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DE is a natural substance made from the bodies of tiny marine creatures called diatoms. DE is a crystaline form of silica and it is available as food grade, horticultural grade and industrial. For all intents and purposes the food grade and the horticultural grade are identical in the garden. The industrial grade DE has been altered by a heating process that reshapes each little diatom into a sphere shape. This type of DE is used in filtering systems such as your swimming pool or aquaraium and not to be used in the home or garden. Many people us DE as a food additive for their pets and livestock as it is an abrasive and has a very detrimental effect to internal parasites such as tapeworms. DE works well in the Organic Garden when it comes to controlling insects with an exoskeleton. It is an abasive and when it gets onto the insects movable joints, such as a leg joint or ankle joint or where its wings attach this abrasive DE literally grinds a hole thru the hard skeleton and the insect literally bleeds to death. DE has a limited effect on soft bodied insects, larvae and caterpillars and is rendered useless if it becomes even slightly wet. But otherwise a very helpful tool in the Organic Gardners tool box.