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Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 24th 12, 07:59 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
Paul J. Dudley
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Posts: 12
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth for flea,
tick and or worm control in/on dogs ?

I just received a 5 pound bag of food grade diatomaceous earth. I have
read that it can be used to control fleas and ticks on your pets and even
given orally to control tape worms. One could even use it in the garden
to control insects ( or so the reading says ). I'd like to use it on both
if it really works.


Anybody ever use it ?

Paul
  #2  
Old January 25th 12, 01:37 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
Jo Wolf
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Posts: 479
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

I know people who have used it.... primarily on their yards, although
one dusted his dog with it. In the yard, it was probably not put down
heavily enough, as it was only about "moderately" successful; reduced
the fleas, but didn't eliminate them. Once it rains, reapply, I was
told. Mick dusted his short-coated dog with it. Had to repeat often as
the environment was full of fleas, so not a good "test". Only really
useful during the growing season when fleas are active. I've read
about dosing orally, but no one I know has done that.... or will admit
to it.

You've got to get the house, vehicle, bedding, yard and dog rid of
fleas, all at the same time, then go on from there if you want to get
away from chemicals completely when you live in the type of warm climate
I do.... and then be willing to hit everything about once a year in the
spring. Takes much of a day.... Night before the War on Fleas, " bug
bomb" your vehicle, and air out in the AM. Move to a location that will
stay in the shade. Bathe dog and take directly to the vehicle and
crate. Return to house and vacuum EVERYTHING, including crevasses in
furniture, under furniture, behind long curtains. While you are doing
this, dog bedding should be in the washer. Move washed bedding to
drier, do NOT turn on. Seal vacuum bag closed with tape and place in
zip-top baggie and place in outdoor garbage container. If vacuum
doesn't use bags, take cup outside and dump into zip top bag, seal and
discard. Take change of clothing, keys, ID, wallet to the garage. Set
out interior " bug bombs", and close house. Spray yard and bushes,
spraying up about 4 feet on wood fencing and walls of house/buildings.
Wash off any insecticide and change clothes in garage. Take the dog for
a ride, and return three hours after setting the bug bombs. If yard is
dry, dog may go into yard. If not, leave in car. Open all doors and
windows of house, discard bug bombs. Dry dog bedding. Dog may return
to house in about half an hour, usually. Collapse with a cold beer.

Now the yard and dog are ready to be dusted with diatomaceous earth.
Depending on how often the dog is exposed to fleas and ticks will
determine how often dusting is required. At my house the squirrel
traffic is so busy that this method is not practical.... they reseed the
fleas instantly and constantly.... You will also need to do the
thorough vacuuming FREQUENTLY. Entire house, immediately discard the
bags/dust from cup that contain fleas and flea eggs. Probably 2-3 times
a week. Run flea comb through dog's coat every 1-2 days. You will find
some live fleas the dog picks up elsewhere. Don't wait for the
diatomaceous earth to erode their outer shell.....

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

  #3  
Old January 26th 12, 05:27 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
Paul J. Dudley
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Posts: 12
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:37:01 -0500, Jo Wolf wrote:

I know people who have used it.... primarily on their yards, although one
dusted his dog with it. In the yard, it was probably not put down heavily
enough, as it was only about "moderately" successful; reduced the fleas,
but didn't eliminate them. Once it rains, reapply, I was told. Mick
dusted his short-coated dog with it. Had to repeat often as the
environment was full of fleas, so not a good "test". Only really useful
during the growing season when fleas are active. I've read about dosing
orally, but no one I know has done that.... or will admit to it.

You've got to get the house, vehicle, bedding, yard and dog rid of fleas,
all at the same time, then go on from there if you want to get away from
chemicals completely when you live in the type of warm climate I do....
and then be willing to hit everything about once a year in the spring.
Takes much of a day.... Night before the War on Fleas, " bug bomb" your
vehicle, and air out in the AM. Move to a location that will stay in the
shade. Bathe dog and take directly to the vehicle and crate. Return to
house and vacuum EVERYTHING, including crevasses in furniture, under
furniture, behind long curtains. While you are doing this, dog bedding
should be in the washer. Move washed bedding to drier, do NOT turn on.
Seal vacuum bag closed with tape and place in zip-top baggie and place in
outdoor garbage container. If vacuum doesn't use bags, take cup outside
and dump into zip top bag, seal and discard. Take change of clothing,
keys, ID, wallet to the garage. Set out interior " bug bombs", and close
house. Spray yard and bushes, spraying up about 4 feet on wood fencing
and walls of house/buildings. Wash off any insecticide and change clothes
in garage. Take the dog for a ride, and return three hours after setting
the bug bombs. If yard is dry, dog may go into yard. If not, leave in
car. Open all doors and windows of house, discard bug bombs. Dry dog
bedding. Dog may return to house in about half an hour, usually.
Collapse with a cold beer.

Now the yard and dog are ready to be dusted with diatomaceous earth.
Depending on how often the dog is exposed to fleas and ticks will
determine how often dusting is required. At my house the squirrel traffic
is so busy that this method is not practical.... they reseed the fleas
instantly and constantly.... You will also need to do the thorough
vacuuming FREQUENTLY. Entire house, immediately discard the bags/dust
from cup that contain fleas and flea eggs. Probably 2-3 times a week.
Run flea comb through dog's coat every 1-2 days. You will find some live
fleas the dog picks up elsewhere. Don't wait for the diatomaceous earth
to erode their outer shell.....

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA


GULP....! That's a lot to take in. I do believe I'll wait and use it
in the garden instead. I have a large plastic mustard container
with the tapered spout that can be removed. I've filled it about
half way with DE and gave a quick squeeze and got a nice "poof"
of powder. So then I stuck it under my Poms coat and poofed here
and there and then rubbed it into the skin. I also gave about a tea
spoon on my cats food ( I suspect she has worms ). That's my
total experience. But I'm not so keen on doing all that you mention
above. I guess I'll poof the garden when the time comes.

Thanks for puttin' this query to rest for me....

= Paul =

  #4  
Old January 26th 12, 06:35 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
Jo Wolf
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 479
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

Paul, if you live in a region that has good flea die-off from cold
weather in the winter, you may have better "kill" with the diatomaceous
earth, but it takes a fair amount to do an entire yard. I think my
friend used a fertilizer spreader to put it down. I have to treat at
least the dogs for fleas all year here.... and as we have warm days in
winter that bring out the mosquitoes, we have long treated to prevent
heartworm all winter, too. So it's almost a different problem. But
every now and then.... say every few years.... you may still need to do
the insecticide War on Fleas once. Doing it just as fleas start to
hatch in the warmest spring days is the best time.

Hey, it was at least 70° here this afternoon.... a good 20-25° above
normal.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

  #5  
Old January 28th 12, 01:32 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
buglady[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 87
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

On 1/25/2012 11:27 PM, Paul J. Dudley wrote:
I also gave about a tea
spoon on my cats food ( I suspect she has worms ). That's my
total experience. But I'm not so keen on doing all that you mention
above. I guess I'll poof the garden when the time comes.


..............I've never used it internally on animals. But, a tsp
sounds like way too much to me. Refs on the web say 1/2 tsp daily. If
cat has rounds or hooks, the wormer used is fairly innocuous. Get some
pyrantel pamoate from the vet. You can buy it in stores, but the
concentration is so low you end up having to give too much for a cat to
tolerate in one sitting. If the cat has tapes, you'll need to get
wormer from vet. But there's no point in treating until fleas are gone,
since they're the source of the tapes.

..............My suggestion is get Revolution for your cat and dog.
Around here in FL, Frontline quit working a long time ago and now
apparently Advantage is useless.

...........You can treat the yard with your diatomaeous earth. It can
also be used in the house. It is very fine and powdery, so inhalation
can be a problem, especially for pets down next to the ground. Vacuum up
after an hour.
Good ref:
http://www.fleacontrolbook.com/natur...-flea-control/



buglady
take out the dog before replying

  #6  
Old January 29th 12, 12:45 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
Jo Wolf
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 479
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

The way I've heard of diatomaceous earth used indoors is to work it into
the carpet with a rake (plastic with the flat ended tines) before
vacuuming. However, putting it on carpet at all can result in "wear"
damage, plus having to dust everything that collects dust after putting
it down and raking.... So I usually don't even mention it.

Jo Wolf
Martinez, Georgia, USA

  #7  
Old January 29th 12, 01:46 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
cyndi
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 52
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

On Jan 24, 1:59*am, "Paul J. Dudley"
wrote:
Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth for flea,
tick and or worm control in/on dogs ?

I just received a 5 pound bag of food grade diatomaceous earth. I have
read that it can be used to control fleas and ticks on your pets and even
given orally to control tape worms. One could even use it in the garden
to control insects ( or so the reading says ). I'd like to use it on both
if it really works.

Anybody ever use it ?

*Paul


Yes, I use it all the time and don't have to resort to any pesticides
like the others replying to your thread. It is used in grain bins as a
way to prevent bug infestations in human foods so we've all eaten it
over the course of our lives. Many people take it internally for
medicinal purposes and it's quite remarkable in that respect. You may
want to Google that and see what it can do for you.

Bug bombs, Revolution, all the other things mentioned are pesticides
with serious side effects including convulsions and death. No need to
use them if you use DE and a few other methods.

This is what I do to attack fleas. First of all vacuum the house and
throw away the bag if there is one. I've put the DE on the dogs but it
makes the coat feel funny and will dry their skin. I use it on the
carpets, letting it sit as long as I can stand it then sweeping it
into them. Outside is better treated with nematodes because they last
longer than the DE although you can get a DE with clay added that is
pretty cheap and easy to use. Rain tends to wash DE away. Also, DE
will kill nematodes so you have to think ahead and decide what will go
where. Roach powder can also be used for fleas BTW.

The dogs get a flea bath with any soapy dish detergent and I follow up
with a flea comb on a daily basis till all fleas are gone. To keep
them gone simply vacuum a lot, reuse the DE now and then and consider
getting your pets off of kibble which leaves pets not as healthy as
those fed a more species appropriate diet. Fleas attack weak pets.
Consequently kibble fed dogs tend to have more fleas.

Other methods I've used are putting a small light over top a bowl of
soapy water at night. Fleas come to the light and drown in the water.
If the infestation is really bad consider using an insect growth
regulator. This is mixed with water and sprayed around the house and
prevents eggs from hatching, thus ending the cycle.

Cars can be treated with DE, so can porches and the ground when rain
is not expected and can also be vacuumed. Bedding should be washed
often and then sprinkled with DE.

Bug bombs coat everything in your house with pesticides and you and
all the pets will ingest it like it or not. I'd never use them ever.
Working with natural flea products takes a little more work but is so
much safer. Too many dogs and humans are getting cancer anymore and
commercial flea products are a huge cause.

Anyway, don't let Jo scare you off. Merely putting the DE around the
house can make a huge difference all in itself. It's not as much work
as she makes it seem. BTW I live in Florida where the fleas are around
year round and I manage to keep them down without killing us all. You
can too! I've been controlling fleas for years now without using
anything harmful. Don't let anyone tell you it's not possible.
  #8  
Old January 29th 12, 03:57 AM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
sighthounds & siberians
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,538
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:46:10 -0800 (PST), cyndi
wrote:

On Jan 24, 1:59*am, "Paul J. Dudley"
wrote:
Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth for flea,
tick and or worm control in/on dogs ?

I just received a 5 pound bag of food grade diatomaceous earth. I have
read that it can be used to control fleas and ticks on your pets and even
given orally to control tape worms. One could even use it in the garden
to control insects ( or so the reading says ). I'd like to use it on both
if it really works.

Anybody ever use it ?

*Paul


Yes, I use it all the time and don't have to resort to any pesticides
like the others replying to your thread. It is used in grain bins as a
way to prevent bug infestations in human foods so we've all eaten it
over the course of our lives. Many people take it internally for
medicinal purposes and it's quite remarkable in that respect. You may
want to Google that and see what it can do for you.

Bug bombs, Revolution, all the other things mentioned are pesticides
with serious side effects including convulsions and death. No need to
use them if you use DE and a few other methods.

This is what I do to attack fleas. First of all vacuum the house and
throw away the bag if there is one. I've put the DE on the dogs but it
makes the coat feel funny and will dry their skin. I use it on the
carpets, letting it sit as long as I can stand it then sweeping it
into them. Outside is better treated with nematodes because they last
longer than the DE although you can get a DE with clay added that is
pretty cheap and easy to use. Rain tends to wash DE away. Also, DE
will kill nematodes so you have to think ahead and decide what will go
where. Roach powder can also be used for fleas BTW.

The dogs get a flea bath with any soapy dish detergent and I follow up
with a flea comb on a daily basis till all fleas are gone. To keep
them gone simply vacuum a lot, reuse the DE now and then and consider
getting your pets off of kibble which leaves pets not as healthy as
those fed a more species appropriate diet. Fleas attack weak pets.
Consequently kibble fed dogs tend to have more fleas.

Other methods I've used are putting a small light over top a bowl of
soapy water at night. Fleas come to the light and drown in the water.
If the infestation is really bad consider using an insect growth
regulator. This is mixed with water and sprayed around the house and
prevents eggs from hatching, thus ending the cycle.

Cars can be treated with DE, so can porches and the ground when rain
is not expected and can also be vacuumed. Bedding should be washed
often and then sprinkled with DE.

Bug bombs coat everything in your house with pesticides and you and
all the pets will ingest it like it or not. I'd never use them ever.
Working with natural flea products takes a little more work but is so
much safer. Too many dogs and humans are getting cancer anymore and
commercial flea products are a huge cause.

Anyway, don't let Jo scare you off. Merely putting the DE around the
house can make a huge difference all in itself. It's not as much work
as she makes it seem. BTW I live in Florida where the fleas are around
year round and I manage to keep them down without killing us all. You
can too! I've been controlling fleas for years now without using
anything harmful. Don't let anyone tell you it's not possible.


On the other hand, DE is not all that healthy for humans, especially
those with asthma and other respiratory issues. It is definitely not
the perfectly safe miracle product that some zealots would have you
believe.

  #9  
Old January 29th 12, 12:13 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
cyndi
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 52
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

On Jan 28, 9:57*pm, sighthounds & siberians wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:46:10 -0800 (PST), cyndi
wrote:


Anyway, don't let Jo scare you off. Merely putting the DE around the
house can make a huge difference all in itself. It's not as much work
as she makes it seem. BTW I live in Florida where the fleas are around
year round and I manage to keep them down without killing us all. You
can too! I've been controlling fleas for years now without using
anything harmful. Don't let anyone tell you it's not possible.


On the other hand, DE is not all that healthy for humans, especially
those with asthma and other respiratory issues. *It is definitely not
the perfectly safe miracle product that some zealots would have you
believe.


It irritates lungs if you inhale a lot of it. So wear a mask while
putting it down if you are sensitive, that's all. I use an inhaler yet
don't have a problem with DE. Stop scaring people from using something
much safer than most things the vets want you to buy. I don't allow
pesticides in my house (or yard) at all and I know that my pets and I
are all safer because of it. I would never use any flea product that
goes on the back of the neck for instance. They are all very much more
dangerous than DE would ever be.

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health...ductseval.html
http://www.sailhome.org/Concerns/Bod.../Fipronil.html
http://www.biol.sc.edu/~coull_lab/staton/ab17.html
http://www.apnm.org/publications/res...leachemfin.pdf

Better alternatives
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-s...-control.html#
http://www.aunaturelk9s.com/ridingfleas.html
  #10  
Old January 29th 12, 11:04 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.health
cyndi
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 52
Default Has anyone had experience in the use of diatomaceous earth ?

On Jan 28, 9:57*pm, sighthounds & siberians wrote:
On the other hand, DE is not all that healthy for humans, especially
those with asthma and other respiratory issues. *It is definitely not
the perfectly safe miracle product that some zealots would have you
believe.


"Food grade diatomaceous earth has excellent health benefits for
humans. Taken daily, it helps eliminate all intestinal worms and
parasites from the body and keeps the bowels clean. Food grade DE is
also known to sweep some bacteria out of the system, but DE does NOT
kill the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Most people who consume food
grade DE take it on a daily basis, ourselves, employees, and children
included. DE contains 15 naturally occurring minerals that are
excellent for the body. These minerals promote healthier, shinier
hair, skin and nails."
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/di...human_use.html

"Diatomaceous Earth (DE) has been reported in the scientific
literature to absorb methyl mercury, E. coli, endotoxins, viruses
(including poliovirus), organophosphate pesticide residues, drug
residues, and perhaps even the toxins produced by some intestinal
infections.

A growing number of users count beneficial human side effects of
Diatomaceous Earth and SILICA as being nothing short of vital to their
well being and exhibit genuine devotion toward its use. The only
cautionary side effect that we have found relating to Food Grade DE
has to do with direct inhalation and is essentially the same caution
advised as when handling baby powder."
http://www.earthworkshealth.com/human-use.php


Yeah, it sounds soooo dangerous! LOL!
Cyndi


 




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