We have a pool and use DE (pool grade). This works on slugs in your garden. It is just finely ground up glass, so I've been told. That is why it works on slugs. Gas works well on those fireant hills (so does the lawn mower). I use frontline on my dogs and cats and never have a flea. Ducks and chickens work also. They're good for keeping the skeeters down to just a few. Good luck, AAAApps

I started a post relating to the Fly Predators. Posserider59, suggested that I look at this post, on the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth for fly control. While searching for more information on this product, I ran accross the following, with a link to an article that went in detail. I found it very interesting, and wanted to share it. The link brings up a 48 page adobe document. ------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER 40 DETOXIFICATION SECTION Food-Grade or Fossil Shell Flour. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)* ...... General Research Procurement Office, 2101 Webster-Sezbrook Road, Houston, TX, ... http://www.getipm.com/thebestcontrol/DE/Chapter40.pdf -------------------------------------------------

I have used DE from wolfcreek (food grade) for my dogs for parasite control. (we don't have fleas here). I mostly started using it for my breeding bitches. I didn't want to treat them with chemicals. It's safe to give while pregnant, and when I took stool samples to the vet from her and the pups, they were clear of worms. Not too bad considering pups are usually wormy. Once the pups were eating soft food, I started them on it too. Again checking stool samples and they were clear. I'm not saying you should never worm with wormer, but I don't like giving chemicals to the pups.

Thanks everyone for the info on DE! Has anyone ever used it on their yard for flea and ant control. Or given it to their dogs? I definitely intend to try it for parasite control with my horses, but also want to try it to get fleas and fireants out of my yard. I'd appreciate hearing anyones personal experiences with this product for that type of use. Cindy

Abitibi....Race feeds DE the same as I do...1/4 cup per feeding you cannot over feed it...so that is not a problem with DE....I purposely left all the manure in my barn from last autumn til now to test the effectiveness of DE on fly control...happy to report have not seen a single fly in the barn...and use to have alot of them...A well known quarter horse trainer is a personal friend of mine, I have given him a sample of DE to use on his show horses....will let all know outcome and his comments on the product....If you all would like to get the product at a great price go to Tractor Supply and Orscheln's Farm and Home stores and ask the managers about DE as I am currently in negotiations with Orshcheln's and hoping to give Tractor Supply a presentation in June....so any help along those lines would be greatly appreciated....also if you would send me emails about your experiences with DE I would appreciate it...posserider59@hotmail.com...thanks Frank

Thanks racehorsegal. I just found this.... http://wolfcreekranch.net/defaq.htm it has all sorts of good info...including how much is needed to worm two-leggeds, as well!! Here's another one.... http://diatomaceous_earth.net/manyuses.html p.s.there's an underscore between diatomaceous and earth in that address that disappears in the post

I feed around 1/4 cup per head per day. Sometimes a little more. And a 50lb bag lasts for forever! I'm feeding it to 5 horses and have used about half the bag in a year.

I checked that last link... they tell the proportions based on weight of feed, but don't say how often.... Also, at this time of year, I've reduced grain to half scoop a day, because there's plenty grass..... which begs the question... is there a recommended dose per weight of critter???

http://www.biconet.com/pets/fossilShell.html Forgot to put that in my last post.

I feed all of my horses DE. I don't use it as a substitute for parasite control, but I use it in conjunction with it. But I think it really has done wonders for my horses overall health and well being. Horses are fat and sassy (a few may be a little TOO fat right now!), coats look fabulous (I also feed BOSS) and while a lot of horses I know that don't get DE get the springtime snots, I haven't had any snotty noses or horses feeling poorly. And even my picky gelding who refuses to eat a lot of things that aren't to his liking, WILL eat the DE!