Diotomaceous Earth (sp?)

[joybelles]

Hi Linda, (or anyone else with experience with DE) I'm going to do it, I'm going to put the fiddos in the aviary, Her-B notwithstanding. I have my DE in tow but I have questions about how to use it. Can you give me some advice?

Thanks.

[Sparkette65]

MJ
sent you a pm...please read....
thanks
lori

[joybelles]

Hey Lori, I didn't get it, unless it's in my personal mailbox. ??

[mjm8321]

Joy,
The pm was for me. LOL

Spread the DE around on the ground/floor. Just a light coating and make sure you don't inhale (or any of your animals either) the dust from this stuff. If you are using it inside, wait a day or two and then vacuum it up. If it's outside, leave it for a while then sweep it up and do another does if needed.
It won't hurt to just leave it outside actually, it's all natural and won't harm anything, except pests.

MJ

[shylevon]

Joy
I know of your fear of more cockroaches, so here are a few more tips. A lot won't apply to you, but they are useful to know.

COCKROACHES

·Prevention--Close off all cracks around pipes and electric lines where roaches enter the house by using cement, screening, or Brillo pads. Caulk small cracks along baseboards, walls, cupboards, and around pipes, sinks, and bathtub fixtures. Seal food tightly. Rinse food off dishes that are left overnight. Do not leave pet food out overnight.

·Release small geckos in your home and aviary. Provide dishes of water for them to drink. They will feast upon the roaches at night in the late evening, and sleep out of sight during daylight hours.

·Cut Hedge Apples (Osage Orange) in half and place several in the basement, around in cabinets, or under the house to repel roaches. Osage Orange is a fast growing shrub, which can be grown as a hedge around homes and aviaries. The crushed fruits of this plant are said to attract and kill cockroaches.

·Baking soda and powdered sugar mixed in equal parts and spread around infested area is a non-toxic roach killer.

·Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be sprinkled on areas where roaches are seen. Parrots should not breathe the powder as it is being applied in the aviary. One brand available in natural food markets is "Concern" by Necessary Organics Inc.

·Build a cockroach trap. Smear a thin layer of Vaseline around the inside lip of a pint jar to a width of about 2 inches. Place the jar upright, with bait inside, in an area frequented by cockroaches. Apple and potato make excellent bait for American, smoky-brown, and brown-banded roaches, while German roaches prefer banana peel. Change the bait often because fresh food is more appealing to roaches. Dusting the inside of a jar lightly with talcum powder and using the same bait food can make another trap. Roaches entering the jar are unable to climb back out over the petroleum jelly or talcum powder barrier. Destroy the trapped roaches by dropping them into a pail of hot, soapy water.

If there are no children or pets in the home and if birds have no access to the floor, the following mixtures can be used to kill roaches.
1. Mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 4 tablespoons borax, and 1-tablespoon cocoa. Set the mixture in dishes inside cupboards and behind large appliances where animals have no access.
2. Mix equal parts of oatmeal, flour, and plaster of Paris. Set out in dishes.
3. Sprinkle Borax where roaches travel.
4. Set out dishes containing equal parts of granulated sugar and Borax. Roaches are attracted to sugar, and the boric acid in Borax is deadly to roaches.

(Boric acid and Borax are toxic and should not be accessible to parrots and other pets. Baking soda is said to work as well as Borax in this formula and it is non-toxic.)

[joybelles]

Yes, thank you for all the info. I wondered about the inhalation, the box said that it souldn't be, then of course the neurotic me took over and almosted decided to ditch the whole project altogether. But I've noticed that since I've put it down it doesn't blow, especially if it's wet. So we're good to go.

The Aviary is coming along nicely. I'm putting up a new tin roof today, with my nephew's help. Yesterday we built two new nest boxes, that are really big enough for cockatiels but they look really good, so I'm happy, I'm sure the birds will be too. I'll post photos when I"m finished.

Thanks, as usual this board came through.

XXXOOO