# Diatomaceous Earth (DE) For Mite Control



## JPccusa

*Introduction*

Diatomaceous Earth, also known as D.E., diatomite, or kieselgur/kieselguhr, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. Diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of a natural substance called silica. Over a long period of time, diatoms accumulated in the sediment of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. Today, silica deposits are mined from these areas.
As previous mentioned:


MeiKVR6 said:


> There are two types of diatomaceous earth; one is amorphous diatomaceous earth, and one is Diatomite DE. Amorphous stuff is the better of the two types, and is the only one suggested for use around human crops & livestock from what I understand. (Amorphous types, from what I've read, _are not_ a known carcinogen.) Only one type, and an especially high grade is used for ingestion in certain livestock. There's some good info on this site on the differences between the two. Wiki has some good info, and this MSDS has good info on the amorphous type.


** * * From this point forward, all mentioning of DE implies it is the amorphous and food grade type. * * *​*
Besides pesticides, DE can be used in skin care products, toothpastes, foods, beverages, medicines, rubbers, paints, and water filters. The Food & Drug Administration lists DE as "Generally Recognized as Safe". "Food grade" diatomaceous earth products are purified. They may be used as anticaking materials in feed, or as clarifiers for wine and beer.
DE can be used against bed bugs, cockroaches, ants, crickets, fleas, ticks, spiders, and many other pests, including *MITES*. 
DE is not poisonous and does not have to be eaten in order to be effective. Instead, it works in a purely physical/mechanical manner and insects can’t build up tolerance/immunity to it. Diatomaceous earth causes insects to dry out and die. Its sharp edges are abrasive, speeding up the process. It remains effective as long as it is kept dry (unlimited shelf life). As such, DE makes a very effective natural insecticide. 

*Product*








Due to its long (infinite) shelf life, I purchased a big bag many years ago. 6 pounds is much more than you will ever need. 








It has the consistency of corn starch, just heavier and more "drying" to the touch. 








It cakes a little (sometimes nothing) at the bottom of the cultures. 









Eggcrate scraps are all you need to avoid the caking issue. Don't use one single large piece so mites don't just walk from one culture to the other. 








All the dark dots on the edges are stray gnats/flies that were unfortunate enough to land on the powder.

*Method*








*1)* When using a container/tray with high sides, I dust the sides (think "flouring a baking pan.")








*2)* Using a strainer to evenly distribute the DE...








*3)* Thusly








*4)* Cover most of the container/tray's bottom.








*5)* Set your culture on top. In this case, this is a springtails culture. Make sure the sides of the cultures don't touch each other/anything. 









Set your cultures on top of something (eggcrate scraps, old cup lids, etc.) to avoid getting the bottom of containers full of DE. 








This is how my springtails and sawtooth beetles are stored. 








This is how I keep my FF cultures and fish flakes (isopods food).

DE works both to keep invaders out (mites, ants, stray flies, etc.) and kill escapees. That's why I always keep my pantry pests (beetles, in this case) on DE.

*
Health Concerns*

*Lungs*
If breathed in, DE can irritate the nose and nasal passages. If an extremely large amount is inhaled, people may cough and have shortness of breath. 
Inhalation of crystalline silica is harmful to the lungs, causing silicosis. Amorphous silica is considered to be low toxicity, but prolonged inhalation cause changes to the lungs. DE is mostly amorphous silica, but contains some crystalline silica, especially in the saltwater forms. In a study of workers, those exposed to natural DE for over 5 years had no significant lung changes, while 40% of those exposed to the calcined form had developed pneumoconiosis. Today's common DE formulations are safer to use as they are predominantly made up of amorphous silica and contain little or no crystalline silica. Workers are required to use respiratory-protection measures when concentrations of silica exceed allowable levels (1%).

*Skin*
DE can cause irritation and dryness. It may also irritate the eyes, due to its abrasive nature. 

*Cancer*


JPccusa said:


> "Pool-grade" diatomaceous earth has been chemically processed and is carcinogenic, but the food-grade version is certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and is considered safe by the FDA for use indoors and out.


Sources:
HTTP://NPIC.ORST.EDU/FACTSHEETS/DEGEN.HTML
HTTP://WOLFCREEKRANCH1.TRIPOD.COM/DIATOMACEOUS_EARTH_MITES.HTML


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## Dendrobait

I don't think it reduces the effectiveness but I am also using DE (thanks JP for the baggie!) I do almost the same as him except.

I use petri dishes under FF cultures or to prop up other cultures. This eliminates the issue of DE caking on the bottom of containers.


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## BizaroStormy

I use DE in the bin I store my fruit flies in, similar to you but I use a lot less (more like a light dusting). 
Foolishly I cleaned out all the DE a few weeks ago, as there were hundreds of dead escaped flies in it. At the same time I got a new culture of flies I bought at a reptile expo. Turns out that new culture had mites and in about 2 weeks all the cultures had mites. I reapplied the DE to the bottom of the bin and every culture since then has had no mites. I dusted the seed flies with calcium powder. 
Anyways DE is great!
Only downside is that it gets in the air easy when you are applying it.


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## JPccusa

BizaroStormy said:


> I use DE in the bin I store my fruit flies in, similar to you but I use a lot less (more like a light dusting).


I better mention that my setup pictures were taken before I started using the strainer method. That and the fact that I have so much DE contributed to me using it deliberately. 

A light dusting is more than enough.


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## Judy S

doesn't it get into the air with the strainer method???


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## nish07

It will generally not get in the air much and most just goes straight to the bottom. Anything else will settle pretty quickly. You don't want to breathe it in but once it's settled it won't start floating around in the air.

-Nish


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## JPccusa

Judy S said:


> doesn't it get into the air with the strainer method???


Some of it will get airborne, but like my first post said, you'd have to sift DE for a living in order to see any adverse effect.


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## Judy S

must've skipped over that part...but it is advised to wear a mask when working with it...pet shops sell it for a wormer...and I know from experience it keeps slugs off my hostas!


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## Dendrobait

I'm sure wearing a respirator is a good idea, since the health risks of wearing a respirator are zero. However, I wonder if the crystalline silica content of DE is much higher than the average yard dirt(or beach sand...tsk tsk)


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## Kas

I buy bags of this at the Amish grocery. Huge amount for about $2. After cleaning my chicken coop, I sprinkle their nest boxes and floor. In 7 years, have never seen a live bug, lice or mites on the chickens. Their feathers are extremely shiny and clean. Oh, and it works great under FF cultures too!


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## frogparty

yes it is. Diatoms have a frustule that is almost entirely SiO2. THe deposits they mine are already highly concentrated deposits that are then further purified. 

You can be assured that diatomaceous earth is almost entirely SiO2

It works great to kill house ants too. Like a million tiny shards of glass cutting between exoskeletal joints. Inverts quickly dessicate and die. Good stuff


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## Dendrobait

frogparty: I understand their is a difference in the types of silica(amorphous vs crystalline) 

amorphous SiO2-which is what food grade diatomaceous earth is composed of does not cause silicosis...but crystalline does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicosis

The passage on occupational silicosis is an interesting read.


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## nish07

Breathing it is still bad (can be really bad) for your lungs. Breathing bird feathers is bad for your lungs. Breathing large amounts of DE or anything that doesn't break down quickly in the lungs is bad (can be really bad) for your lungs. You would have to breathe quite a bit of it to notice but assuming you were someone who worked with it as a hobby where it was in the air from you moving it around all the time (like pottery) you probably would want to use a respirator till it settled into a mix. Otherwise, as long as you're not blowing a fan right on it or moving it around so it's flying in the air most of the time, you're probably fine.

-Nish


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## Dendrobait

I guess frogkeepers can pick their poison(DE versus mite sprays of various sorts). I've read the MSDS for all of the ones mentioned on this forum. DE seems to be one of the safer bets so far.

I read mention in one paper of silica gels being used/mix with DE. I wonder if DE would still be effective if applied in a layer to some sort of sticky surface? That would eliminate virtually all dust that could be possibly raised even if you, say, kicked over your bug fridge?

Now we are getting too paranoid-but it seems froggers can be good at that


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## Kas

I throw DE quite heavily in the chicken house and it hasn't caused any (noticeable) negative health effects....and chickens have very sensitive respiratory systems. Some farmers even use DE to de-worm their flocks. It's also used commonly in Amish homes for pest control. I feel confident using it carefully and sparingly for mite control. Dendrobait is right..."you have to pick your poison".


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## frogfreak

Dendrobait said:


> Now we are getting too paranoid


Yep, big time!


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## kgj

Are there any advantages to using mite paper over DE? 

I've been using DE with all of my cultures and it's been a huge success. ~$5 on amazon for a pound and a half, which is way more than enough for four sterilite containers. No issues with mites whatsoever. 

I understand that mite paper is cheap... But DE is cheap and _never_ needs replacing. I guess if cultures are stored on a shelf paper is the more practical choice. But for anything that's stored in a container/has a raised lip on the bottom, I can't recommend DE enough.


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## JPccusa

Only advantage I can think of would be that mite paper is much cleaner to work with, but if you setup right, DE can be just as clean.


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## amgini

This works great for ant control also. I had a serious ant infestation problem over the summer and was very close to giving up but DE helped me taking back control.


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## ecichlid

Just don't forget that it's best to use a petri dish under your cultures. I wish JP would swap that picture out of the DE caked onto the bottom on the FF cultures. You can do it that way, but it's not a best practice.


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## JPccusa

Agreed. I will update the thread with the better way of doing it.


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## JPccusa

Pictures/method updated.


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## DragonSpirit1185

Does it matter what kind it is?
I found this on Amazon and it says it is approved for organic gardening.
4lbs will last me a good while 
Amazon.com : Safer Brand 51702 Diatomaceous Earth - Bed Bug, Ant and Crawling Insect Killer, 4-Pound Bag : Home Pest Repellents : Patio, Lawn & Garden


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## Broseph

DragonSpirit1185 said:


> Does it matter what kind it is?
> I found this on Amazon and it says it is approved for organic gardening.
> 4lbs will last me a good while
> Amazon.com : Safer Brand 51702 Diatomaceous Earth - Bed Bug, Ant and Crawling Insect Killer, 4-Pound Bag : Home Pest Repellents : Patio, Lawn & Garden


Your link is broken, but yes- that sounds right. And yes- 4 pounds should last a long time.

And to hopefully contribute to the thread:
I keep a small box with DE in the bottom that I use exclusively for transferring flies. Apterous flies seem to transfer pretty easy from container to container, but gliders get EVERYWHERE. Put your vitamin dusting cup in the DE box, sloppily dump your flies... Nothing will escape the DE box!


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## PBM3000

Does anyone use DE to physically dust Melanogaster FFs before starting a culture? If so, doesn't DE shred FFs too?


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## Socratic Monologue

PBM3000 said:


> Does anyone use DE to physically dust Melanogaster FFs before starting a culture?


That sounds to me to be a remarkably bad idea.

People (me, others) do dust FFs heavily with whatever calcium supplement you use before seeding a new cx with them. The idea is that mites get caught in the Ca powder -- so you dust heavily, then use only the FFs, not the remaining Ca dust, to seed the cx. Then dispose of the leftover Ca.


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## PBM3000

Understood. Must have mis-read something, somewhere. So, simply dust with calcium supplement.


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