Diatomaceous Earth

And by "mechanical," no, we don't mean it sends in teeny-tiny Iron Men to blast your cockroaches, bedbugs and other insect pests. Instead, teeny-tiny razor-sharp edges penetrate the bug's exoskeleton. The insect's internal liquid leaks out onto the absorbent DE, and the bug dehydrates and dies. Hey, we said DE was green; we didn't say it was nice.

As with anything dusty, nontoxic or not, you don't want to breathe it in, so have your staffer wear a dust mask when using it. Regardless, it's sure a darn sight safer than the traditional boric acid and most chemical sprays you're using. Which us leads us now to our Reading Rainbow moment: To learn more about diatomaceous earth, see articles like the Associated Press story, "Pest Control Business Turns to Greener Methods."

Since diatomaceous (pronounced "die-ah-toh-MAY-shus") earth is a naturally occurring mineral, it's available in a wide variety of packages, weights and prices. Sources include:

Best Prices Storable Foods • P.O. Box 3182 [or] 1715 CR 2540 Quinlan, Texas 75474 • (972) 288-0262 • txfooddude@internet-grocer.net

Biconet • 5116 Williamsburg Road, Brentwood, Tenn. 37027 • (615) 370-4301 • toll-free (800) 441-BUGS • info@biconet.com

Dirt Works • 1195 Dog Team Road, New Haven, Vt. 05472 • (802) 385-1064 • toll-free (877) 213-3828 • jfmeshna@dirtworks.net

Golden Harvest Organics • 404 N. Impala Drive, Fort Collins, Colo. 80521 • (970) 224-4679 • info@ghorganics.com

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