This is a cute article from the Utah Daily Herald about the benefits of Diatomaceous Earth. Here at Canada-Bedbugs.com we have noticed a definite increase in the number of people ordering diatomaceous earth as a food supplement or for their gardens. What do you use diatomaceous earth for?
The description of diatomaceous earth sounds like it should conclude with, “But wait, there’s more!” and “Four easy payments of $29.99.”
The powdered mineral has all the infomercial earmarks — it’s all-natural, you’ve likely never heard of it before and it can de-worm your dog, kill bed bugs and even revive your lawn, all while posing no risk to your loved ones, users say.
“I don’t want to cram it down my friends’ and neighbors’ throats, but I think people would be interested in it if they knew what it was,” said Mona Ashton, who distributes the stuff out of her Mapleton home.
Diatomaceous earth is basically the pulverized fossil shells of single-cell water plants called diatoms, found in both fresh and salt water, said Merv Haney, president of diatomaceous earth distributor Perma-Guard. The porous and jagged shells abrade and absorb the waxy coating on insect bodies, thus dehydrating and killing them, he said, while leaving mammalian insides and outsides unharmed.
“It’s not a fad; it’s a good product,” said Andy Linares, president of New York City-based Bug Off Pest Control Center, which sponsors the yearly New York Pest Expo. He had a hard time moving the stuff off his shelves the first time he bought it, he said, but when bed bugs made a comeback five or six years ago, he started selling out.
He said a University of Kentucky study found it to be only the third-most effective powder against the stubborn critters, but more active substances require a license. And customers like that it’s chemical-free and harmless to humans and pets, barring some lung and skin irritation if it’s carelessly applied, he said.
“I’m confident in selling it because of research results,” Linares said.
Beyond bugs, some folks are finding uses in agriculture, livestock and even human health.
Ashton became a local Perma-Guard customer/distributor after hearing somewhere — she can’t remember where — that diatomaceous earth mixed into feed keeps chickens healthy, she said. She had to find a way for a coop of hens, her kids, her garden and her grass to all play nice in the same backyard, and that meant no pesticides.
That’s when diatomaceous earth became a “housewife’s best friend,” she said.
First, it went into the chicken feed; her chickens stayed healthy and developed soft, shiny feathers. Then, she scattered it in the coop, where it dried out the droppings and killed the larvae therein, eliminating the stench and the inevitable swirl of flies.
Next, under the apricot trees, where the fallen fruit used to produce stink and flies as it soured; next, a generous dusting on her corn and bean sprouts, which kept the earwigs and grasshoppers at bay. The high absorbency of diatomaceous earth also keeps more water on the plants, she said, which means her grass also benefits from the chicken feed mix-in, eventually.
“I haven’t fertilized the lawn all summer,” she said. She sprays driveway cracks and the corners of her house with an old mustard bottle filled with diatomaceous earth, which eliminated a stubborn ant infestation. Now she’s even looking into claims that consuming the mineral will detox the body and possibly lower cholesterol.
“It’s hard to keep a level head, and not think it’s a cure-all for everything, and all we need in life,” she said. “It doesn’t make my teeth whiter, but it did kill worms in my chickens.”
As for safety, the Ashtons comfortably eat vegetables coated in the mineral, and sprinkle it into their stores of grains and rice. This keeps out weevils, first of all, but also keeps the grains fresh and clump-free. In fact, the anti-clumping property is the only use the government has approved for food-grade diatomaceous earth, Haney said.
“Perma-Guard hasn’t had a lot of money in its past. Therefore, it’s never been able to afford to do all the expensive tests to register it as a de-wormer, colon cleanser, etc.,” he said, despite the fact that it has been used as such as many as 4,000 years ago in China.
Even so, Perma-Guard will sell about 300 truckloads — at 44,000 pounds a pop — of diatomaceous earth this year, he said, including overseas, but the reason you probably haven’t heard of it is because legally, he and the handful of its other makers can only bill it as an anti-caking agent.
All the other uses — a quick Google search will yield skin exfoliation, stronger teeth and gums and even alleviation from menopause — have to get around through experimentation and word of mouth, he said.
To view the original article, click HERE.
Great article. Som many people are afraid of bed bugs because most of the media insists that the only way to treat them is buy calling in a proffessional pest control company.
Although pest control companies are needed in some cases, especially if the bed bugs are out of control, for many situations this solution along with proper cleaning procedures, is all that is needed.
Diatomaceous Earth is a simple and inexpensive way to get the silica your body needs.
When Diatomaceous Earth is taken into the body it does it’s works in 3 different ways:
1st:
Diatomaceous Earth- (magnified 7000 times)- looks like a cylinder full of holes–kind of like Rice Chex Cereal. This cylinder has a very strong negative charge. As these millions of cylinders move through the stomach and digestive tract, they attract and absorb bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses, endotoxins, pesticide and drug residues, E-Coli, and heavy metals. These are trapped inside the cylinder and passed out of the body. In addition, any larger parasites that happen to be in the stomach or digestive tract are “cut up” and killed by the sharp edges of the Diatomaceous Earth. All of these activities result in a much healthier body with less sickness. We often hear the phrase “ I just feel better” with our Diatomaceous Earth users. This better feeling comes from all the “junk” being removed from the body and giving our immune system the “jump start” it needs.
2nd:
Diatomaceous Earth is very hard. On the harness scale where diamonds are a 9, Diatomaceous Earth is a 7. This is very important, because as those millions of tiny hard and sharp Diatomaceous Earth cylinders pass through the small and large intestines, they “scrub” the walls. After only a few months of taking Diatomaceous Earth, the intestine wall is no longer coated with mucus, and molds but CLEAN!!. The advantages of this are several:
1. Regular bowel movements (This is the #1 comment everyone makes about DE)
2. Healthier Colon. This is especially important as we get older. A clean healthy colon keeps away polyps, cancers, and ulcers. Today, many are spending thousands of dollars to get colonics to do the same thing as Diatomaceous Earth does.
3. Many users report increased energy and needing less sleep. This is a result of all the food and nutrients that are taken in being better absorbed into the blood stream. With a coated colon–many nutrients never get absorbed.
3rd:
A small amount of Diatomaceous Earth gets absorbed into the blood stream. As these cylinders move through out the body they clean and breakup buildups in the blood vessels and also they destroy bad fats. Everyone that we know that is taking Diatomaceous Earth has lowered their cholesterol by 40-50 points. Everyone is also amazed at how their high blood pressure goes down. As the Diatomaceous Earth eventually dissolve in the blood, the many benefits of the silica content are realized.
***** Review some of the benefits of silica to the body.******
1. Sore joints and ligaments feel dramatically better
2. Skin clears up (acne-age spots-psoriasis)
3. Hair and nails are stronger and grow faster
4. Stronger teeth and gums
5. Healthier respiratory tract–less coughing
6. Menopause has less symptoms
7. Healthier urinary tract
The benefits of silica are many. In today’s grains, there is actually a silica shortage. Years ago, the silica in our foodstuffs was adequate, but with today’s hybrids and depleted soils, only about 1/3 of the silica needed is supplied in our food. Diatomaceous Earth is a simple and inexpensive way to get the silica your body needs.
I thought I had a rash. Maybe an allergy? I went to the doctor who gave me steroids. The steroids made the bites I had feel better, but I kept getting new ones. The doctor suspected insect bites on the second visit, but never mentioned bed bugs. I eventually got notification from my building that there were bed bugs here; without that notice, I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to figure out what was wrong.
[...] Diatomaceous Earth – Miracle Mineral [...]
We live in the suburbs and my brother brought home bed bugs after sleeping over at friends house downtown Toronto. We believe it was a small infestation. We very lightly dusted this into bed, bed frames, box spring and along the base boards and perimeter of the room. After 1 week we were bite free. Cleaned up the dust and applied again for safe measure. We have cleaned up the second application and happy to say bed bug and bite free for 5 weeks. We were apprehensive at first that it would work, but luckily proved wrong. Professional treatments and extermination were out of our budget and this worked just as effectively and much more budget friendly. Make sure to wear dust masks when applying and buy mattress covers and pillow covers. We didn’t end up buy the “bed bug” labeled covers as they cost $45 each at walmart and opted instead for the vinyl mattress zippered cover and pillow zippered cases that were $12 and $4, respectively. And your furniture should be 6 inches away from the wall during the application. Your room will feel messy for a bit, but it ended up working out. I would also recommend purchasing the poly duster as it will make the application much easier, than using a flour sifter. As well, I had ordered 2 4lb bags, but only ended up using 1/2 of one of the bags. This stuff goes a long way and you must apply it in a thin layer barely visible to the eye, otherwise it wont work. Only downside is you must clean the dust thoroughly afterward. I’m talking wiping down the floors and furniture on your hands and knees at least 2 times and vacuuming the box spring and mattress. We also took all of our sheets (bed skirt, duvet cover, comforter, sheets, pillow cases and pillows) to a laundromat and used their super large machines and their very hot water option to was and used the hot dryers to dry our linen. The hot water and dryer will kill and potential bugs or their eggs and by going to a laundromat you won’t break your machine. This is a great product!