Pest identification and DE

[kittywitty]

Are there any sites where you can identify the pests/plant problems by damage done-not by insect? I don't know what is eating my plants, but I do see the damage. Something has chewed off a good portion of my bean leaves and there are a bunch of medium holes where it looks almost lacy on my peas. I remember waaay back when finding a guide, but can not now. I've googled all day!

Also, does anyone know where to buy Diatomaceous Earth online affordably? It's not available around here and paying over $10 shipping for a small bottle on amazon seems insane.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Wow you can get a HUGE bag of DE powder at a pool place for about $10 here.

Be careful with a soap solution if you do go that route- I tried using a weak palmolive solution and it nearly killed my eggplants and bellpeppers...

[Owen'nZoe]

This isn't a website, but Tanya Denckla's A to Z Guide to gardening is a great resource. For each crop included in the book, she includes a list of common pests. You can then look up the individual pests in the back of the book, where she tells you what they look like, and what the damage they do looks like.

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen

Wow you can get a HUGE bag of DE powder at a pool place for about $10 here.

I read that the pool kind of DE is different than garden/food safe DE?

[Tarielena]

I haven't checked first hand, but I have read in other threads talking about DE that you can get the food-grade kind a lot cheaper in a Farm $ Fleet type store, somewhere that sells livestock food etc.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

I read that the pool kind of DE is different than garden/food safe DE?

Oh geez, I had no idea! Thanks for the info.

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by Tarielena

I haven't checked first hand, but I have read in other threads talking about DE that you can get the food-grade kind a lot cheaper in a Farm $ Fleet type store, somewhere that sells livestock food etc.

We have a Rural King and no DE is sold there. We'll be out of state next week, maybe I'll look around while we're there?

[mattemma04]

Try your local feed stores.You might be able to get them to order some if they do not carry it,but most carry one form or another.