Long Term Storage
From Cornburning
Generally it is the best to only buy enough corn to last one season. However, favorable buying conditions, early spring warm-ups, or other conditions may conspire to leave you with corn to hold over for the summer. In this event, there are several things you should watch for. The first, possible insect damage. Warmer wetter weather can cause insect hatches that can ruin your corn. To avoid this you should mix Diatomaceous Earth with the corn.
Diatomaceous Earth is NOT a Chemical!
Diatomaceous (die-uh-toe-may-shus) Earth, also commonly known as DE, is a deposit that is mined from the earth, resulting in a fine, white powder. It is composed of the fossilized microscopic remains of one-celled plants called Diatoms. These microscopic plants are found in all the waters of the earth and serve as the basic food for minute aquatic life.
Diatomaceous earth is used for both internal and external parasite control and as an all-natural pesticide
Just add 7-10 lbs. of Diatomaceous Earth to each ton of grain as it is conveyed into the storage. When added to grain, Diatomaceous Earth kills the bugs that are present. This protects the grain from further invasions. And the bugs can not become immune and they were killed by physical action, not chemical!
How it Works It is so ridiculously simple! Diatomaceous earth has been described as looking like spiny honeycombs with microscopic razor sharp edges. These sharp edges lacerate a parasite’s soft body and an insect’s waxy outer skeleton, causing their body fluids to leak out. This causes death by dehydration. It is impossible for insects and parasites to develop an immunity to DE, because the cause of death is due to a mechanical (physical) action - not a poison!
This is the wonderful thing about DE! It’s action is totally natural - and it is harmless to larger living things. It is perfectly safe for humans, mammals, birds, fish, reptiles - even earthworms - because the sharp edges are just too microscopic to do us big guys any harm. When humans and animals ingest DE to control internal parasites, it harms ONLY the parasites! There are no side-effects to the person or animal and no build-up of toxic chemicals in the body. This means, that when given to farm animals, there is no waiting time for butchering or egg eating, and it is perfectly safe to give pregnant and lactating animals. In addition, it is also perfectly safe for plants of all kinds, and can be used as an insecticide on edible fruits and vegetables right up to the day of harvest!
All Diatomaceous Earth is NOT the same! Diatomaceous Earth comes in at least three grades: Food Grade, Horticultural Grade and Filter Grade.
There are more than 600 deposits of diatomaceous earth in the American southwest, and most are salt water deposits. These deposits are very impure and can even contain dangerous chemicals, including arsenic. There are also deposits of fresh water diatomaceous earth, and with this type, the purity is exceptional. This DE is so pure that the Food and Drug Administration has designated it as "food-grade".
Filter Grade diatomaceous earth is the type of DE that you find at pool supply stores. Under NO circumstances should Filter Grade DE be used for anything that could be consumed at a later date. It should not be used for insect control in corn because It has been treated, milled and subjected to extremely high temperatures (about 1800°F), causing it to assume crystalline form, and is poisonous to both animals and humans. In addition, it won’t kill insects, but ironically, it can also end up in paints, cosmetics and drugs.
Food Grade diatomaceous earth is mined from pure, fresh water deposits and has not been treated, milled or heated. The manufacturer, Perma-Guard, Inc. is the original and largest supplier of food-grade diatomaceous earth products in the world.
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