I've been using the Napa 8822 for the past few years in the gritty mix and it has worked beautifully. I've purchased approx. 20 bags of the stuff and all have been solid performers with relatively few fines. I've purchased 3 bags (50#) of Turface and all 3 had a much larger percentage of fines than the Napa. They may be different depending on batches, but it has been consistent for me. Take a look at who generates the Napa product -- it's written on the bag down at the bottom: EP Minerals. Same folks, nearly identical product, as Axis (Turface competitor). I did a breakdown the first time I sifted and Turface had approx 20% waste whereas the 8822 had only about 2%. So although the 8822 was like 2 bucks more for 50lbs, it was still less expensive. Yes inhaling small particulates into the lungs is never a good thing. I think the concern is called airborne silicosis caused from the tiny silica that is generated from the firing process. There *might be* more silica in the calcined DE (Napa), but there is definitely dangerous amounts of it in calcined clay (Turface) as well. You really should b wearing the NIOSH n95 mask either way.

Thanks so much to everyone for the continued advice. The pyrethrum is a new one to me - if the DE doesn't work, I'll move on to that. I had considered the Sevin dust, in extremis - it's been mentioned several times as the Holy Hand Grenade of critter control in various threads. Honestly, one reason I hadn't gone there is that the label does not identify aphids among the five or six dozen insects that the dust controls, so I figured that the little buggers weren't affected by it. The other is my daughter, just turned three today. While I'm reasonably confident I can keep her out of the garden until the dusts and sprays settle, I'm still a bit reluctant to use anything too potent. I'm not losing my veggies just to stay organic, but I'm not risking exposing my daughter to something nasty just for veggies. Albaby

I purchased a 50 lb bag for 25$ and find it works for: reducing the baldness that comes from outside on my dog and cat. Works wonders. I am also putting it in their food for Tx for worms. I am currently using it on my horses for the same. However, it ruined my veggie garden by warding off my pollinators. How sad! I got one zuke and 3 yellow squash only. We have those japanese beetles that have so many offspring I had to try something. I had not even gotten 1 zuke in past years. The diatomaceous earth is food grade and edible. Supposidly it is pure silica, and it is good for hair, nails, and worming! It doesn't kill the ants, but makes them move. I have been herding them out of the front yard and have way less that in previous years. I bought a duster to use on the lawn, nothing is going to help with this seasons numbers of fleas. Oh yes, got 1 apple per tree, only 4 peaches on two trees? Of course I applied to the trees! It does kill the black power on my gardenia. I guess it is trial and error?

There's an awful lot of misinformation and conflicting info out there on DE, which I'd like to try and help clear up, because I hate to think of folk eating DE with pesticide (yes, some DE has a pesticide bait, such as the bag in the image halfway up the page). First, there are not two, but three different categories or grades of DE: (1) Codex or "fossil shell flour," which is the true food grade and is added to animal feeds as an anti-caking agent to to assist if flowability. If you're going to take DE orally -- and I offer no advice on the wisdom of this -- you want to make sure you see the word "Codex" on the label, which tells you it has been tested and meets certain criteria, including thresholds of safety on contaminants such as arsenic and lead. (2) pool grade, which is high in crystalline silica (the bad stuff), and, as such, works great in pool filters. But it should never, ever be used as a pesticide or in any food applications. (3) This is the tricky category: DE pesticides, which are variously labeled as "natural" pestides for gardens, pets, grain storage and for various types of insects. This is the type of DE you will likely find in the garden section of your local store, and which will be variously described on the bag labels as "insect killers" or "pesticides," and which will not contain the word "Codex" on the label. These types of DE may (or may not) be coated with pesticides. Perma-Guard, one of the better known brands of both Codex and pesticide DEs, explains it this way on their website: "The addition of Pyrethrins and Piperonyl butoxide is to irritate the bug, causing the bug to become active, allowing the DE to work more quickly." These two pesticide compounds are commonly used in lice shampoos and in sprays & fogs for bedbugs, mosquitoes, garden pests, etc. The only way to know if the DE at your local garden center is "coated" or "baited" is to read the label. And carefully. But even if they aren't coated, they are not Codex and are therefore not considered safe for human consumption. I hate to think of folk acting on bad advice and then munching down on DE that is either bait-coated or contains higher levels of, say, arsenic and lead. A lot of people assume that, if it's not pool grade, then it must be the Codex food grade. But there is that 3rd category, from which a good bit of confusion and misinformation seems to generate. As with any thing you use -- whether it's for bugs or people -- it's really important to read the label and to understand what you are reading.