"Errors" -Corrections: 1. "Diatomaceous earth is ground up sea shells." -It's the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of algae, that have been crushed or milled. 2. "You just completely wasted like $6 in DE." -A 20-pound bag is $13.99. 3. "It is not a broad-spectrum insecticide." -It's a broad-spectrum insecticide. It's less effective on some insects for various reasons. 4. "An arthropod is any insect with a segmented body and an exoskeleton." -Arthropoda is a phylum containing insects and other invertebrates. All insects are arthropods. 5. "These aren't arthropods: caterpillars, squash borers, moths, honeybees, and butterflies." -All are arthropods. 6. "Worms are arthropods." -Worms are not arthropods. Worms are annelids. 7. "It will kill the worms in the digestive tract." -It hasn't been proven to kill parasitic worms, just the insects that transmit them. 8. "Caterpillars don't have an exoskeleton." -Caterpillars have an exoskeleton. 9. "DE causes insects to molt." -DE causes abrasion, desiccation, and dehydration of the protective cuticle on an insect's exoskeleton, drying it to death. It's true that DE is less effective on certain insects like caterpillars which excrete a gooey substance which prevents the drying effect, or squash borer larvae which are safe within your vegetables, away from the powder. Basically, if the environment is wet, or the insect doesn't come into contact with dry DE, it won't kill it.
I sware by D.E. I've used it in the garden against earwigs, in an apartment against roaches, on dog bedding against fleas, ticks and mites. I've read it's good against lice too. I use it as a safe dewormer for my dog. Humans can use it too, for a number of benefits. I bought a large container of food grade DE and use as necessary for whatever need. Please do your homework before using.
I wouldn't use it on adult earwigs, as they're worth their weight in gold, eating other insects that feed on my fruit and veg, however it's result against their young, who attack young plants, given the chance, is 100% as an effective deterrent.
@@judypa38 most packages say you can reapply outside once every seven days or after heavy rains, depending on the severity of the infestation. The more insects you need to control the more frequently you should apply, once mitigated you can apply much less frequently. Indoors you can probably get away with an application every three to six months.
Thank you. I've told people anything that has a exoskeleton. I leave food grade de in a tiny line around the walls and corners of my home. That way if the spiders and such walk through it, it gets on them and will kill them. Its been a great way to remove our spider problem. We had a very big spider problem. Especially black widows. We called the exterminators a few times and it would remove them for a few months but then we had to call them again and it was costing us quite a bit. But since we started using this we haven't seen one in our house and I look very closely because we have our son. Our basement is super old and we used to get them down there something awful. But we dust an line our home every 3 months. Its saved us a bunch on exterminators.
They are not ground up, because they're already microscopically tiny. That's the whole point of the stuff. DE is microscopic, spiky-shaped organisms that have become fossilized. No grinding required, and no shell on a critter that small. (Source: Went to school with a guy who grew up in the DE capital of North America.)
DE is safe for earthworms. In case anyone else was wondering. When he says worms he referring to worms in your animals (pets) like the ones coming out their hind end.
@@debbiebell4598 All the numerous studies that have been performed based on the urban myth that DE is a dewormer have concluded that it has shown no efficacy against parasitic worms. Also contrary to this video worms are annelids and not arthropods.
Diatomaceous Earth is effective against any insect that has an exoskeleton. ... Because of their thick gooey mucus layer that helps them travel safely through gritty soil, DE does not harm earthworms. DE can harm bees so use with care and apply on the ground. Why would anyone want to harm wasps or hornets? They are all pollinators and help to control pest in the garden.
I only use food grade DE. You can use it as a temporary barrier to mitigate ants like for a picnic or party. Also kills roaches it comes in contact with.
I've used DE for 11 years in my yard and garden. It wont kill all the ants in a colony but does knock them down significantly if you poor it around their nest entrance so they have to crawl through it to get in and out. I also use DE around the base of squashes and sunflowers as crawling pest control. Great stuff!
All DE will do to them is cut up their exoskeleton. the individual ants will lose moisture through their shell and they will die, but you wont kill the colony. liquid gel bait trays near the nest will allow them to feed and then take that back down to the larva inside the colony and will kill the colony without any affect to your garden.
@@essentialcomforts2166 It works on most insects. Contrary to this youtube video alllll insects are actually arthropods and most of them will succumb to de if the conditions are dry.
For ants, i just put a small pile of DE at the base of my plants instead of going directly at the ants. They’d have to walk through what to them, might as well be a mountain of DE before they can even start climbing the plant.
@@jeffreydeiuliis396 Per en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worm, "Worms are many different distantly related animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes." Generally, some worms are arthropods(centi/millipedes), annelids(earthworms, etc), ... & humans. ;-)
Just an FYI, there is a fresh and saltwater DE powder. The stuff you use for food, and in your garden is safe due to the shape of the freshwater diatoms. The saltwater type, that you use in filters (pool filters for example), is hazardous to breath in due to the shape of the saltwater diatoms.
100%. Plus, some of the industrial/pool DE also contains other, potentially dangerous additives. Just make sure the bag says “food grade” or something along those lines.
Well they're both not good to breathe in, they're essentially both a form of silicate and can cause respiratory issues. Generally any fine powder regardless of chemical makeup should not be inhaled. Wear a particle/dust mask when handling and applying and try to stay up wind to keep it out of your eyes if you dont have sealed eyepro. Im looking into slurry applications to help keep the dust down, since i live in the desert things tend to stay quite dry and get kicked up by the wind. If we got some dew it would help dampen it and adhere it to the ground and my plants, which is where the slurry comes in. The lil bit of rain sprinkles we get every few days is generally enough to dampen it, without quite washing it away. But timing an aplication for after said rain isnt always convenient.
I use DE against cabbage worms (actually caterpillars), and it works. Like you said, it doesn't kill the worms themselves. It does, however, create a powdery/ leathery texture on the leaves that deter the parent moth from lying its eggs there. It's not perfect, but the amount of eggs I have to pick off has reduced by maybe 90%.
I laugh at his opening line every time. It never changes from "welcome to another very exciting episode" lol Thanks for all the information you provide. I have been binge watching each exciting episode 😉
I have had a big problem with "ghost" ants for years! Everything I tried did not work. Then I tried diatomaceous earth about 2-3 months ago. My ant problem is almost all gone! I'm a believer.
Great information regarding DE, thanks for sharing. I get your point on how DE works, but the information on Arthropods is significantly inaccurate and one of the definitions of "Insects" is that they are all arthopods (including shrimp, arachnids, etc) Bees, and wasps for example are both arthropods, and are even both from the same order (Hymenoptera) which includes ants aswell. While worms are actually Anelids and not even arthropods. Please try to add some corrections in the description to avoid causing confusion. Don't mean to casue any offence just wanted to clarify some details.
@@1231dre I did some research and everything I found says no it wont kill your worms but probably wont kill your ants either. Worm farmers do use it to fight fungus in their worm bins.
Years ago i was taught to use DE in the garden to amend it, great source of calcium. Never ever thought to use it as any kind of insecticide. This was a fantastic video.
I have 2 giant raised boxes that were infested with symphalans (pre-existing issue from previous land owners). Our plants were all stunted until we found out the issue. We treated the soil with DE and have had good results with plants so far 🤞
Hi! Diatomaceous Earth is in-fact, not ground up sea shells, but the fossilized remains of diatoms (a type of protist). Their usefulness comes from the fact that they are shaped in “jagged” formations, and surrounded by a cell wall made of silica. When they die and fall to the floor of the ocean as sediment, their little bodies form tiny little shards of “glass” that is not harmful to the human respiratory system/skin (in small amounts), but can wreak havoc when an insect comes into contact with it.
I'm glad that some body feels comfortable with exhuming these tiny little bodies for a weapon of mass destruction to the insect kingdom !.....how can you sleep at night ???😂😂😂😂
OK, you start off complaining about incorrect information on the I telnet then as you begin your description you then say its ground up seashells - which is wrong. Doesn't inspire confidence in the accuracy of the remainder of the video
They are crustaceans. Correct. I was more or less just dumbing it down because the topic was not about what it was specifically. 99.9% of people don’t know what a crustacean is.
@@MIgardener I understood that's what you were doing. The purists gotta speak though. That's why you tell your viewers to do their own research as well.
Very informative! Thanks for making this video. Have seen people constantly suggesting using it to control fire ants. Tbh I tried this and it just did not work. What did work for me was literally scooping up ants from a neighboring nest, tossing them in... and letting them have an ant war. Both waring sides leave the area in about 3 days. I saw another YT gardener's video on this and was doubtful... tried it... and would you believe it worked? This is how i deal with ants in my raised beds and planters ever since and it always works!
Genius idea lol it is funny to hear that it always works from your experience. I believe dia. Earth is basically toc sick na no silica form and would not use or
It is informative, but sadly he got a lot of information very wrong. He says bees/butterflies are not arthropods, but in fact all insects are in the phylum arthropoda. Worms, which he claims are arthropods, are actually in the phylum annelida.
Does it work? Apparently you can just sprinkle crashed/ground egg shells. Slags won’t like crowding over them and they are also fertilizing the plants by slowly releasing calcium into the ground.
The only bad thing about DE that I have encountered, is that you need to avoid inhalation by staying upwind. DE can really tear up the microscopic alveoli structure in your lungs, and cause some really bad inflammation
I don't doubt this Josh or that it could cause cancer in human body over many years as did talc powder on surgeons gloves--But, I'd like to see a reference on this. [ Some people are eating this for the silicon... I might if I thought it was safe.]
14yrs in pest control here. You can pretty much use DE on anything, results will vary depending on the pest species. but the moment you water the area you've placed it... its worthless. You have to reapply it. Its works well in dry climates, and for folks who have chickens etc. as most pest control products are very toxic to birds. Another product which can work well is Borate powder. It shares the same weakness towards water, but it will work in various ways on the exterior of the pest, and in cases of things like roaches and termites its very effective when ingested. Its also a natural product, as a mined mineral, it has a similar toxicity level to table salt.
Hi! I hope you don't mind a question....but, you've hit on my problem...exactly. I have chickens....only three, and my garden is fenced off....BUT, those hens are wiley and they get in the garden on occasion. I have Japanese beetles...and ants like crazy. They're eating my green beans and I need them gone. My problem is that I would just die if I inadvertently hurt my hens. I water my garden EVERY night...late, after the Sun goes down. What should I do? I'm not rich. I can't keep reapplying DE over and over. My neighbors who have been gardening for decades tell me to dust the crop with Seven dust. I know it'll kill the bugs...really well. But, it can also hurt my girls! I don't know what to do. Any pro advice? I sure would appreciate it.
@@sherriesmith2587 alot to unpack here... From the sounds of it, you dont intend your chickens to be in your garden, but they sneak in occasionally. For that youll just need to find their entry points and fix them. as far as pest control products go, your neighbors advice to use Seven dust isnt bad. It will help you control your beetles and ants, but it is non-systemic, meaning your plants will not absorb it and pass it on to you when you eat your veggies. It has the same fialure point as DE though, and any other dust, that once its wet, youll have to reapply. My focus on pest control wasnt in agricultural, it was in residential home treatments, keep that in mind, but depending on how you water your plants, IE drip system etc. if youre wetting the soil but not the plant itself, then Seven dust can sit on the plant and be effective even through your watering cycles. Seven will also work on your ants, or a granular product like Amdro will work as well. they will carry it to the colony and it will kill the larva which feed the rest, and it will take out the problem at the source.
Food grade DE is used in chicken feed to help deworm them. Humans can also ingest to clean out parasites. Make sure you buy food grade and not the one used for pools. Non food grade is the toxic one.
I've never used DE until this year. Ants keep in my home and this summer I found a whole string of them inside the back door below the baseboard heater. I had just bought a bottle of DE and decided to sprinkle some along the baseboard heater. I don't know that any of them were killed; but, I have not seen them since. I've been sprinkling DE on the leaves of my vegetable plants to curtail the chewing of whatever insect is doing it. The girl down at the garden center said that it's probably the earwigs. The DE has helped curtail the activity of whatever insect is chomping at the leaves.
Good info. I put in my chickens nest boxes as a prevention so they will never have mites. I also mixed it in the duster that I fixed for them to dust themselves.
I worry about the squirrels, possums and raccoons with fleas---Winter doesn't kill many fleas--They go dormant, until a warm day--hide under the warmer snow, too. These poor things can really suffer and dirt dust only helps a little with fleas. It can be tragic.
MIgardener oh, you are awesome! Your video was right on time! I've been following you young man since you were in high school, and I've not been disappointed yet thank you.
Sorry - BUT HUGE FAIL. I was buying into his pitch until he got to earthworms @7:32 . As a Worm Famer and a big Vermaponics guy, I can tell you we DO IN FACT use DE in our Worm Farms! Worms not only are not harmed by DE, but DE is also actually beneficial. HUGE FAIL on this video!
Never ever use heavy metals in garden including silver. Ingestion can destroy gut bacteria. Copper is OK because it oxidises completely. Silver oxides can make you very sick.
Luke, I'm sorry to say,, but you are providing some misinformation in this video yourself! How can you say that it will kill Hornets and Wasps, but not bees? It works the same way, and those insects are very closely related. If it kills one, it will kill the other. It also will kill caterpillars and butterflies/moths because they have pores along the sides of their bodies, through which the DE dust is breathed into their bodies, and once inside, will tear and dehydrate them to death. Butterflies/Moths are segmented insects with hard exoskeletons. DE will not kill worms in the soil!!! Also, worms are NOT Arthropods!!! Please do some research before putting out a video with all sorts of misinformation - you yourself were frustrated by all the misinformation out there! I know you mean well, and your channel has a wealth of great info - this video needs some tweaking.
It's really great that some here are making comments that seem nicely, maybe factually, in disagreement with MI Gardener. It's really unfortunate, and actually disgusting, that so many just want to have the moral superiority of getting to throw the term misinformation around. MI Gardener has helped many gardeners, me including. He is encouraging and informative. People! Take the information and do more research, make your own assessment of the subject and do what you want to do. Useless bashing, its is sickening! You use up a great deal of energy judging others, but calling for censorship, now that disgusts me, and should disgust every American. My God people! We live in America. Freedom of speech. If you want to disagree then do so nicely. I don't know if MI Gardener got it wrong this time, SO WHAT! YOU WILL LIVE. MOVE ON TO ANOTHER CHANNEL, if you must, but you lose out on a lot of great content.
Well isn’t this a hypocritical comment… It seems to me that you are the only one here bashing and judging the other commenters that are nicely disagreeing and adding more helpful information to his already helpful information. This is how it should be done, nice, healthy conversations all with the same goal to help everyone else out… and then there’s you with this comment bashing and screaming at everyone else because they are nicely adding helpful information to the conversation, unlike this comment that added zero helpful information to the conversation and was nothing more than exactly what you are accusing everyone else of doing!! Have a nice day, sweetheart!
Love your videos. I've learned a lot about gardening, but as an entomologist, this video hurt my soul.. Its hard for people to unlearn things, so it's a tab bit harmful to name off a bunch if arthropods and label them as "not arthropods." Again, love your videos, just PLEASE double check scientific information (including classification) before sharing it. It is AWFUL trying to teach classes over insects when people come in "knowing" things that arent true.
ugh I am an entomologist too and I thought "this is too high energy for me but I can bear it because I think I need DE" until I got to the "arthropods are insects that..." ugh bye.
Elizabeth D'Auria I’m totally clueless about insect and since it’s ur specialty, maybe you can help me out. I want to use DE for cucumber beetles, would it actually work on them. My biggest concern is harming bees that visit my cucumber plants to help with pollination. Do you think DE is a safe route for me to use.
Thank y’all for speaking up. All insects are phylum Arthropoda! There’s plenty of arthropods that aren’t insects but if you have lobsters infesting your garden, I’d love to hear about it! 😂
I've used it for years. It helps get rid of squash bugs. I've had great experience using this. As long as your constitant . I also have a bee hive. They don't touch it.
Yep just fact checked myself. All insects fall under Euarthropoda. Insects are defined by having 11 segments, 6 legs, and a exoskeleton ( and some other stuff I cant remember) The reason caterpillars are soft bodied is cause they are part of holometabola and undergo-metamorphosis, rest assured butterflies have an exoskeleton.
Also DE works not only by cutting the soft tissues in jointed appendages but it also drys up the oil on the outerlayer of insects. This layer is crucial to keeping fungal infections at bay. Arthropods are made of chitin and so is fungus, so insects have a layer to protect then from fungus. When it gets removed they are more susceptible to infection :/. I love your videos, but I feel like there was a lot of misinformation. The mechanical action of the DE is what makes it effective, anything that has soft tissue where the DE can slip in is in danger. The key thing to take away is that there are some insects that are more vulnerable because of their anatomy than others.
McGaughey I mean I am not necessarily talking about the information of how to use it but more like the misinformation if what an arthropod is and what DE is. I mean worms aren’t arthropods and DE still works on them so the claim that people should only use it on arthropods is off IMO. With flying insects I think they’ll do fine bc of what you said, but it still has the potential to harm them. I need to do additional research on this topic though. I feel like the evidence for DE applications are very anecdotal.
@@rachelk9509 I'm just saying, the term mis-information implies that the information is mis-directing. If the point was deeply affected, I'd agree. But his terminology is just sightly general, I believe, to make it easy to understand.
All insects are arthropods, but ones that fall into the insecta category are all insects that don’t have a hard exoskeleton like beetles or live in the water like crustaceans.
I'm currently dealing with a cucumber beetle problem (just removed about 15 of them) which ultimately lead me to this.. you're already the top guy on RU-vid I refer too and more and more becoming the only person I refer to period for my garden questions.. keep up the good work I aspire to have your gardening knowledge one day.. btw I love the passion and gardening is very therapeutic for me as well
Diatomaceous earth: A type of silica-rich dirt which is soft, fine-grained, porous, light-coloured, and composed of the fossilized remains of diatoms, i.e. single-celled organisms. Diatoms are a major group of microscopic algae and are among the most common types of phytoplankton.
D.E. is in fact ground up sea shells. Diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of a natural substance called silica. Over a long period of time, diatoms accumulated in the sediment of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. Today, silica deposits are mined from these areas. Additionally, DE does kill worms….parasitic worms. Pretty sure he knows this considering this is his job and his life. They have a hard exoskeleton because….they’re parasitic. So maybe YOU need to do more research before jumping off at someone.
It's worth noting that, aside from all the comments about what DE is made of, you made another important mistake. DE can actually be very harmful to pets, and people, under certain circumstances. Because of its sharp, jagged, abrasiveness, it can actually be incredibly harmful to your lungs (and throat,etc) if inhaled. So be careful. Use it in the ways you described, sure, but wear a mask, and be careful not to "fluff" it into the air if applying on or near pets.
yes it does change the core of his message because he comes of as a pretentious know it all when really he doesn't know the most basic thing about the product he is claiming other youtubers dont know enough about. you can put it in a mustard/ketchup bottle with a funnel top and lightly dust any plant you want. any one and it kills every insect. you will not harm your plant with this method because if you do it properly you cant even see the dust.
The food grade DE is also great for heavy metal poisoning. The molecules of heavy metals like mercury attach to the DE in your body and are eliminated. Great stuff!!
It's also good for humans to aid in repairing tissue, skin, hair and nails, it's a wrinkle fighter and can help deworm dogs or any parasite as well as in humans. It can help you and your pets prevent muscle and tissue damage or aid in healing them. FOOD GRADE ONLY.
How strange you should state that, as DE actually _contains_ levels of three heavy metals, namely Arsenic, Lead and Cadmium. I'll stick with activated charcoal, (removes many heavy metals) Potassium Permanganate (removes two heavy metals and also can be used to start fires!) and Iodine, (removes two heavy metals) but best to have your thyroid gland tested, before using it, because it can induce the gland to become over or under active.
@@ElinWinblad I see you recieved no reply. Google for latest research on DE and heavy metals, then just trawl through the results. I rarely trust given links, preferring to undertake my own researches.
I just love your channel. Your mission is definitely shining through on my end. I learn new things from you all the time and find myself spreading the info confidently. So I use DE for my chickens, in their food for the worms and if they ever get mites. Because another youtuber Beckys homestead told me I should lol. After doing some further research after this video it's real nice to have those missing pieces of information. Now I know so much more about DE, what it is and how it's effective. Got my dose of empowerment with my cup of coffee bud thanks a lot I appreciate you. I am definitely going to start supporting this channel. Garden love from Colorado over here. Xo
2:48 It is NOT a fungicide 3:23 It is NOT a broad spectrum insecticide - it is an arthropodicide 8:25 Use it on hornets, wasps, spider mites, beetles, fleas etc
He needs to take a break and actually look up the word arthropod. That is the phylum that INCLUDES insects (ALL of them) as well as crustaceans, arachnids, and everything else with an exoskeleton, a segmented body and .... Heck, lobsters are arthropods. The larvae of many of these animals may not have their exoskeletons yet, but they're still arthropods. However much some larval arthropods may look like worms, actual worms are NOT arthropods. None of them. This is an enormous $#¡+$#°w of misinformation. Pretty ironic considering the rant.
Thank you. This is exactly what my dad taught me many years ago. It’s nice to have a review. Sometimes I forget exactly what he said. I wish I had written it down
DE, the skeletons of microscopic diatoms, is used in food production as an inert additive to many things that producers want to prevent sticking together, such as grated cheeses. (As Luke explained, it is super fine powder). Because it is harmless, food grade and inert, the DE is not required to be mentioned in ingredients lists. Any bugs with soft body parts and snails will avoid it. The stuff is not good to inhale, so take the same precautions as with any dusty garden treatments.
Here's a question. Why does it sometimes not work on fleas? I tried it ok my cats several years ago (for fleas) and it didn't work for months, so I did a test and caught some fleas, popped them in a jar with DE and they were fine. I don't recall how long I had them in there but they were alive and kicking the entire time. That was my last time trying it for fleas. 😞
Having studied Entomology in uni, I know enough to know that there is a lot of very incorrect information about Insects/arthropods/classification in the video : (
Since you know about arthropods could you tell me whether grasshoppers are considered them? They're eating up a good part of my plants in my garden right now and I have to find something that's going to get rid of them but that's natural
Arthropods are a larger classification/taxonomy group (parent group) which includes insects but also spiders , ticks, scorpions, lobsters, crabs, centipedes, and others. Since grasshoppers are an insect, they indeed would also fall under the category of Arthropods.
When he says worms, he was talking about farmers using DE to treat livestock. The short hand for all of the internal arthropod parasites is worms, not sure why since they aren’t, but that’s what all farmers call them.
Aphids on my peppers don't like it. They disappear quickly. I also use it in my chicken coop for mites. I put it in a dirt hole so the chickens can bath in it 25% DE, 75% dirt.
Thanks for this - I just had to apply food grade diatomaceous earth to my tomatoes, and bush beans of all things to get rid of black flea beetles - my neighbor's potato crop was decimated by them, and they moved over to my greener pastures. One of the tough parts of growing in a community plot where some of us take care of our issues right away and some don't :(
I use it by fluffing the powder around the base of the house for sewer roaches, common in Phoenix and Tucson. I don’t t think worms are genus Arthropoda but they could be damaged by something would cut it. Good to know it’s effective against wasps but not bees. I don’t understand why though. I thought it was good for adding calcium to the garden. Apparently not great if it’s going to kill the worms though. We need more info on this. Hmmm...
Bees are arthropods, with exoskeleton and segmented legs. So, i assume DE will harm them, too, if applied when and where they go. Right? Beekeepers use them against bee pests (beetle and moth) at certain stages of pests’ lifecycle.
I always like the information you give, but I don't have time to listen to long videos. I would love it if you would streamline your videos and be less wordy. Thank you for your time.
I appreciate all of the science behind what you shared. If I can be so bold as to make a suggestion, in addition to what DE does and does not work against, it would be great to include “how”. I’m still not clear about how to use it - how much, how often, does residue on the ground help at all, and if so, for how long... This was super informative! Thanks for sharing the science behind DE!!!
The packet or bag provides application directions. However, it has one major drawback and that's moisture. On the ground it will turn the powder claggy, (sticky) if the ground is moist or damp, which then hardens into a coating, because, being a powder, it leeches water from the soil. Light rain (just a few minutes) will produce the same result. That renders it next to useless. It surpasses useless when copious water is added, such as irrigation of plants and heavy or persistent rain, as this washes it away. Naturally, these circumstances would then require you reapply it. Personally, I'd advise using a mask, when applying, particularly if you suffer from any lung problem.
There are a few good videos to help with this. I had SVB last year and this year was set on not letting them get to my plants. I took strips (~4”) of foil and wrapped the base of my squash, zuc, pumpkin plants. I make sure it was about 3/4” into the soil and another 3”+ up the vine as it comes out of the ground. I’m happy to repost it worked on almost all of the plants and they are healthy not, as opposed to dead! Good luck, I know it is frustrating!
Make sure it is food grade diatomaceous earth. They make a one for swimming pool which is not food grade. Love you Luke but diatomaceous earth is really not ground up shells. It is effective and the downside is that it has made my groundhogs healthier but ridding them of internal and external parasites.
Have you considered the sonic pest methods? Basically sound emitters that vibrate irritating sound into the area around it causing critters to leave for quieter habitats.
Food grade is only necessary if you plan on consuming it. It means that it was "mined" and washed using NSF standards. The bugs won't mind the difference, and we wash all our veggies, right? And it is much more expensive.
@@bryanst.martin7134 Actually the diatomaceous earth that I found that is food grade is cheaper. A 50 lb bag runs $12.99 whereas a 5 lb. bag of diatomaceous earth fir pool filters is 5.99 so much more economically cheaper for food grade. I work at a farm supply store so they sell it for cattle.
Jefferey Hopkins I have never use food grade on my plants I’m not eating it I’m killing bugs with it. I have used it for 30 years I wash my vegetables before I eat them there’s no need to buy food grade.
Spreading misinformation about what DE is. Barely touched on food grade vs. non food grade. You don't use non food grade to feed or use on your animals. Could have edited out all the the time talking about using DE abbreviation and included accurate content on what it is and what difference is between food grade and non food grade.
@@TheNeeenha The video is to help the people that may not be all that savvy. Many home stores just carry the non food grade stuff for an insecticide. I had to hunt around for food grade and almost had to buy online until I found it at the local farm supply store with the feed.
Just wondering After applying DE to outdoor plants in the garden and it rains causing the DE to soaks into the ground will it kill off the microbiology in the soil along with the worms?
Dude...I love your videos, but you messed up a good bit on this one. You might want to look up the phylum that honey bees belong to, as well as brush up on what DE is actually made up of...
@@MIgardener class is insecta; phylum is arthropoda...and they do have an exoskeleton. Not sure where you are getting your info...such as when you said that earthworms are arthropods? They are annelids.
Yes. But, you are not generally applying it to milkweed plants, the food source for the larvae. Nor, are you generally applying it to flowering plants that are pollinator attractors. Primarily using it on vegetables crops to kill beetles of various kinds. Using it to kill insects that are eating garden plants (aphids, etc.) The insect must crawl through it.... that is when it perforated their exoskeleton, causing them to dehydrate. So, flying houseflies, mosquitos, etc are not affected.... unless they inadvertently CRAWL through it.
@@amandacrews2279 OK, but "the experts" say Monarch catapillars can crawl up to 30 feet away (and I've actually seen them crawl further than that!) from milkweed plants to find a place to make their chrysalis's so people should be aware of that. There are certain other butterfly catapillars that eat plants that are commonly found in a garden as well, like Black Swallowtail catapillars that eat parsley and carrot greens. Just something that people should be educated on before using this product if they want to help the pollinators out. I know these are food crops, but some gardeners don't mind sharing a little! ;)
@@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane i agree that understanding HOW it will affect our pollinators, is precious information. I used DE today on my cabbage plants.... no blossoms anywhere nearby. You are absolutely right, we need to think through the area being affected. And consider if simply collecting the offending insects by hand, or a dishsosp spray will be sufficient. Thank you.
DE is also excellent for plant growth because when it is amended into the soil, it helps plants build stronger cell walls. The moist soil will keep it from hurting worms, if anyone was worried about that.
@@conniekeshet I would definitely still use it. It's commonly hot and dry where I live and it still does great. If you were concerned about the worms, I think the guy was talking about parasitic worms being affected by ingesting DE. I've never noticed a lack of worms in my garden, and I put a lot of it in the soil for plant health, and a lot on the plants for pests when needed. It's a miracle worker for what it does.
Thanks, you answered my earthworm question! (I have chickens so i know & they love worms) My thoughts: #1: good info video! Opens beginners to a "better non chemical" choice. Is all the info 100% scientifically accurate or a broader version? "Keep it simple" or you'll lose people in seconds. Video sparks interest, gets people thinking & investigating. WIN WIN! Objective achieved. My rant: peeps, keep yur comments on topic! Who 'daF cars 'bout his grammar or is, but, woulda~coulda, shouda?!!! and you scientist "experts" from the University of Ki$$ my A$$ just go.... Y'all are trolls. Give him a break, be normal & start building people up again. Love & help each other again. Get back to "good" for God's sake! Build people up, not tear them down... YOU are the PROBLEM!.... not his speech or his info. GOOD JOB ON THIS VIDEO BROTHER!
I have used DE on my pets when there was a flea infestation one year. It was recommended by my vet. It did say pet safe and edible if licked by animals. It did help alot with my pets.
Pet safe but don't breathe it in or let pet breathe it in. Can cause lung damage. Also can put on carpet and under appliances and beds to keep pests gone.
We had a bad infestation one year and it was my last resort out of desperation and put it around my yard put in on my carpet for a bit and it cleared it up right away! It was awesome!
@@GardensLadyBug It's effective against parasitic worms, I'm told, but, I may have picked this up wrong, however, I was led to believe it targets whatever is inside the parasitic worm itself, the worm being the host for whatever carries the infection. DE is fairly harmless to earthworms and wrigglers, according to worm farmers.
My father had a tropical fish shop for about 42 years in Dearborn Michigan. Long ago he used to sell a diatom filter filter for filtering aquarium aquarium water.. It was basically a one gallon jar with AA motor and pump the screwed on top on top. It did have a filter cartridge in the jar as well. It did have a filter cartridge in the jar as well. I recall having to put in a certain amount of diet to macious Earth into into the jar for it to load up the filter prior to to using it to clear up a tank. It was extremely effective in fact they considered it a water polisher. My understanding for all these years is that the diagnosis Earth is basically made up of the skeletal remains of Diatoms.
Your understanding is correct. The grade you used is classified as _feed,_ mostly used for filtering, usually pools which comprises of larger silicate particles, but frequently contains contaminants, such as Chlorine. The grade used mostly in gardening and pest control is confusingly classified as _food._ You'd think they'd get their act together and come up with better names that don't sound alike. 😂
Lullaby Melodia I take a couple cups full at a time and just drop in a line where there is an infestation of roach or whatever I want to kill. I try to make it so they can’t walk around it. For my house I just go all around the outside perimeter. I wear a dust mask in case. Tiny particles aren’t great to breath in. Home Depot has a duster thing that looks like a pump, but it’s just faster to shake a container and walk around.
I just found your channel and really enjoy it but there is a lot of misinformation here regarding Arthropods, worms vs insect larvae, diatoms, et al. I appreciate your passion and enthusiasm but you speak of due diligence. I'll keep watching. My tomato plants are gigantic this year. Hope the yield is as big as the plants.
Once, I used DE on my tomato plants. Over the next few days I began seeing bees that could barely fly and eventually they died. When they landed on my tomato flowers the DE stuck to their bodies and they eventually dehydrated.
I started adding it into water and spraying it on the leaves when there are days where it can dry because I have found when it dries it has been effective (on flea beetles for example). I learned this from another youtube well-known gardener, and have done that ever since. Reduced the risk of breathing it in, and bees walking thru it with their furry bodies/legs. If it rains, you do have to reapply.
Rant away sir! This was really helpful. I knew most of what you talked about but there was plenty more that a learned from it. Your passion shows that you are a true teacher at heart. These types of videos are always helpful! Good job!
We are having a very bad problem in the south right now with stink bugs in our tomatoes. I know people who have literally ripped up their plants in frustration. I have been using DE on my tomatoes for the stinks bugs about 2 weeks now. They are not completely gone, but I hardly see any bugs in my tomatoes now. Thank you for the video!
take the bugs you picking, mash them up in alot of water, spray this around the plant you picked them from, supposedly the bugs will flee, dont like the smell of their own dead bodies?
Try the climbing varieties of Nasturtium about three or four feet away from the tomatoes. The stink bugs prefer them to tomatoes. Grow the Nasturtiums in batches two weeks apart, then, as the first batch becomes infested, it can be uprooted and removed (I throw them directly onto an already blazing fire and toast the critters) to be replaced by the new batch to catch any strays or even a new wave of stink bugs.
Dear Mr. MI Gardner, I appreciate the video. I also appreciate the scientists that commented with their own passionate comments. I think you gave a very good base to start us in the right direction for self education. That is always a great video when someone can say 'hey, look this up and go from here` basically. 👍 I will now look up what an arthropod is and that should tell me that "DE" is active in fighting it. Thank you! You probably won't say "dumbing it down" again 😂 ... But listen, that is a compliment , that you have so many educated people watching and enjoying your channel! That is something to feel very good about! Kind Regards, Mrs. Torres Post Script, (I am a nurse so my science classes did not include much about entomology. Mainly anatomy and physiology. I am sure this might have been LIGHTLY discussed in some paragraph in a High School Science book, but I wasn't listening) LOL.
I can’t exactly find the word for your comment but I would say classy and humble criticism. Thank you for putting the words just ever so politely we should all take example to be so kind
