Date: 6/21/2003 3:28:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time 
From: backwaterjon

--- In , Julie  
<wrote:
Hi, sorry not to know this but what is (diatomaceous earth) and where 
to you find it.    
  Thanks Julie 
**********************
Diatomaceous Earth is the hard shells of sea creatures. These shells 
have sharp edges and tend to tear an insect up from the inside out. 
Diatomaceous Earth is not harmful to humans or other large animals 
because they cannot do enough damage in our mostly liquid bodies to 
harm us. 

Mellingers sell Diatomaceous Earth

http://www.mellingers.com/

When Diatomaceous Earth is sprinkled on the ground, on an ant mount, 
or mixed with grains, legumes, etc., it slices and dices the insects 
that walk through it.  Many farmers deliberately mix Diatomaceous 
Earth with animal feed to kill internal parasites in farm animals. 
The Diatomaceous Earth in the animal feces even kills the fly maggots 
that invariably appear in the patties.

Diatomaceous Earth comes in at least two grades: Horticultural Grade 
and Food Grade. It's important to use only Food Grade Diatomaceous 
Earth if you're using it to store grains. 

If you want to use it on plants, don't get any on the flowers. It'll 
slice up the few honeybees we have left. And I don't recommend 
incorporating mass quantities into the soil. Earthworms are good 
things: Diatomaceous Earth is also effective against fleas, but 
again, take care not to let your pet breathe it.

OSHA Says: Diatomaceous Earth: A soft siliceous solid composed of 
skeletons of small prehistoric aquatic plants. Contains primarily 
silica. Silica: Group 3, not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity 
to humans (Amorphous Silica) 


