Frequently Asked Questions

Why High Quality D.E.?

How Does Diatomaceous Earth Work?

How is DE Handled and How Can I Buy It?

Why High Quality D.E.?

D.E. is found throughout the world, however, all deposits are not formed with the same qualities.

Paulson Ag Products high quality D.E. is a very pure D.E.: it has unusually high absorbency, has less than 0.1% crystalline silica, contains no additives or baits and meets FDA Food Grade standards.

How Does Diatomaceous Earth Work?

All insects have a wax-like layer that covers the surface of their bodies called the epicutical layer; D.E. absorbs the waxy epicutical and internal lipids leading to excessive water loss, and insect death is by desiccation. The higher the absorptive ability of the D.E. the more effective in desiccating and controlling insects.

D.E. started out millions of years ago as single celled algae. This single celled algae collected available silica from the water in which it lived and created its shell from this available silica. These shell covered single celled algae are referred to as Diatoms. After the Diatoms died, the tubular shaped shells sank and collected on the bottom of the sea or lakebeds. The diatoms then ended up as sediment at the bottom of the body of water eventually becoming part of the Earth’s crust.

Once D.E. comes in contact with the waxy epicutical of the insect, D.E. absorbs more than its own weight in the insect’s wax coating. This creates an opening in the insect’s protective coating. This gap allows the natural migration of the insect’s body fluids to escape. The insect dies of dehydration very quickly thus eliminating the need to spray potentially dangerous chemicals. D.E. does not have a shelf life and does not lose potency with age.
The use of D.E. as a grain protectant dates back more than 4,000 years in Chinese History. Diatomaceous Earth is one of the oldest naturally occurring pesticides in the world. Modern studies go back as far as the early 1920’s in this country, as scientists searched for a solution to grain storage and product degradation issues related to infestation problems in storage bins.

Diatomaceous Earth is now mined from the sedimentary layers that were once ocean and lake bottoms. The mined material is then put through an extensive milling process that reduces the particle size to between 5 to 50 microns. This size greatly increases the surface area of the material. Diatomaceous Earth is highly absorbent, in fact, it will absorb about 1.5 times its physical weight in oil. This is the actual characteristic that makes this material work so well in controlling most insects that cause damage to grain in storage facilities.

How is D.E. Handled and How Can I Buy It?

D.E. can be applied either (wet) or dry. D.E. should first be used as a pre-bin treatment on clean empty bins and then added directly to the grain mass at a rate of 10 lbs. per 1000 bu. D.E. is generaly added to the grain mass during transfer from farm truck to storage. It can also be used during transfer from one bin to another at any convenient conveyance opening.

D.E. is available in 50 lb. Bags F.O.B. our plant. It is available through Paulson Ag Products of Wilsonville, Oregon and can be ordered over the phone at 503-582-1760. You may fax your order or questions to 503-582-0630. Our email address is info@paulsonag.com. Prices and samples are available at your request.