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Originally Posted by Bjeanj
Huh. I just spent 1/2 hr looking this up. Sounds like something I had not considered.
Am I correct in concluding that if one has a dog, this silica could harm its lungs or cause silicosis?
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Only if you dump it out in a big clump and lead his nose to it, or if you let him roll around in the grass within a couple of hours of dusting it.
But the dangers of inhaling DE dust are not much more significant than the dangers of your pooch inhaling a whole lot of any very fine substance (such as flour, corn starch, baby powder, arrowroot).
The nice thing about DE, is that other than the "don't put your nose into a pile of this stuff and pretend you're a coke addict" - it's non-toxic to dogs and cats, and birds, and other mammals and reptiles. It is only deadly to insects and grubs.
The fact that it is *not* poison - means that animals that eat those insects, and grubs, will not be poisoned by eating them. It doesn't taste all that great, but it won't hurt them.
It's basically just a particular variety of incredibly fine natural clay. Clay, as you probably know, is absorbent. Any woman who uses facial masks or makeup that allows for a "matte finish" would be familiar with the absorbency of clay.
So when you dust the ground with DE, the very fine powder just sort of sits there. Insects wander through your grass as they always do, oblivious for the most part. This clay sticks to their exoskeleton and skin, and they carry it back to their nests, where it dusts the nests. The clay then does what clay always does - it absorbs moisture. From the insect. Basically it dehydrates them to death.
Kills the insects, the eggs, the queen, and destroys the nest. Fairly inexpensive. This is the #1 "insecticide" that organic farmers use, because it also contains nutrients that most produce requires to thrive.