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~ Facts, Information And Feeding Rates ~

Perma-Guard Pure Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE, also known as diatomite and fossil shell flour) has many uses and excellent health benefits for animals, humans and plants. The DE information below will tell you:

Some of the differences in grades of DE.
What food grade DE is and where it comes from.
Why it is important to use ONLY food grade DE.
Information on the many health benefits of food grade DE for livestock, people, pets and plants.
How to use food grade DE to increase the health of your lifestock, people, pets and plants.
How to use food grade DE for naturally effective parasite control.

DE is the remains of microscopic single celled plants (phytoplankton) called diatoms that lived in the oceans and lakes that once covered the western part of the US and other parts of the world. These deposits are mined from underwater beds or from ancient dried lake bottoms thousands of years old. This means, DE has an unlimited shelf life provided you keep it dry.

DE is mined, milled and processed into a myriad of types for a large variety of uses. Filtering and filler are two main uses but DE also ends up in chemical insecticides, cosmetics, drugs, paints, etc. Because the milling produces different sized and shaped particles, it is important not to use the filtering type for agricultural purposes.

Pool filter grade DE has been heat and chemically treated and will poison an animal or human who ingests it, so it is always of utmost importance to only obtain food grade DE to use in and around your household.

Diatoms are the grass of the oceans and lakes. Just as grass is the staple food of earth animals. Diatoms (algae) are the food of the ocean or fresh water grazers. Magnified 7000x, DE looks like spiney honeycombs.

Perma-Guard Pure Food Grade DE is EPA approved to be mixed with grains to control mealworms and other pests and has been exempted from tolerance requirements as an inert, inactive ingredient in chemical pesticides. DE is EPA approved against indoor and outdoor crawling insects. DE is USDA approved as an anti-caking agent for animal feed. DE is FDA approved for internal and external use and has a rating of Food Chemical Codex Grade.

The DE is organic OMRI listed Codex Food Chemical Grade. It is a non-treated, non-calcined fresh water DE. It is mined, crushed, sifted, bagged and pure white in color. It contains less than .5% silicon. There are food grade DE products that are yellow or tan in color which indicates a higher iron content. Those which are gray in color contain more clay.

Internal Parasite Control
DE makes a very effective natural insecticide. The insecticidal quality of DE is due to the razor sharp edges of the diatom remains. When DE comes in contact with the insects, the sharp edges lacerate the bugs waxy exoskeleton and then the powdery DE absorbs the body fluids causing death from dehydration.

DE has been used for at least two decades as a natural wormer for livestock. Some believe DE scratches and dehydrates parasites. Some scientists believe that DE is a de-ionizer or de-energizer of worms or parasites. Regardless, people report definite control. To be most effective, DE must be fed long enough to catch all newly hatching eggs or cycling of the worms through the lungs and back to the stomach. A minimum of 60 days is suggested by many, 90 days is advised for lung worms.

DE works in a purely physical/mechanical manner, not "chemical" and thus has no chemical toxicity. Best yet, parasites don’t build up a tolerance/immunity to its chemical reaction, so rotation of wormers is unnecessary.

People often ask why Perma-Guard Pure Food Grade DE is rated Food Chemical Codex Grade. If it was only labeled as "food" grade, people would think it is only useful as a food supplement and since DE "acts" like a chemical by dehydrating insects, it was labeled "chemical" grade since it acts like a chemical, but it is NOT a true chemical like a pesticide or insecticide. It is perfectly safe for oral consumption.

*Clinical Observations Of Feeding Perma-Guard Pure Food Grade DE To Dogs, O.C. Collins, DVM, Midland Animal Clinic And Hospital, Midland, Texas
“In clinical observations of feeding dogs over 35 lb 1 tablespoon/day and under 35 lb 1 teaspoon/day of DE, within seven days all ova disappeared from stools. DE controlled ascardis (Toxacara canids), hookworms (Anclyostoma caninum) and whipworms (Trichuris vulipis).”

*Results On Feeding Perma-Guard Pure Food Grade DE To Walking Horse, L. Thomas, Trainer, L. Frank Roper Stables, Winter Garden, Florida
“With horses fed approximately 5 oz of DE mixed in the feed twice daily, the following results were observed: Stopped scours even on horses that had not responded to any other medications. Noticeable fly reduction. Horses showed an increase in appetites. Weight gain due to better feed conversion. Reduction in manure odor. Elimination of any internal parasites. Healthier appearance.

Daily Recommended DE Feeding Rates
Kittens (below 1 year's old) - 1/2 teaspoon
Cats - 1 teaspoon
Puppies - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
Dogs under 35 lb - 1 teaspoon
Dogs over 35 lb - 1 tablespoon
Dogs over 100 lb - 2 tablespoons
Cattle, Dairy Cows and Hogs - 2% of dry feed ration
Chickens - 5% in feed
Goats, Sheep, Alpacas and Llamas - 2% in grain
Horses - 1/2 to 1 cup in daily ration
Zoo animals - 2% in daily feed
*Humans - 1 heaping tablespoon daily

Internal feeding of DE helps eliminate most internal worms, including roundworms, pin worms, tapeworms, etc. It's also excellent when fed daily to keep down fly loads, since DE is eliminated from the body, exactly the way it went in, it helps reduce the manure odor and kills flies that come in contact with it.

Mix in animal feed or grain and/or feed free choice. Our dogs, goats and fowl eat it free choice.

*Some recommend to dose humans by mixing DE in a glass of water before bed or first thing in the morning, well before breakfast, to allow DE time to move through and absorb toxins from ones digestive tract without interfering or absorbing nutrients from foods or liquids. Some report great results consuming 1 teaspoon in a glass of water prior to each meal, 3x/day.

If fecal counts are not zero for worms and ova after feeding DE for 30 days, increase the daily dose. Feeding too small a dose of DE will not give desired results. Increasing the dose, even if greater than the manufacturers recommendations, will not harm anyone. Some horses do fine on 1/2 cup of DE daily, others need a full cup. This reminds us, that all beings are different. So again, if the worm and ova counts are not zero, increase your daily dose.

Please NOTE, when you know you are dealing with a worm infestation or tapeworms in particular, it is the opinion of Wolf Creek Ranch that it is best to at least double the recommended dosage as suggested above by the manufacturer. Remember, the DE MUST come in contact with the worms in order to "dehydrate" them and since worms can kill us or our pets and at the very least, cause disease, more is better to prevent having to deal with disease or death.

IS DE Safe To Use During Pregnancy?
Definitely! When DE is fed in adequate daily amounts, it eliminates all intestinal worms and parasites. This helps the animal or human better absorb the nutrients from the food they eat, which in turn benefits the being, but also greatly benefits the unborn animals or infant by passing on these nutrients to them helping to make them stronger and healthier as well.

For human use, it is best to start at a small dose - 1/2 teaspoon for the first few days while making sure to drink plenty of clean fresh pure water (not city tap water) and slowly increasing the dose as your body tells you it is okay to do so and to make sure you don't have a heavy detox.

Home Applications
If you are building a new barn, home or other structure that is the perfect time to use DE and apply it on the inside of the walls, before installing insulation, in the attic, etc. to prevent pesky bugs now and in the future. DE helps provide a nice safe home environment that doesn't have ants - carpenter ants, red ants, black ants, bedbugs, centipedes, cockroaches, earwigs, fleas, flies, mites, silverfish, ticks and all other bugs and insects.

DE can be applied along baseboards,  inside cabinets and drawers, inside wall outlets, lightly in carpeting , under appliances and anywhere you are having an insect problem. Test lightly in an area of your home that you want to apply it to make sure you and your family don't have a reaction to it, then apply or reapply as needed. Bugs lay larvae or eggs, so DE must be left out long enough for the hatchlings to come in contact with it. You can vacuum the treated areas once/week (make sure some DE is in the vacuum bag to dehydrate any live insects you vacuum up), then reapply if needed. Since most insects have a laying cycle of 7 to 21 days, we recommend treating inside the home for at least 30 days for best effectiveness.

If the insect problem is coming from outside the home and the insects are now residing in your home, treat both outside the home and inside at the same time for maximum effectiveness.

External Applications For Cats And Dogs
Lightly rub DE into pets coat, fur and bedding to dehydrate fleas, lice, mites and ticks. Dust them lightly, but thoroughly, as in order to kill the parasites, they must come in contact with the DE. Note, external application can take up to 72 hours to dehydrate external parasites.

Lightly sprinkle in household carpet. Leave for 2-3+ days, then vacuum. Please do not get heavy handed with the DE in your carpet, as I have heard from some people advising it causes problems with their vacuum.

External Applications For Barns, Coops, Kennels, Litter Boxes And Livestock
We use DE throughout the barn, fowl coops and pastures. When mucking the barn and coops, I lightly, but thoroughly sprinkle DE absolutely everywhere! It keeps the kidding barn cleansed and dry. In between barn mucking, I sprinkle DE on wet spots to help dry them out and keep flies from laying eggs. It helps keep the ants, crickets, earwigs, flies, mites, silverfish, roaches and all other disgusting insects from bothering us and our wonderful animals.

DE is excellent in the fowl coops -- on the ground, in nesting/dusting boxes to prevent lice and mites. Sprinkle directly on fowl feathers to eliminate mites and lice. One thorough application of DE has their feathers growing back quickly.

DE applied to manure piles keeps fly loads down/eliminated.

Dairy cow owners put DE in burlap bags, so cows can rub against it and sprinkle themselves with DE, which helps to eliminate flies, that land on them, as well as lice, mites and ticks.

Apply to moist kennel areas to reduce odors, dry the area and prevent pest breeding.

Deodorizing and absorption are natural functions of DE, so add to kitty litter to absorb odors and keep the litter box drier.

A small amount of DE applied to livestock water keeps algae from growing on hot summer days. The amount of DE you need to apply depends on the size and color of the water container and climate temperature. Start by experimenting with a small amount of DE in the water container and increase as/if needed.

DE is great for compost piles, to prevent breeding pests and control odors. It will not harm earthworms, provided you just apply to the top of the compost or worm farm soil. The earthworms will slowly work the DE into the soil making them healthier, as well as the soil. Of course, if you put the earthworms in a bucket of DE, it will dehydrate them.

We use DE on the barn floors at kidding time, instead of using lime which can be toxic. This helps prevent earwigs, fleas, flies, lice, mites, termites and other pests from breeding and keeps the newborn kids healthy, happy, strong and disease free.

Yard, Garden And Landscape Applications
DE’s minerals are great for the yard and gardens.

Apply DE to ant hills. Small ants, regardless of color, may require a few applications to completely eliminate them, as they burrow new hills elsewhere, after we cover their initial hill with DE, but if we keep at it, eventually they disappear. Big ants are eliminated within two applications of a reasonable amount of DE applied to their ant hill. Ants in trash cans can be controlled by either painting DE around the bottom of the trash can or sprinkling it dry around it. They'll go elsewhere, as they do not like walking over DE. Of course, you will need to find their home to completely eliminate them, but it will keep them away from areas you put DE. Sprinkled around the house foundation keeps new crawling insects from coming inside.

Fire ants will need regular application of DE to eliminate them, but if you continue regular applications, it will eliminate the fire ants.

We mix DE with water to paint our fruit tree trunks with it, like a white wash. The DE keeps ants OFF our fruit trees. 1 cup applied to ½ gallon of water works well. Be sure to stir frequently as the DE settles to the bottom. Good as a white wash for wood fencing too.

1 to 2 cups per gallon of water can be used to apply DE in a backpack or hose end sprayer for problem infestations of aphids, fungus problems, mites, etc. DE will turn whatever you paint or spray with it white -- so it may look like a “white” winter at your place.

DE will not destroy earthworms, if applied to the top of the soil in worm farms and the worms are allowed to work it into the soil on their own. It is actually beneficial to the worms and compost just make sure to allow the worms to do the work and not bury them in the DE.

Outdoor Bugs Affected By DE
Ants, aphids, army worms, bed bugs, caterpillars, centipedes, cockroaches, corn borer, corn earworm, cucumber beetles, cut worms, earwigs. fleas, fire ants, flies, fruit flies, Japanese beetles (grub stage), lice, loopers, mites, scorpions, silverfish, slugs, snails, spiders, sting bugs, squash vine borers, ticks, termites, thrips, etc., etc.

Pests that lay eggs may require a second application to catch the hatching eggs.

Mineralization
DE contains 15 trace minerals; calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc iron, phosphorous, selenium, etc. People note better overall health, better production, shinier coats, etc. in their animals who are fed DE regularly.

Fly Control
Used daily, DE helps eliminate our fly population here used in conjunction with beneficial/parasitic nematodes in wet or moist garden areas. Sprinkle DE on livestock when flies are present. Used daily, DE helps eliminate our fly population here. Sprinkle DE on livestock when flies are present. Dust barns, coops, after mucking and throw on top of manure/compost piles. We feed it daily to all cats, dogs, fowl and livestock, so it comes out in the manure of each animal as well and prevents flies from growing in the manures.

Farmers hang burlap bags full of DE for the cattle to rub against and keep themselves dusted, which eliminates flies and other pests that land on them.

DE can be put in a backpack sprayer mixed with water to spray your barn or coop buildings. Reapply DE when rain or water washes or wind blows it away.

Grain Storage And Protection
DE is a healthy non-toxic alternative to chemical contamination of stored grain. When the grain is to be used, DE can be easily removed, but need not be. Since it is “food grade”, makes no difference in taste or cooking quality and adds 15 trace minerals. Suggested grain storage use: 1 cup of DE will protect 50 lb of grain -- 5 cups of DE will protect 300 lb of grain -- 7 lb of DE will protect 1500 lb of grain or seeds. One source advises only 1 to 2 lb of DE per ton of grain.

A study done by ACRES, USA, Inc. advised that after 12 months of storage, the DE treated material had 15 insects, compared to 4884 for malathion and 16,994 for untreated grain.

More DE Benefits
DE has been reported in scientific literature to absorb E. coli, endotoxins, drug resides and protein, methyl mercury, organophosphate pesticide residues, viruses (including polio virus), perhaps even the proteinaceous toxins produced by some intestinal infections. DE detoxes.

There are some features about DE that correspond with its ability as both a colon cleanser and a digestive aid. The honeycomb skeletal form of DE is found, under microscopic evaluation to reveal a tendency to become filled and clogged with hard debris such as intestinal scale. DE has not been found to cause any insult to the mucosa or barrier wall.

DE has a negative charge and bacteria has a positive charge, wherein it is believed by some that DE sweeps bacteria out of the body by trapping it in its honeycomb shaped skeletal form.

There is no withdrawal period when given to feed or milking animals. No toxins. Better feed conversion, decreased mastitis, increased milk production.

Why Is Your DE Labeled Food Chemical Codex Grade?
The ONLY kind of DE we sell is labeled "Food Chemical Codex Grade". This is "food" grade DE, though the "chemical" sounds scary, it was labeled that way so that people would realize it isn't just to feed to humans or animals, but so people realize it can be used externally for bed bugs, fleas, flies, mites, ticks and other insect pests in organic farming situations, etc., as it "acts" like a chemical by dehydrating insects, but it is NOT a chemical in the traditional sense of being a pesticide type thing.

Cautions
• DE manufacturers who work in DE mines 5 days/week advise inhaling it is not a problem (tho of course, don't be snuffing it) and we have not had problems when inhaling DE in small amounts. IF you have asthma or some other lung ailment, either wear a mask or be very careful when using DE.
• Do NOT get DE in the eyes. DE is drying to the eyes, so do NOT put it out when you or your pets are down wind of it. DE is drying to your skin, hands and feet, just as it can be to your pets.
• Do NOT use heavily in carpet. Some advise too much DE causes vacuum problems.
• NEVER use pool filter grade or any DE other than those labeled "Food Grade" for yourself or your animals. It can poison or kill them.
• Remember, DE will kill beneficial insects as well, so don't put it on your flowers where the honey bees go and use wisely.
• Some people experience a healing crisis (detox reaction) when beginning DE consumption. If this occurs, reduce the dose, till your body is cleansed and then increase to the RDA.

DE Benefits Summary
• 15 trace minerals -- great for animals, humans, plants and soil
• Anti-fungal properties-- good for garden fungal growth
• Better feed conversion
• Better overall health
• Better production
• Colon cleanser
• Cost effective
• Decreased mastitis
• DE health benefits mean reduction in vet bills and dis-ease
• Digestive aid
• Drying agent
• Eliminates pests in stored grains
• Helps detox bacteria, E. coli, heavy metals, viruses, etc.
• Natural wormer -- eliminates many parasites without chemicals
• No feed withdrawal for feed or milking animals
• Promotes shinier coats
• Reduces flies, fleas, ticks, etc.
• Reduces manure odor
• Reduces moisture and pests in barns, compost piles, coops, kennel, litter boxes and other moist areas
• Reduces overall animal stress
• Reduced scours
• Safe, non-toxic, parasites don’t build immunity as they do with traditional wormers

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