Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.
Now that gardening season is in full swing, one problem all
gardeners deal with is pest control. The
big pests, like groundhogs, are easy to take care of – just shoot ‘em. It's the
little munchers that are the problem. I really don't like using pesticides and
chemicals at all, so I don't. I have found one chemical-free, nontoxic, edible
product to use in controlling most insects, bugs, and worms. It is called
Diatomaceous Earth, or DE.
Diatomaceous Earth is naturally occurring rock formed from
the skeletons of fossilized diatoms, an alga. This rock is ground into a fine
white powder. DE has many uses other than in the garden; more on that later.
“Food Grade” DE must be purchased. I ordered mine from the local feed mill in
Mifflinburg. It came in a 40lb bag,
which I’ve been using for 3 years, and it cost around $30 at the time. I just found out that Harry’s repair and
Garden center in Hartleton has it in 4lb. bags for about $10. In the
garden, DE works mechanically to destroy pests. The fine powder is as sharp as
glass to these pests. It literally cuts through their exoskeletons, desiccating
(drying) them to death. DE is a drying agent; it absorbs any moisture. It is
very irritating to the eyes, and if you reach into it with your hand, it almost
feels like chalk. DE will kill beneficial insects as well, so you must time
your applications around when certain plants are being pollinated. For example,
you don’t put DE on flowering tomato, potato or strawberry plants. You can use
it before and after flowering cycles, and even on the ground around flowering
vegetables during pollinations, just not on them directly, or you will harm
bees doing their job.
I sprinkle a heavy trail around my entire garden to start
the year. It needs refreshed frequently due to rain washing it away. Any time I
see any unwanted pest activity, I sprinkle DE around the bottom of the plants
and dust the leaves when they are moist (to hold the DE powder better). I
bought a large duster and a small squeeze duster, using each for appropriately
sized areas. You will be excited when you see how well this stuff works at
debugging your garden.
You can also use DE around the house. I dust the eaves of
the basement to keep out spiders and creepy crawlies the wife doesn’t like! You
can put it outside around the perimeter of the house, too. If ants are invading
your stone patio, dump it on them – they’ll move somewhere else. Avoid flowers
on plants because the bees are needed there, too. You can put it in garbage
cans to keep flies away and odors under control. If you have a flea problem,
you could actually sprinkle the whole yard, like using lime, and it will help
control them, too.
Dusting your pets’ bed controls fleas and ticks. You can
even put it directly on your pets for fleas, just be careful not to get it in
their eyes or let them breathe a lot of the dust. Add it to kitty litter,
chicken coops, nesting boxes and barn stalls to keep your pets pest-free.
And best of all, you should eat it! I do, every morning,
with my whey protein, raw egg, raw milk and organic coconut oil shake. Why?
Well, two reasons come to mind: detoxifying and destroying pathogens.
DE detoxifies mercury, cadmium, lead and other heavy metals
and removes poisons from chemtrails and radiation particles. DE has
antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. It also kills parasites in
you and your pets’ intestinal tracts. In addition, DE helps to lower blood
pressure and contributes to the production of collagen, which improves skin
tone and strengthens tendons and joints. It is a good source of silica,
essential for hair and nail growth. Since I’ve been taking DE orally, my nails
grow at a ridiculous rate, noticeably faster than before.
To consume DE orally, start with half a teaspoon and go up
to 2 tablespoons over time. Always drink a lot of liquid, as DE is a drying
agent and can cause constipation if you don’t.
Just remember, always buy food grade DE (not the stuff for
pools) and be careful not to inhale a lot of it or get it in your eyes. Other
than that, it is safe to use just about anywhere else. Try it this summer as a
safer alternative to chemical sprays around the house.