Diatomaceous Earth Organic Food Grade Dust 4kg (Absorbacide)
Diatomaceous Earth is an organic food-grade diatom powder which is very versatile and popular for various uses including as an organic insect dust around the home and garden and as a high silica mineral supplement for horses, poultry, dogs, cats and other pets. However, this product is only registered for very limited uses in Australia, see disclaimer below for more information before purchase. Always read and follow the instructions on the items packaging/label before use. For easy and effective application consider using this dust in conjunction with the Professional Insecticidal Duster and the instructional book called “Going Green Using Diatomaceous Earth” listed below.
Active Constituent: 900g/kg Amorphous Silica. Bag Dimensions: 49 L x 34 W x 9 cm H (approximate)
Average particle size: 10 microns, but can contain particles up to 200 microns.
Hot Tips:
No 1. Don’t be fooled by other smaller bags of Diatomaceous Earth with fancy packaging. Some of these brands make exaggerated claims that make their product look superior but in reality, their product is just regular food grade Diatomaceous Earth just like this product but sold at a huge markup, up to 7 times the price. This DE is super fine, organic, food-grade, and as good as it gets, so keep this in mind when purchasing.
No 2. Not every brand of Diatomaceous Earth has the same weight! Some brands can be much heavier meaning that you get less dust for every kilo you purchase. Our 4kg bag is about 13.3 Litres in size. Don’t be fooled by heavier and lower grade alternatives.
No 3. This DE is extremely fine in grade with an average particle size of 10 microns. This fine grade makes it far more effective at killing insects than cheaper coarser grades on the market. Coarse DE is a cheaper type of DE and is not too be compared with this super fine product. See below for a coarser and cheaper type of DE, Diatomite Fines.
International Uses: Internationally, Diatomaceous Earth has a wide range of uses in organic agriculture and household pest control and is included in products which are registered, marketed and certified for the control of cockroaches, silverfish, ants, fleas, flies, ticks, lice, earwigs, aphids, whitefly, beetles, loopers, mites, snails, slugs, leaf hoppers. Diatomaceous Earth is also popular as an animal and equine supplement.
Disclaimer & Australian Registered Uses: Please note that Diatomaceous Earth is not registered in Australia for many of the international and other uses listed above. In Australia its range of registered uses is limited to the following: For the control of various stored product insect pests in farm-stored feed grain, farm-stored seed grain, grain for human consumption not handled by or delivered to bulk grain handling authorities, harvesting and other grain-handling machinery, grain bins, silos and other storage facilities, food processing and warehouse facilities as per directs for use.
Current Australian research and product development is focused on:
- Bed bugs.
- Poultry pests: Red mite, Darkling beetle and Lice.
- Internal Parasites of stock: poultry, goats and sheep.
More Information: For more information about Diatomaceous Earth from manufacturer – Click Here.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Is this Diatomaceous Earth safe for humans to eat?
A. The product is registered as food grade for specific uses, but we cannot say conclusively if DE is safe to eat because it is not registered for human consumption in Australia. However, we do know staff members and friends of ours who do take this DE regularly by mixing it with juice or water and none have reported serious ill effects and virtually all have been happy with the results.
From the Manufacturer: There is nothing about raw diatomite (diatomaceous earth) that is harmful to human health. In theory, it is perfectly safe for human consumption and many people, all over the world, consume it on a regular basis for various purported health benefits. Even though our diatomite is the purest diatomite mined in Australia (typically 90-95%) and nothing is added to the diatomite during processing, we do not recommend our products for human consumption. This is because we don’t prepare them under the aseptic conditions government regulations require for products designed for human consumption.
Q. What is the Country of origin of this Diatomaceous Earth?
A. Australia.
Q. Is this Diatomaceous Earth from freshwater or saltwater diatoms?
A. Freshwater. Mostly melosiraspecies.
Q. Is Diatomaceous Earth safe to use for flea Control on Kittens that are 3 weeks old?
A. We can’t comment on how safe Diatomaceous Earth is because it’s not registered for this kind of use. However, we have known people who have used it on young kittens without any ill effects.
Q. What is the average particle size of this Diatomaceous Earth?
A. According to the manufacturer, the average particle size is 10 microns, but it can contain particles up to 200 microns.
Q. Why does the packing of this item not mention “Food Grade” or “Diatomaceous Earth” and how can i be sure it really is food grade DE?
A. We have been sourcing this product for many years from Mount Sylvia Diatomite and they have assured us that this product is indeed Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. We are not sure why the manufacturer decided not to mention food grade or DE on the packing but it likely has more do with marketing and to focus on their brand of DE called “Absorbacide”. The manufacturer of this item refers to this item on their website as Diatomite which is synonymous with DE. Click here for manufacturers website.
Q. What is the amount of crystalline silica in your food grade diatomaceous earth?
A. Diatomaceous earth, which is a natural product, derived from the remains of freshwater plankton. The product contains no detectable cristoballite. It may contain up to 3% quartz.
Chemical Ingredients Powder Name CAS Proportion
Diatomaceous earth 61790-53-2 96%
Silica as quartz 14808-60-7 <3%
Note From Manufacturer: What this means is that there is no detectable crystalline silica in our diatomite. Technically, quartz (beach sand) is crystalline silica but is usually not included in estimates of crystalline silica. We commonly have around 1-3% of this in our diatomite. This information can be seen on the products MSDS, see download tab
Q. Can the DE be used for a chicken dust bath?
A. I haven’t got a definitive answer but from what I know already and from what I’ve read online it’s probably best not to use Diatomaceous Earth for chook dust baths since it may lead to too much DE dust being breathed in which may be harmful. DE is best applied when the amount that reaches the face of the bird can be minimised but I don’t think dust baths allow for this.
Q. Is this DE white or Grey powder?
A. The colour does vary from batch to batch, but it’s usually a very light grey. Sometimes it can be more white or more grey depending on the batch.
Q. Why does this DE product not include instructions for its many other uses?
A. This product is only registered in Australia for very limited uses like for grain storage pests, therefore the manufacturer is not legally allowed to put application rates for other uses in Australia. However, in the US and most other countries, Diatomaceous Earth is allowed for many more varied uses and application instructions for these uses can be found on Youtube or for more detailed information consider the book “Going Green Using Diatomaceous Earth: How to Tips” (see below)
Q. Do you have an analysis of this DE?
A. Click here is an analysis report for this DE product from the manufacturer.
Q. Is Diatomaceous Earth suitable for controlling ticks in the garden?
A. According to the book “Going Green: Using Diatomaceous Earth” there is anecdotal evidence that DE is effective on Brown Dog Tick.
Q. Is this Diatomaceous Earth suitable for use as a horse wormer?
A. Yes, apparently DE is suitable for this purpose though its not registered in Australia for this kind of use. I’ve read this in multiple places and I also looked it up in the book Going Green: Using Diatomaceous Earth How to Tips. This book states its suitable for internal parasites in animals including horses.
FOR MORE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS SEE DOWNLOAD TAB.