Diatomaceous Earth - Pill Bugs

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

At least you don't have this to deal with:

Do you eat the claws first, or the liver under the shell?

[Leafmite]

That thing is enormous!

I don't like killing the little buggers and, usually, I leave them alone as they don't cause trouble but, recently, they really shredded roots of some of my orchids and ate the buds of my Oncidium Twinkle. I still have a few pill bugs but the population has been greatly reduced. I have been picking off whatever I find, now, and putting them outside.

[Tindomul]

Like I said before, they really like buds!

[jkofferdahl]

I just found this thread. No idea how I missed it before!

My own experience with DE goes all of the way back to being a little boy. Each morning my grandmother would mix a tablespoon or so of DE into her breakfast juice. She said that it aided her digestion. It certainly didn't ever harm her, and, in fact, there are recipies written using DE as an ingredient. Personally, I'll pass.

In college, though, I looked at it more closely, as in under a microscope, and read a bit on it. When insects, arthropods, slugs, and other nasties encounter DE, it gets nasty on them. First, it acts like little grinders, busting open the delicate membranes just inside the exoskeleton. Thus, movement becomes difficult. But the grinding action causes insects to lose body fluids, then, apparently, somehow acts to completely desiccate the insect. Sounds good to me!

So, some years ago when faced with the various Georgia insects invading my home, I decided to try it. It worked, so I tried it on orchids, again with success. I dust my plants every two weeks or so after the first sight of an invader and the stuff wipes them out effectively and efficiently. As with others, I buy food grade only (I THINK it's more finely sifted). When I dust I put my dogs out and wear a dust mask; while touching DE is harmless and consuming DE is harmless (if not beneficial), inhaling it is not a good thing. Essentially, inhaled it can lead to a form of silicosis sometimes called "white lung". However, with just a touch of care it's as good an insect control method as I've found.

I wish it worked on mice!

[Dollythehun]

Tindo...That is just gross, now I'm going to be dreaming about those things! Ewwwwwww.😨

[Orchid Whisperer]

estacion seca is right. Whether pool grade, food grade, or sold for pest control, the hazard from diatomaceous earth is the same. Inhaling the dust can cause silicosis - wear a mask when using diatomaceous earth. Where dust is kept down by watering, the hazard is reduced (but if it dries enough, it can become airborne dust again if agitated).

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Tindo...That is just gross, now I'm going to be dreaming about those things! Ewwwwwww.😨

Giant pillbug Mornay... yum, yum, yum!

[Dollythehun]

Shame, Estacion.

[estación seca]

... and THIS orchid-growing tribe uses EVERY PART of the pillbug!

[jkofferdahl]

Love to eat them pill bugs,
Pill bugs is what I eat,
Nibble on they tiny toes
And chew they tiny feet!