Diatomaceous earth use/dosing

[TacoTheFaco]

I have heard a lot of good things about the food grade D earth, and I'm hoping to replace my chemical mite treaters with it but I haven't found anything about using it for internal parasites, or how much to put on rats/asf/mice. Does any use it currently or have used it for rodent feeders?

[jasbus]

Used to use it, never again.... too messy.
Plus, the mite has to physically come into contact with the dust for it to work. If you inhale it, it can cause lung problems.
I have a friend who uses it on his birds, both for mites and internal parasites, but I gave up on it a long time ago...

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

That stuff is dangerous. It's safe to ingest but dangerous to inhale. It's extremely sharp. Like inhaling thousands of microscopic glass shards. it's also very drying.

Birds have the most sensitive lungs of just about any exotic pet out there. Burning candles around them and cooking in non stick pans can kill them. That's nuts that someone would use it anywhere near birds.

As for everything else, I've heard of people having great luck using it under sinks, in crevices, in between walls, and anywhere else nosey kids and pets can not reach for control of household insects.

Some people will say they have used it for insect control around rodents enclosures and other places but a LOT must be used and it is incredibly dusty. It is already a known fact that it should not be inhaled but the long term affects of being around it are not known.

With things like Mesothelioma being caused by inhaling asbestos, I won't use it.

I understand that the food grade version is safer and a flour type fine powder which is not as harsh, nor does it contain as much silica but I still don't trust it.

[TacoTheFaco]

I know a bit about the risks (inhaling) which is why I haven't used it yet. I contacted my cats' vet about it and they said it safe to use on things like carpet, but not safe to put on the animal itself. She didn't say anything about feeding it.

[kitedemon]

I don't think I'd feed it, I use it myself around the base of the rack and shelving as I have pharaoh ants and nothing seems to kill them but the DE keeps them away from my snakes! It is very bad to inhale but so is Permethrin (PAM) as it is a known Carcinogen (humans). Freezing for 30 hours at -7ºC kills most if not all internal parasites. Past that I cannot think of anything that would kill off most parasites anyway.