All About Diatomaceous Earth

All About Diatomaceous Earth

June 12, 2022

(Hammy trying to sneak out of the run!)

Here's the scoop. The answers to all your questions about diatomaceous earth.

What Is Diatomaceous Earth?

Diatomaceous earth, or DE, is a white, porous powder that is simply the crushed fossilized remains of diatoms (phytoplankton). Over time, these fossilized remains build up into large deposits that are then mined from bodies of water. 

DE is used in many products because of its porous and abrasive nature. It’s used it when making gummy bears because it prevents them from sticking together. It's added to cereals to prevent caking.

Along those same lines, it’s used in a cattle feed as an anti-caking agent. It’s also added to pesticides. You may have brushed your teeth with DE. Skin care products also use DE. 

It’s a versatile product, so it’s worthwhile to do some research and see how it can benefit your chickens, home, garden, and family. 

Why Are There Different Types Of Diatomaceous Earth?

There are a few different grades of diatomaceous earth, but for our purposes here we’ll just talk about two: food grade and pool grade DE. 

Food grade is the unaltered good stuff that has a variety of uses. For your chickens, this is what you want to put in your coop. 

Pool grade is super-heated to make it a more efficient filter. However this process makes it suitable only as a filter and nothing else. Don’t use this in your chicken coop. Calcined (heated) DE contains high amounts of crystalline silica. 

You want to always use the food-grade diatomaceous earth. You can find it at feed stores and garden centers as well as online. 

Why Are There Different Colors Of Diatomaceous Earth?

Diatomaceous earth can be white, reddish, gray, beige, or brown. This has to do with the grades that we just talked about. Heat-treated DE often has a different color; however, one of the biggest factors that affect color is the deposit its mined from. 

Diatomaceous earth is unique since not every deposit is exactly the same. They all differ slightly from one another. The color often reflects the other minerals part of the diatomaceous earth deposit. 

How Do I Use Diatomaceous Earth In My Chicken Coop?

Many chicken owners dust the floors of their coops with DE to keep their chickens’ mite- and lice-free. Diatomaceous earth uses a physical mode of action to kill insects, and for this reason it needs to come in contact with the insect to work. 

Once DE comes in contact with an insect, it pierces their hard shells. It absorbs the oils and fats that protect the insect’s ability to retain water. After exposure, the insect then dies of dehydration. 

After you clean out all the old bedding (straw, shavings, whatever), you can sprinkle it on the floor, bottom of the nesting boxes, and also rub some into the roosts. 

Then you can put in new bedding. You can reapply; just sprinkle some around periodically in between cleanings.

Can I Use Sevin Dust Instead?

No absolutely not! 

While some chicken keepers recommend using Sevin Dust (a known carcinogen) or even worse Frontline (which is not labeled for use in poultry), neither is safe to be using on or around your chickens, cats or dogs. 

It is absolutely not cool with using chemicals on or in my chickens that could possibly get into their eggs that we eat! 

Can I Feed Diatomaceous Earth To My Chickens?

You absolutely can mix diatomaceous earth into your chickens' daily feed. DE contains many trace minerals, but the main component of DE, silica, gives many benefits to chickens. Research shows chicks on a high-silica diet attained maximal bone re-mineralization much quicker than those on low-silica diets. 

According to a study in done in poultry science, chickens with DE in their diet laid larger eggs containing more albumen, weighed more, ate more, and had fewer worms. It’s worth it to note that some breeds already have a natural resistance to worms, which was pointed out in the study. 

Diatomaceous is thought to work as a natural wormer by preventing the larvae of internal parasites from maturing into adults. If your chickens have worms, it can take up to two months to get rid of them and to break the worm lifecycle. 

Regularly add DE to your chicken’s diet to prevent internal worms. The ratio is 2 percent diatomaceous earth in the feed you give them. 

Is Diatomaceous Earth Toxic?

No, it's not. In fact, DE is added to human foods such as cereal to avoid clumping. As you’re researching DE, you might come across something like this: “Warning! Diatomaceous earth is toxic if you breathe it in!” But the short answer to this is no, no it’s not. 

Diatomaceous earth is mostly made of silica and this comes in two different forms: crystalline or amorphous. Food grade diatomaceous earth is made of amorphous silica. Crystalline silica is formed when diatomaceous earth is superheated. This is done to make the diatoms into a more effective filter, and crystalline silica is what makes up pool grade. 

This transformation makes pool grade diatomaceous earth unfit for anything else. Crystalline silica has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer; however, these studies look at people who work in construction or mining. 

The bottom line of these studies is if you’re exposed to crystalline silica every day, all day, for twenty years, then you might have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. And remember, this is found only in the pool grade diatomaceous earth.

This topic is still being explored, but this is what people often get confused about. Because of some of the warnings connected with crystalline silica, diatomaceous earth as a whole gets a bad reputation. 

I don’t want to give pool grade DE a bad reputation either. If you want to use it as a filter it’s a good way to go, and you’re definitely safe doing so. 

Can Diatomaceous Earth Cause Respiratory Problems?

Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder and if breathed in, just like any fine powder even something as innocuous as baking flour, diatomaceous earth can irritate the nasal passages, cause you to cough or have shortness of breath.  And since it's abrasive, it can irritate your eyes.  

Wearing eye protection and a face mask while you're applying diatomaceous earth is never a bad idea if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Should I Be Cautious Using Diatomaceous Earth?

It’s still a good idea to use precautions though. Diatomaceous earth is still a dust, and it can cause irritation to your lungs. Use a dust mask if you need to and try to apply it when the chickens aren't in the coop.

However, I personally believe that the remote possibility that a hen "might" develop respiratory issues sometime in the future from breathing in the DE is far outweighed by the current benefits today of using it. 

Also, realistically, your chicken probably won’t live long enough for any side effects from DE to become a problem. Dogs are the #1 killer of backyard chickens and a great majority of chickens die at the hand of predators, not of respiratory issues.

Can I Eat Diatomaceous Earth?

Chances are you’ve already eaten DE and you don’t even know it.  The FDA lists diatomaceous earth as "Generally Recognized As Safe" and may be used as an anti-caking material in livestock feed. It’s used as an anti-caking agent in a number of other human-grade food items. 

Many people also take a teaspoon a day of diatomaceous earth mixed into their favorite drink - fruit juice, tea, coffee, protein shake, etc, and there are numerous benefits to be gained from doing so. 

What Are The Benefits Of Consuming Diatomaceous Earth?

Here are some of the most commonly reported benefits from eating diatomaceous earth:

•  Healthier skin, hair, and nails
•  Better digestive health
•  More regular bowel movements
•  Less joint and ligament pain
•  More energy

Can I Use Diatomaceous Earth In My Garden?

DE can be used in the garden as a natural pesticide for a bad infestation. However, it's important to remember that Diatomaceous earth is still a pesticide, even if it’s an organic one. So the best pest control is preparation and prevention. 

You do this a number of ways, but some good ones are promoting healthy plants, working on pre-planting soil preparation, practicing crop rotation, weed control, and hand picking pests from the plants. But sometimes, even after all of our preparation, a garden can still be overwhelmed by an infestation. 

You can apply diatomaceous earth two ways depending on the insects involved. For slugs and other similar pests, create a ring of DE around the plant. 

This acts as a repellent as well as an insecticide. Keep any leaves from touching the outside of the DE ring, so it doesn’t act as a bridge for slugs to get over the DE.

The other method involves dusting the whole plant with DE. This needs to be done for insects such as aphids, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, cut worms, cabbage worms, tomato hornworms, and so many others. Water your plants lightly and then apply DE to the top and bottom of the plant leaf. Re-apply if it rains. 

Can I Use Diatomaceous Earth In My Home?

Diatomaceous earth can be used in your kitchen or pantry to kill ants or other pests. A sprinkle of DE along the door jambs will help keep them out of your house. 

In the yard, you can sprinkle DE on ant hills. You can use it to kill hornets and wasps by dusting their nests, or blowing it into carpenter bee holes. 

And all of this without worrying about kids or pets getting into it and possibly being harmed like you would worry with other poisons. 

Bottom line, act responsibly, using DE in areas it's needed and carefully applying it - don't just toss a bagful up in the air - and you've got yourself a very safe, very economical multi-purpose pest control.

I hope this Q&A has been informative and helpful! If you have further questions or concerns, please feel free comment down below or continue to research on your own. Thanks for reading!