it indefinitely. Once a year I open the can, pour the
contents into a similar can, thus getting rid of the carbon dioxide and
providing
fresh oxygen (or is it the other way around with plants?). The wheat treated
this way still sprouts after 7 years. I am told that wheat found stored in
the pyramids of Egypt still sprouts after 3,000 years.
The brand of food-grade DE I bought (Perma-Guard) was subjected to testing
to discover the mineral content (sorry, I don't have this information any
more, but you could probably get it by calling Major Surplus & Supply in
Redondo
Beach, or Hawthorne, California, where I got it, and they may have that
information, or Google it) The company owner suggested one take 1/2 or 1
teaspoon
a day (don't remember)--as a mineral supplement! If this is a good mineral
supplement, it sure beats the price of those from the health food store.
Another great use for the DE is as an insecticide. I spread it around the
storage garage, where black widows 2" in diameter routinely "hang out." I
don't want anything poisonous around the house, if I can help it, so this fits
the bill. I did an experiment with putting one of these "house pets" in a
glass jar with some DE. The jar was closed, but there were air holes punched
in
the lid. "Blackie" was found to have expired the next morning! I have mixed
it into the wood pile, and now never bring in unwanted house guests! The
white powder does make a mess on the carpet, however, but is easily vacuumed
up. I have a tube blower contraption I used to blow the DE throughout the
attic.
I think I'll try blowing it on my garden next spring. The bugs eat almost
everything except the tomatoes and peppers. Why feed them, instead of me?
Jill
P.S. It's wonderful to have all these great uses for something so cheap and
harmless!
