Cost Saving with DE

Diatomaceous earth, you buy 50 lb of it at the pool supply store for $6.00. It’s like tiny silicon glass shards. I use it in my sand filter, on my lawn to kill snails and fleas, and on my surfboards. Mixed with resin, DE makes a glue/filler like microballoons. It’s for fin boxes, leash plugs, and tail blocks. The filler is off-white, so it should be kept away from the surface. But it’s c-h-e-a-p! Did I invent this solution, or what?

Noodle: Cool! I wanna know about the lawn pests it will work against, guess we better visit this off the board. (you sure A&M didn’t come up with the ding repair angle already? Dept.of Watercraft Maintenance or something?)How does it work on feral hogs? 9 in the trap Wednesday and 6 last night, I’m overrun. TS>>> Diatomaceous earth, you buy 50 lb of it at the pool supply store for > $6.00. It’s like tiny silicon glass shards. I use it in my sand filter, on > my lawn to kill snails and fleas, and on my surfboards.>>> Mixed with resin, DE makes a glue/filler like microballoons. It’s for fin > boxes, leash plugs, and tail blocks. The filler is off-white, so it should > be kept away from the surface. But it’s c-h-e-a-p!>>> Did I invent this solution, or what?

Tom, I’ve probably told off too many jerks under my handle to give out my E-Mail addy. DE is a great resin filler, but I don’t think it would work on feral hogs. You might wanna try it. I’d have thought you were toying with me if you had named almost any other pest. Razorbacks are like big rats with jowls. If I had to trap them I would relocate them either to the rendering house, or 5 miles offshore. …Snort! I started using DE for lawn fleas about 12 years ago. This year the local nursery started selling DE in one pound bags for $6.00. It kills all crawling insects on plants, and on the ground, even termites. The catch is, when it gets wet, it packs. You should apply DE when you expect a few rain free days. The biggest advantage of DE is that its action is physical. It leaves no chemical residue. Imagine being a bug, trying to live in a house with glass shards covering your floor. It’s death. …okay, back to surfboards.>>> Noodle:>>> Cool! I wanna know about the lawn pests it will work against, guess we > better visit this off the board. (you sure A&M didn’t come up with the > ding repair angle already? Dept.of Watercraft Maintenance or > something?)How does it work on feral hogs? 9 in the trap Wednesday and 6 > last night, I’m overrun.>>> TS

Tom,>>> I’ve probably told off too many jerks under my handle to give out my > E-Mail addy.>>> DE is a great resin filler, but I don’t think it would work on feral hogs. > You might wanna try it. I’d have thought you were toying with me if you > had named almost any other pest. Razorbacks are like big rats with jowls. This is a legitimate thread, I’m covered in foam dust and there is one board on the glass rack and a 9’2" roughed out on the shaping stand…I first heard about DE years ago I believe as a possible fire ant remedy. Having moved back here from San Diego it was a rude awakening when it came to dealing with the pests that gardeners have to deal with down here. (not to mention the odd herd of feral pigs that might wander into the front yard and root up your entire newly sodded lawn) So you are successfully taking care of fleas and snails, what about ants and grasshoppers. They are ravaging all of my flower beds. The feral pigs are being trapped to lower their numbers. When I got up this morning there was a herd of 15-20 in the front pasture with the cattle. The trap had 6 or so and 4 more that were waiting outside 'cause the couldn’t fit in the trap. That brings the count up to 36 since last Friday. BTW, the small pigs are 15-25 lbs. and are great on the smoker. I betcha DT and the guys in the islands are wishing we could FtP some of this pork to 'em. Back to the boards. Tom Tom > If I had to trap them I would relocate them either to the rendering house, > or 5 miles offshore. …Snort!>>> I started using DE for lawn fleas about 12 years ago. This year the local > nursery started selling DE in one pound bags for $6.00. It kills all > crawling insects on plants, and on the ground, even termites. The catch > is, when it gets wet, it packs. You should apply DE when you expect a few > rain free days.>>> The biggest advantage of DE is that its action is physical. It leaves no > chemical residue. Imagine being a bug, trying to live in a house with > glass shards covering your floor. It’s death.>>> …okay, back to surfboards.

Noodle, does DE pose any hazard to dogs in the yard? This sounds like great stuff if it is pet safe. How do you apply it? With a broadcast spreader? By hand? Thanks for the input and the tip.

DE doesn’t hurt mamals that I know of. I used to put it on my dog before he died of old age [frown] I spread DE by hand in a 5’ band around my patio. DE is no heavy duty bug killer, and it doesn’t work fast. It merely controls crawling insects. When my mutt got severe infestations during rainy spells the chemicals came out. I don’t see how DE could work on grasshoppers. They move by flying and jumping.>>> does DE pose any hazard to dogs in the yard? This sounds like great stuff > if it is pet safe. How do you apply it? With a broadcast spreader? By > hand? Thanks for the input and the tip.

I used DE on my dog, but grasshoppers are a different matter. They are so hard to catch, but holding them down to apply the DE would be almost impossible.>>> does DE pose any hazard to dogs in the yard? This sounds like great stuff > if it is pet safe. How do you apply it? With a broadcast spreader? By > hand? Thanks for the input and the tip.

I used DE on my dog, but grasshoppers are a different matter.>>> They are so hard to catch, but holding them down to apply the DE would be > almost impossible. DE acts as a dessicant(sp?)on insects. It dries 'em up. Put rings of it around whatever you want to protect. The bugs have to walk or crawl through it. Don’t know about resin filler but keep your masks on when you’re using it, it’s not good for the lungs (see impact on insects above). In terms of cheap fillers (I’m not a board maker, so bear with me), what about silica? Those beads that are used in packing? I use it for fly-fishing. Dries the fly after it gets soaked. You grind the beads up in a coffee grinder to turn it into a powder.