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Everything You Need To Know For Total Rodent Control

Diatomaceous Earth: The Secret Weapon in Your Pest Control Arsenal

Graveyard Gardening: Using Diatomaceous Earth to Revive Soil

Homemade Halloween Decor: Cauldron Concoctions

How to protect plants during the colder season: Mummify

Spooky Soil Secrets: Unearth the Magic of Diatomaceous Earth for Halloween Gardens

Top 10 Beginner Gardening Tips

Spring Detox Guide: Smoothie Recipes

How To Use Diatomaceous Earth!

Diatomaceous Earth Lemonade Recipe

Does Diatomaceous Earth Kill Bed Bugs?

How to Apply Diatomaceous Earth for Cockroaches

Natural Indoor Ant Treatment

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth: Human Benefits

Diatomaceous Earth: Natural Bed Bug Control

DE Detox: Cleanse Your Body with Diatomaceous Earth

How to Chase Away Rodents with Diatomaceous Earth

Natural Flea Control for Cats with Diatomaceous Earth

Natural Flea Control for Dogs with Diatomaceous Earth

Does Diatomaceous Earth Have Side Effects?

Diatomaceous Earth for Cats

The Difference Between DE and Bentonite Clay

Health Benefits of Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous Earth: The Natural Cockroach Killer

Diatomaceous Earth for Dogs

Can Diatomaceous Earth Help Me Lose Weight?

Beginner's Guide to Diatomaceous Earth

Why Home Remedies for Bed Bugs Are Your Only Option

Diatomaceous Earth Benefits Your Hair, Skin, and Nails

Using DE to Polish Copper Bottomed Pots and Pans

Keep Silverware from Tarnishing

Diatomaceous Earth: Deodorizing The Bread Box

Diatomaceous Earth: Elk Feed Additive

Polishing and Cleaning Silver and Pewter Utensils

Polishing and Cleaning Utensils (Non-Silver)

Diatomaceous Earth: Deodorizing Your Vacuum

Diatomaceous Earth: Goose Feed Additive

Diatomaceous Earth: Deodorizing Shoes

Diatomaceous Earth: Bison Feed Additive

Diatomaceous Earth: Polish Out Hard Water Stains

How Do You Spell Diatomaceous Earth?

Diatomaceous Earth: Deodorizing Trash Cans

Diatomaceous Earth: Duck Feed Additive

How Our Diatomaceous Earth Is Going Green

Deodorizing Cupboards, Drawers, and Closets with DE

Pesticides and Dogs Don't Mix

The Many Names of Diatomaceous Earth

Wilcox 3 Quart Duster

Dustin-Mizer Duster

JT Eaton Duster

Diatomaceous Earth: Protect Food Storage

wheat-sacks

Using diatomaceous earth to store food is not a new idea. Many ancient cultures mixed DE into their grain to protect it from insects. This is still practiced today in agriculture for grains and animal feed. You can also use DE to help preserve food storage items such as grains, flour, legumes, rice, corn, and other dry foods. Not only does DE deter unwanted insects, but it also absorbs moisture, which helps keep food dry and mold-free. Another perk of using DE is that it is completely natural, so it helps eliminate the need for artificial preservatives.

Here's what you will need:

  • A bag of 100% food grade diatomaceous earth
  • A kitchen sieve or sifting scoop

We recommend applying about 1 teaspoon of diatomaceous earth for every pound of food (or 1 cup of DE for every 50 lbs. of food, if you are storing large quantities). If you are placing food items into long-term storage, we recommend increasing the amount of DE to 1½ or 2 teaspoons for every pound of food.

Step 1:

Using your applicator, dust a thin layer of DE over the bottom of your storage container.

Step 2:

Pour 3 or 4 inches of food into your container on top of the DE.

Step 3:

Apply another thin layer of DE on top of the food.

Step 4:

Continue layering 3 or 4 inches of dry food between layers of DE until the container is full.

Step 5:

Cover the container and give it a good shake. If the container is large and heavy, simply tip it back and forth at different angles a few times. This will allow your layers of DE to settle throughout the container. The idea is to get all the food more or less equally coated with DE.

Step 6:

Open the container and apply a final layer of DE on top of the food. Don't mix in this layer; just let it rest on top.

Step 7:

Seal the container and place it into storage. If the container is sealed properly there will be no need to reapply DE.

Step 8:

When you are ready to use the food you have stored, you can place it in a strainer and rinse the DE off with water. This isn't a requirement though. DE won't really change the way your food tastes, and it contains beneficial trace minerals. Though it may sound obvious, you won't be able to rinse DE out of flour.

That's really all there is to it! Just remember to only use a high-quality food grade diatomaceous earth, and remember that this only works for dry food storage. Also, if you have a food storage item that is already infested with insects, throw it away so it won't contaminate good food.