While not widely known among home gardeners, patents for diatomite formulas have been issued by the Patent Office of the United States from the late 1800 ' s. The Ministry of Agriculture of the United States held a series of tests between 1963 and 1970, and what the results of the tests show that D.E. is more effective protection of grain from the use of specific pesticides, not to mention safer.
The most important thing for the home gardener to know is that food-grade diatomaceous earth comes in powder form and is in force of killing insects, which are Exo Kasai, such as ants, roaches and fleas. Additional note is that it is also in force kills bedbugs. Additional benefits from the use of D.E. is that because it is not chemical, bugs cannot become resistant to it.
Unlike Neem Oil, food-grade diatomite is quick action. Whereas Neem Oil may take weeks for the eradication of bug problem, food grade, D.E. will kill exposed bugs in a matter of minutes.
How does it work? What does the diatomite so effective? Well if you can see it under a microscope, it seems to be a crystalline appearance, with very sharp edges. It is these sharp edges, which damage the insects. He cuts the surface and joints of insects and thus to cause the loss of moisture and dries to insects. This loss of moisture, can kill in less than 20 minutes, or up to several hours.
If you are consistently used the phrase "food-grade" because I want to fully understand that something less than food-grade diatomaceous earth must be avoided. And from food-grade, means you can spend and many people do. [I want to avoid any confrontation with the FDA and all its provisions, so I won't go into all the benefits the admirers of the feeding of food-grade diatomite say can provide your health. What is important to know is that it is a safe product to use.]
Note: There is one option, made for use in swimming pool filters and this must be avoided at all costs. Do not confuse pool class D.E. product with food-grade diatomaceous earth!
The final advantage of food-grade diatomite is its price. This is very accessible and should hesitate to use it generously. Is a contact insecticide, i.e., not insects and they are not consumed it, they must make contact with it by walking through it or somehow contact them.
There are, however, the down-side of the use of D.E. and that is it does not discriminate by bad bugs. And so will kill the good bugs, such as ladybugs and should be used only when the overrun your garden with bad bugs. Unfortunately, the loss of some good bug reports is a part of the costs for the use of diatomaceous earth.
Final note on the use of food-grade diatomaceous earth, loses its effectiveness when wet. So this should be applied as a dry powder, using the duster.
Randy Yanagawa maintains 3 blogs of gardening, but is most concerned organic horticulture and in particular, the abolition of the use of harmful substances in dealing with garden pests. Even if you do not want to go completely organic, each chemical fertilizers or pesticides may eliminate or reduce will help protect your family and the environment.
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