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www.TheSilverEdge.comHi, Steve Barwick here, for The Silver Edge…
Several weeks ago, I posted an unusual article titled "Stop Termites With Colloidal Silver," which explained how folks have used colloidal silver to help stop termite infestations in their homes.
And a few months ago, I posted another article titled "Can Colloidal Silver Help Control Mosquitoes in Your Backyard?", which explained precisely how to do so.
Those articles got me to thinking: Is colloidal silver effective against other insect pests, as well? And if so, why? After all, colloidal silver is mostly used for fighting infection – i.e., killing off infectious microbes like bacteria, viruses, fungi and even parasites.
But insects?
Well, let's take a look at the first question first, with some specific examples. And in the course of doing so, we'll also discuss the "why" silver actually works against the particular insects we'll be covering:
Using Colloidal Silver to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
My wife is an avid organic gardener.
And because of that she keeps a large gallon-sized plastic "mulch" container next to the kitchen sink for fresh fruit and vegetable scraps such as watermelon rinds, corn husks, potato peelings, apple peelings and other organic materials.
Of course, there's only two of us living in the house. The kids are all grown and long gone. So nowadays it might take a week to fill that plastic container with enough food scraps to take to the composter outdoors.
And on occasion, particularly during hot summer months, if the plastic container hasn't been emptied fast enough into the outdoor composter, we experience an outbreak of tiny fruit flies in the kitchen – which of course can be quite aggravating.
The simple solution is to take the darned plastic mulch container outside, empty its contents into the composter, and then thoroughly clean it out before bringing it back into the house.
But my wife keeps a small glass spray bottle of colloidal silver next to the kitchen sink for disinfection purposes. And one day when we had an outbreak of the fruit flies, she got the idea of spraying the inside of the container and all of its contents with the colloidal silver.
And voila! No more fruit flies. What happened?
Well, once again, it turns out that fruit flies are fairly voracious eaters. In fact, they feed on anything that produces alcohol, which includes fruits and veggies when they begin to decay and ferment.
The gnats not only feed on these decaying/fermenting fruits and veggies, but they also lay hundreds of eggs at a time in the decomposing foods.
But by spraying the colloidal silver onto the fruit and veggie scraps in the plastic mulch container, the fermentation/decay process – which is caused by bacteria – was temporarily stopped, depriving the fruit flies of their favorite food.
Finally, I think it's important to note that in a 2011 study published in the International Journal of Nanomedicine, it was demonstrated that silver is toxic to the eggs of Drosophilia – the genus of flies which includes fruit flies.
So, when my wife sprayed her fruit and vegetable mulch with colloidal silver, it not only killed the bacteria that produce the fermentation byproducts the fruit flies feed on, but it also likely killed any fruit fly eggs that had already been laid!
Using Colloidal Silver to Get Rid of Aphids from Rose Bushes
Early this past summer several of my wife's rose bushes became infested with aphids. The leaves of her beautiful plants were slowly being destroyed, turning yellow and mottled.
She remembered what happened to the fruit flies when she sprayed her infested fruit and veggie mulch container with colloidal silver. So, she tried spraying the infested rose leaves with colloidal silver as well.
And guess what? It worked like a charm!
Within two days the aphids were completely gone. Not a single sign of them.
And the rose leaves recovered and began looking fresh and shiny and new, like they do at the beginning of every growing season.
Why did this work?
Probably for the same reason the silver worked on the termites. You see, aphids are another of the 10% of insect species that rely upon intracellular bacteria for their development and survival.
The aphids feed off plants, such as rose leaves. They are voracious eaters. They literally suck the sap from the plants resulting in a diet that is rich in carbohydrates but low in amino acids.
But the bacteria the aphids harbor in their abdominal tract – particularly a microbe known as Buchnera aphidicola – aids in turning the plant sap into beneficial amino acids and other substances needed by the aphids for life itself.
The symbiosis between the aphids and the bacteria is said to be so great, neither of them can survive without the other.
In one study this symbiosis was investigated. Here's what the researchers found:
"On a growth medium without amino acids, aphids can grow and reproduce. However, if an antibiotic that kills bacteria is added to the medium, the aphids fail to grow and reproduce. This suggests that bacterial symbionts are essential in supplying the amino acids."
In other words, the researchers discovered that when the aphid's food contained an antibiotic substance, the aphids could no longer produce the amino acids needed for life. That's because the antibiotic substance on the food killed the amino acid-producing microbes that dwell inside the aphid!
Similarly, when the aphid-infested leaves of my wife's rose bushes were sprayed with colloidal silver – the world's most powerful natural antibiotic – the silver likely destroyed the microbes in the aphid's digestive tract and disrupted their digestive cycle to such a degree that they either died, or left the area for better pickings elsewhere.
(As a sidenote: My wife said she examined the area carefully, and could find no sign of dead aphids, even though there had previously been thousands of aphids coating the infested leaves of her rose bushes. So, whether the colloidal silver killed the aphids, or simply disrupted their digestion to the point they left the area in search of a less problematic food source, we don't know.)
Using Colloidal Silver to Get Rid of Cockroaches
Can you spray colloidal silver on your floors (or simply mop your floors with it) to get rid of pesky cockroaches?
A study titled "Anti-bacterial Performance of Colloidal Silver-Treated Laminate Wood Flooring" which was published in the journal International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation suggests you can!
Indeed, it was revealed by the study authors that cockroaches will avoid laminate wood floor coverings if they contain colloidal silver. In fact, during the study the cockroaches avoided walking on the flooring an astonishing 87% of the time!
The study authors could not explain why the cockroaches avoided the laminate flooring when it was impregnated with colloidal silver.
They stated, "Under this framework, our data facilitate further study and insight into the biological effects of colloidal silver, in particular to obtain an explanation for cockroach avoidance of colloidal silver impregnated surfaces."
But the answer to the dilemma might already be known. In fact, it's been known since the mid-1940's.
You see, cockroaches are also part of that estimated 10% of the insect kingdom that appear to depend upon a very close relationship with bacteria for their very lives.
As R.W. Glaser of the Department of Animal and Plant Pathology for the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research has wrote back in 1946, in a study published in the Journal of Parasitology titled "The Intracellular Bacteria of the Cockroach in Relation to Symbiosis":
"The presence of intracellular bacilli in all species of cockroaches, so far investigated, has been known for many years. These bacteria are densely packed within the cytoplasm of certain specialized fat cells termed bacteriocytes. The microorganisms are transmitted from generation to generation through the ova."
In other words, cockroaches are loaded with bacteria, internally. And those intracellular bacteria are passed along to the young even before they're born.
Glaser points out that studies conducted as far back as 1945 demonstrated that when penicillin was administered to cockroaches to destroy the bacteria living in their bodies, "the roaches died after some days had elapsed."
Indeed, the authors of the earlier 1945 study, Brues and Dunn, stated at that time, "We cannot regard the present results as conclusive evidence that the bacteroids are necessary for the continued life of the cockroaches, but they make it appear very probable that such is the case, and that they are symbiotic, and not parasitic, microorganisms."
In other words, all available evidence points to the fact that the cockroaches depend upon the bacteria they harbor inside their bodies for life itself. The bacteria aid the cockroaches in numerous ways, including digestion and possibly even reproduction.
In fact, additional research conducted in the 1960's, including a study published in the Journal of Bacteriology in February of 1961, titled "Electron Microscopy of Symbiotic Bacteria in Developing Oocytes of the American Cockroach, Periplaneta Americana" confirmed the symbiotic nature of the relationship between cockroaches and the internal bacteria they harbor.
Indeed, the study authors noted that there seemed to be a direct relationship between the bacteria harbored intracellularly by the cockroaches, and the egg membrane of the cockroaches.
It appeared to the study authors to be quite possible that the bacteria secreted a substance necessary for cockroach egg development. In other words, without these bacteria, the cockroaches couldn't even reproduce!
Said the study authors:
"The relationships between the egg membrane and the symbiote [i.e., the bacteria – ED] furnish further evidence that one, or possibly all, of these factors and others not yet understood are directly influencing egg development…
…Whatever the nature of the association between host membranes and symbiotes may be throughout the life cycles of the host and symbiote, it is obvious that the level of symbiosis is one that involves a very highly integrated system."
In other words, the egg membranes of the cockroaches and the symbiotic bacteria living in those membranes work so closely together as to constitute a single system. The bacteria are part of the roaches very life!
Is it any wonder then that cockroaches would avoid a colloidal silver-impregnated flooring like the plague?
The very bacteria their lives depend upon would be endangered by any contact with and uptake of silver. And it appears the cockroaches instinctively understand this!
Using Colloidal Silver to Get Rid of Fungal Gnats
A member of the Colloidal Silver Secrets Community on Facebook posted to say she had an interesting way of getting rid of fungal gnats. Here's what she wrote:
"I had a bunch of fungus gnats in my greenhouse from some organic dirt. It was so nasty.
I put 2 oz. of colloidal silver into a gallon of water and watered all the plants...I did this twice and ALL the gnats were gone!!!"
– Jill S.
Well that got me pretty curious, so I did some research into fungus gnats, and here's what I found on the Orkin website:
"Fungus gnats belong to the family Sciaridae and typically are found in and around areas with high humidity.
Female fungus gnats deposit their eggs in soil or other damp, decaying organic plant material. These eggs hatch into larvae.
The larvae of some species feed on fungus in over-watered soil, but there are other species that consume plant roots as a source of nutrients. This leads to diminished health in affected plants.
When infested with fungus gnat larvae, plants show signs of stunted development.
Gnat larvae also carry plant pathogens and make plants highly susceptible to various plant diseases."
Aha! It appears that gnats are another of the little insect critters that carry pathogenic microorganisms as a routine part of their existence.
Indeed, according to SaferBrand.com, "During their life span, fungus gnats carry plant disease from one host plant to another creating big problems for home gardeners."
More importantly, perhaps is the fact that fungus gnats have only a short seven to 10-day lifespan, and most of that is spent underground in the larval stage.
The gnats lay their eggs in damp soil, preferably in over-watered soil where decay is setting in and fungus is beginning to grow. And the tiny larvae feed off this decaying fungal-infested medium.
According to a Colorado State University fact sheet, "Larvae of fungus gnats feed on algae, fungi and plant roots in growing medium." And according to Sea-of-Green.com, "Fungus gnats are attracted to soils that are moist and tend to grow fungus."
My reason for digging this information out is that Jill S. above noted that she solved her problem with fungal gnats in her greenhouse by adding several ounces of colloidal silver to a gallon of water, and watering all of her plants with it. Apparently, she repeated this procedure for two days in a row.
Do you think the colloidal silver killed the fungus that the fungus gnat larvae feed on, depriving them of their food source? It's quite possible!
The adult fungus gnats have only a few days lifespan, so they would have died off anyway, on their own, most likely.
But we can speculate with some degree of certainty that the fungus gnat larvae growing in the moist plant soil would have lost their fungal food source after the applications of colloidal silver, thus preventing them from making it to the adult flying stage.
Using Colloidal Silver to Prevent or Eliminate Fleas on Both Dogs and Cats
Colloidal silver user Carol B., wrote:
"I started putting a small amount of colloidal silver into the water bowl my dog and cat drink out of. Funny thing happened. They don't have fleas!
I would normally be forced to use the strong, spot-on flea pesticides early in the spring but I haven't used any at all this year. It's almost unbelievable, but it works!"
If you're a pet lover, like me, you'll have to admit that's certainly a very interesting use for colloidal silver.
Several years ago, my Chow, Red Dog, got fleas, and they were making him quite miserable. Because he had such thick hair, the traditional flea collar didn't work at all. I could forcibly separate the hair on his back or mane with my fingers and see the fleas crawling around on his skin in droves.
So, I made a quart batch of colloidal silver stronger than I'd normally use (i.e., about 30 ppm) and put it into a pump spray bottle and began spraying it topically on him, while rubbing it into his fur and skin. I did this three times a day, for three days. And by the third day, the fleas were gone.
Now, if I even suspect there might be fleas, I start giving my dogs an extra dose of colloidal silver, orally. And so far, the fleas have left them alone. If they ever do come back, I'll simply apply the colloidal silver topically, as described above.
So there just might be something to Carol's discovery. I'd love to hear from other dog and cat owners on this particular use for colloidal silver. Have you ever given your pets colloidal silver and noticed a corresponding decrease in fleas?
Using Colloidal Silver to Stop Dust Mite Infestations in Your Bedding
Scientists say your bedding is crawling with millions of microscopic dust mites and unseen colonies of bacteria at just about any point in time.
Indeed, as much as 10% of the weight of a two-year old pillow can be composed of dead dust mites and their droppings, which many people are allergic to (and wonder why they wake up in the mornings with clogged noses, itchy eyes and even swollen eyelids).
Dust mites live on the dead skin which humans shed during the night, as well as on the moisture (sweat) exuded from our bodies which gets soaked up by our bedding. Millions upon millions of mites (and bacteria) can be found living on your bedding at any point in time.
What can you do about it?
Washing your sheets and pillow cases frequently (at least once per week, in very hot water) can help reduce the numbers of dust mites and bacteria on your bedding, and well as the amount of dust mite excrement.
And here's a surprise: Studies show that dust mites appear to hate contact with silver. So lightly spraying your bedding with colloidal silver several times a week and allowing it to air dry before crawling back into bed can further reduce the inevitable infestations.
Indeed, one study conducted by researchers in Seoul, Korea, in 2003, documented a 99.9% reduction in the infestation of dust mites was achieved within 48 hours after a population of dust mites were placed on the silver-impregnated fabric in an enclosed test tube setting.
In the second study, conducted by researchers in France in 2003, a 94% reduction in house dust mite (i.e., Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) populations was achieved in a different test designed to document the fate of the mites through two developmental cycles over a period of six weeks.
In both studies, treated samples were tested against untreated samples. There were no correspondingly similar reductions in dust mite populations of the untreated samples.
So why not just mist your bedding – very lightly – several times a week, using a spray bottle full of 10 ppm colloidal silver, and then allow it to air dry before using your bed?
It will drive the dust mites back to oblivion where they belong. And as an added bonus, if there's any nasty bacteria on your bedding (and you'd better believe, there are), they'll be killed off, too!
And when you wash your sheets and pillow cases, be sure to add a couple of ounces of colloidal silver to the rinse cycle of your laundry in order to give the fabric added antimicrobial (and anti-dust mite) protection.
It's a simple solution that's as effective as it is easy to implement, thanks to silver's astonishing disinfection qualities.
I even very lightly spray my furniture fabric with a little bit of colloidal silver every week or so, for the very same purpose.
Using Colloidal Silver Against Cheyletiella Mites
Cheyletiella mites can infest both pets and humans. And the consequences of such an infestation can be long-lasting and devastating.
That's because in many cases the mite can be very difficult to eradicate, even with prescription miticides (i.e., chemical pharmaceutical drugs designed to kill mites). And the infestations tend to recur over the course of time because the mite (and its eggs) can live for long periods of time in fabric such as carpeting, bedding, clothing, bath towels and more.
Due to the symptoms of constant itching, skin-flaking, and a distinct feeling of bugs crawling beneath the surface of the skin, a prolonged infestation with Cheyletiella mites can also come close to driving a person crazy.
Thankfully, some people have found that a simple combination of colloidal silver and a particular edible oil (see below), applied to the affected areas of the body, can bring profound relief from the symptoms and even help eradicate the problem altogether.
Let's take a look:
According to a post on EarthClinic.com – which, by the way, is one of my favorite natural health websites where people write in and explain their symptoms and then get tips from other readers on natural remedies that have worked for them – a simple mixture of colloidal silver and liquid coconut oil is all it takes to get rid of Cheyletellia mites. Here's a condensed version of the post:
"My dog had an infestation of Cheyletiella mites. I also ended up with them, and my life was sheer hell for several months. I went to three different doctors, who at best only offered me creams to help with the itching.
…I did a great deal of research and I tried just about every remedy I could find on the internet. Some helped, but nothing seemed to entirely rid me of these things.
I had been prescribed Ivermectin
and the doctors couldn't guarantee it would work and I was reluctant to take it, but at the same time desperate.
There was one thing yet that I had read worked for someone with scabies that I hadn't tried…This person had cured her scabies with colloidal silver.
So, I mixed 2 ozs. of virgin coconut oil with 2 ml of 10ppm colloidal silver. The coconut oil needs to be melted and melts at a very low temperature.
I put the coconut oil and colloidal silver in a plastic bottle made for hair dyes and shook it to make sure it was mixed well, and applied it directly on my skin from head to toe. Within two hours I could tell that the mites had died.
…My daughter-in-law is getting her degree in environmental science and she told me the reason that the colloidal silver worked is that small particles of metal penetrate through the shell of the mite. Once the shell is penetrated the mites dry up and die.
Coconut oil is very close to your own natural oil (sebum) and therefore is absorbed by your skin. So, as it penetrates your skin it will reach anything that burrows underneath your skin carrying with it the silver.
The beauty of coconut oil with the Cheyletiella mite is that it lives on sebum and dead skin and I assume it ends up eating the coconut oil and silver particles. Any new bites I've had, they die almost immediately.
Both the coconut oil and colloidal silver have antimicrobial benefits which kills any infection the mites carry and aids in healing.
…It's also safe for pets and only one application cleared the dog as well.
…I have found that washing clothes and the dogs bedding in hot water and borax helped a great deal. I use a floor steam cleaner on my mattress and pillows, the carpet, etc. Vacuum often!!!
In cold weather, spend a little extra for better air filters on your heating system as these things are also air bound and jump.
I hope this helps anyone who is enduring the same nightmare as I have."
So we see here that 2 ounces of virgin coconut oil mixed with 2 ml (about one-half teaspoon) of 10ppm colloidal silver, applied to the skin "from head to toe" and left on the skin for two hours solved the problem for this now very happy lady who had suffered for several months with a Cheyletellia mite infestation after catching it from her dog.
Later, another individual posted that she too had been suffering from a Cheyletiella mite infection, for an astonishing eight years. She wrote:
"Hi!! I have suffered with Cheyletiella mites for 8 years now. I know it's this cause I had a biopsy done and came back with this mite. Of course the only thing the dermatologist said was 'get rid of your dogs.'
We had the dogs tested and it came back that they were clear. We have tried everything from flea sprays to pesticides from the vet…Nothing has worked for me.
8 years of bites and feeling like there are bugs crawling on me all the time. I have been going out of my mind with itching and the mental state of crawlers all over me. I look like I have some terrible disease.
I came across your site. My husband has gone out and bought the coconut oil and colloidal silver and I'm gonna try it. I will let you know the outcome…."
A few hours later, the same lady then posted again:
"So, it's been 2 hours now and this solution seems to be working
…When I first applied it, it felt like the mites were running from the top of my head to my waistline. It was a most disgusting feeling…
And it seemed like they were in a hurry to bite me, cause I ended up with a few bites on my face, neck and behind my ears. And now after 2 hours the process has slowed down considerably….
I will re-apply tomorrow and keep applying till I am itch-free and creepy-crawly free…. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS ARTICLE!!!!"
The next day, the same lady posted again:
"I am happy to report that last night was the first night in a long time that I had a good night sleep.
Woke up this morning to only 1 bite under my chin, rather than 10 to 12 bites all over.
Will keep you posted!!! A very happy person this morning…"
The very next day, she posted again:
"Day 2…. Again, another fantastic sleep, before bed last night I took some solution and applied it to my scalp and upper torso and went to bed. Again, woke up with only 1 bite… And very little itching.
All already existing sores are healing up nicely and looks like they are all drying out…makes me one happy girl.
I also applied some to my black lab x newfie head and rump area. This morning the tops of her hair is white, nothing is moving, but it looks like they took off from the scalp to the ends on her hair.
She is going to the groomers and getting a bath in it. Seeing all this is working I am also gonna purchase the natural stuff (orally) for my doggie.
Have you ever thought of making the mixture and marketing it to vets?? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!"
Another individual, this one from New Zealand, says her dogs suffered from Cheyletiella mite infestations for years, until she tried the colloidal silver and coconut oil remedy. She wrote:
"I have just tried the recipe on my two boxer dogs. Thankfully I don't suffer from the complaint. Within minutes of applying the solution I can clearly see dead white critters everywhere on their coats. It is amazing.
I only applied it right along their backs and shoulders as that appears to be where they are concentrated. We now have a wonderful licking regime going on where they're cleaning each other.
I might be premature but so far I am really encouraged since I've been fighting a losing battle with these wee critters for years.
I've tried everything and the results are only temporary. Hopefully it's no more chemicals from here on in. Thank you so much for sharing this information with everyone."
And finally, another woman who had treated her dogs for fleas, at first, only to find out later that they actually had Cheyletellia mites, wrote:
"I thought the fleas and treatments had left them with dry skin until 2 days ago when I took out my magnifying glass to inspect all pet beds after my pets were scratching even more and each showed dandruff after being brushed.
I saw those ugly creepy crawlers and nearly had a break down. I searched online and found the link to your post.
I immediately went and bought Colloidal Silver and Coconut Oil. I sprayed the dogs with it, which they didn't enjoy, and now I know why. The white mites and also brownish black ones surfaced. There were hundreds of them. The mixture KILLED them!
…thank you so much for sharing your mite recipe!"
So, there you have it: Two ounces of virgin coconut oil mixed with two mL (about half a teaspoon) of 10 ppm colloidal silver, applied to the skin and scalp "from head-to-toe" appears to kill Cheyletiella mite infestations in both humans and pets.
Using Colloidal Silver Against Chiggers
(Chigger Mites, aka Harvest Mites)
Kim L. wrote to say that colloidal silver can also help get rid of chigger mites. She states:
"I got chiggers a couple of weeks ago and they were all over my lower body. I sprayed them two or three times a day for about 4 days and not only did it stop all the itching on contact I suppose it killed them because they vanished. In the past I have kept them for weeks of itching and scratching until I bleed."
Chiggers are found worldwide, including in damp, grassy fields, gardens, along lakes and streams, and in forests. There are adult chiggers and baby chiggers (called larvae), but only the baby chiggers bother people and animals.
Chiggers have tiny claws that allow them to attach tightly onto people and animals. Once attached, they can pierce the skin and inject their saliva (spit), which contains digestive juices that dissolve skin cells. The chigger then slurps up the dissolved skin cells.
To the chigger, this is a tasty meal! But having a chigger do this is very irritating to your skin.
So, it's great news that colloidal silver not only seems to drive the chiggers away when you apply it topically, but also heals the horrific itching that comes from when the mite injects its digestive juices into the skin.
Using Colloidal Silver Against
the Mites that Cause Mange on Pets
Another kind of mites, known as "mange mites," are also apparently quite susceptible to colloidal silver.
Mange mites come in two basic varieties. One variety, called Demodex canis, severely damages the skin of the animal by burrowing into the hair follicles and sweat glands to such an extent that infectious microbes such as Staphylococcus epidermidis can colonize the skin and spread, causing skin infection and hair loss.
And the other variety, called Sarcoptes scabiei canis, burrows into the animal's skin causing a severe allergic reaction, resulting in intense itching, crusting of the skin and hair loss.
So, can you kill the mite in order to repair the skin damage and hair loss? Absolutely.
Colloidal silver user M.S., from Oklahoma City wrote to say she's used colloidal silver to cure mange on her son's pet dog. As she describes it:
"We brought the Micro-Particle Colloidal Silver Generator from The Silver Edge along with us when we visited our son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons this summer.
I was shocked when I saw their dear dog, Pepper, who had the worst case of mange I've ever seen. Big areas of skin were bare, scabbed and flaky and she would rub up against the house to scratch her sides from the tortuous itch.
Our son told us of all the trips to the vet for different remedies that didn't work. Well, I got some canning jars and distilled water and made some micro-particle colloidal silver that day. I told our son to get a spray bottle to spray her down that evening. He did.
The next morning there was a noticeable difference in her skin – almost no flakiness and she looked a lot less miserable. Each day we saw improvement and hair growth. By the end of the week she looked happier and wasn't scratching. Now her coat is perfect and glossy – back to her lovely self."
Another person, Michael S., wrote that he cured his Shepherd/Rottweiler of mange using colloidal silver:
"My cross Sheppard/Rottweiler developed the mange, really bad, and a major lump on top of his front paw. The vet removed the lump. I gave the dog 40ml 3x a day colloidal silver with food, and the mange disappeared within a month, completely. The vet was duly impressed. He knows about colloidal silver. I also put colloidal silver drops on the stitches which healed wound beautifully."
Still another happy colloidal silver user wrote to say it had cured a nasty case of "red mange" on her female rescue dog:
"The veterinarian said my rescue girl had "red mange," and could not use normal treatment (which sounded awful for her anyway) but would "try stock dips and other harsh chemicals to try to save her"…..ummm, no.
Took her home, and started putting colloidal silver right on the mange places, topically. Plus, I gave her 4 tablespoonsful per day for two weeks. She was cured, and all of hair has grown back, never sick at all. Beautiful girl. LOVE my colloidal silver!! My husband and I use it daily for ourselves too. Prevention."
And colloidal silver apparently heals mange on cats, as well. As D.M. wrote to say:
"I am thrilled to report that the colloidal silver I made has cured my cat's mange…his hair is starting to grow back!!
I gave him 1 teaspoon in a medical syringe, 1x a day (would have preferred 2x a day, but Tuna really hated the process). I also put some in a small spray bottle as well and sprayed it on all areas that fur was falling out.
I also used a cone to prevent Tuna from licking it off the area. In just 5 days his hair is already coming back!"
So why would colloidal silver help against mite infestations?
Same answer as before: The mites quite literally depend for their lives upon certain bacteria with which they live in a very close, symbiotic, intracellular relationship with. In other words, the bacteria literally live within the very cells of these insects. Without the bacteria, the insects would quite literally die. Hence, their disdain of getting anywhere near silver.
Using Colloidal Silver to Rid Your Pets of Ear Mites
Since colloidal silver works to stop dust mites on bedding, and Cheyletiella mites on humans, and mange mites on pets, what about the mites that infect pet's ears, called Ear Mites?
These are a completely different type of mites from those discussed above. Would colloidal silver still help?
Well, colloidal silver user Tara B. wrote to say that colloidal silver worked wonders on her dog's ear mite problem. She wrote:
"We were sitting on the bed, and smelled something so I flipped my dog's ears over and saw the debris from the mites that had dug into his skin. Yuck. The debris stunk. And it was gross.
We sprayed some colloidal silver over the dog's head and allowed it to gently drop into his ears. And 2 hours later I looked and the mite debris was gone. There was still some way down in the ear canal. But for it to literally disappear…we were shocked. The regeneration was also quick, especially the hair.
Now, if the problem recurs, we spray the colloidal silver directly in ear. We use it on his hot spots too."
That's the only first-hand account I've seen for using colloidal silver to stop ear mites in pets. But if your pets have such a problem, try it, and let me know how it worked out. I'd love to be able to write a longer article about this particular usage for colloidal silver!
Using Colloidal Silver to Help Control Fire Ants
Now, this one is quite interesting: Did you realize there's a patent for eliminating fire ants by spraying them with colloidal silver?
Indeed, there is. It's United States Patent Application 20090017134, and here's a brief synopsis from the patent website:
"A method for controlling fire ants is described, which includes applying a silver-containing composition to an area infested by fire ants or threatened by an infestation. The composition is applied to the area and reduces or eliminates the colony within a period of about two to four weeks and prevents fire ant re-infestation for a period of about six months to one year."
I have to admit, I haven't had a chance to try it myself. But I'm fascinated by it.
After all, fire ants are known as pests across the globe and comprise almost 300 different known species of stinging ants. They feed primarily on young plants and germinating seeds, and can cause significant agricultural damage, particularly to grain, fruit, nut and root crops.
Four species of fire ants are currently found throughout the southeastern United States, having arrived to the U.S., from the tropics, back in the early 1900's.
So, how does colloidal silver work against the destructive fire ants? Here's what the patent states, under the subhead "Detailed Description of the Invention":
"The invention is based in part on the surprising discovery that application of a silver-containing composition to an area infested by fire ants repels the ants from the area and the repellant effect is maintained for a period of several months following application.
In particular, the inventors have discovered that simple compositions containing silver in the form of silver particles and ions, or as silver nitrate dissolved in water are effective repellants of fire ants and their entire colonies.
The invention provides an improvement over commonly used methods for fire ant control such as individual mound treatment and broadcast treatment, the effectiveness of which are limited as described elsewhere herein.
The novel method described herein differs in its basic approach to the problem of fire ant infestation by apparently impacting the fire ants indirectly. Instead of killing or incapacitating the ants, the ants in a targeted colony are forced to migrate to a location away from the area treated with the silver-containing composition.
Without being bound to particular theory, it is believed that application of the silver-containing composition creates highly unfavorable living conditions for the fire ants by reducing or eliminating their food supply, in particular by negatively impacting the growth or quality of fungi and bacteria in the soil.
In any case, the inventors have shown that in response to application of the silver compositions as described herein, fire ant colonies either completely relocate to an untreated area, or the size of the colony is substantially reduced.
It is believed that the inventors' results are applicable to the control of other insect pests for which fungi or bacteria are a major food source."
Well, how about that? Sounds exactly like the example mentioned earlier with the fungal gnats, doesn't it?
Once again, the silver is not toxic to the ants, themselves. Indeed, when the patent holders had lab tests conducted at Texas A&M University, ants that were given colloidal silver in their drinking water were not harmed by it.
But by applying colloidal silver to the ant bed itself, and the surrounding soil, it eliminates the soil bacteria and fungus that the ants live in harmony with in a symbiotic relationship. So, when you apply the colloidal silver to the ant beds, the ants suddenly become migratory. In other words, they begin to pack up their bags and leave.
According to the patent holders, depending on a variety of factors it can take between two weeks to six weeks to see the ant beds go from bustling communities to completely bare when colloidal silver is applied to the ant beds at concentrations ranging from .5 ppm (i.e., one-half ppm) to 35 ppm.
The patent holders also wrote:
"Several tests at different concentrations were conducted over fifteen (15) months. In all cases after an initial reaction period varying from about 2 to about 4 weeks during which fire ant activity steadily decreased, the treated areas were then free of fire ant mounds for approximately six (6) months to one (1) year.
A second application of solution to the same mounds about one year after the initial treatment achieved the repellant result within a shorter period of about 1 to 2 weeks. After the initial application, the tested areas were regularly maintained (mowed and cleaned of debris)."
So, there you have it. Colloidal silver can even be used to help eradicate beds of fire ants from your property. Now, isn't that quite amazing?
In Conclusion…
It's important here, to reiterate that colloidal silver itself is not "toxic" to insects, like it is to bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and even cancer cells.
In other words, silver not an "insecticide" in the traditional sense of the word. It's not a "bug poison." You can spray it on grasshoppers, flies, and other insects, and they don't seem to mind at all. Nor does it seem to harm them.
But…it is quite toxic to the single-celled, intracellular bacteria that live in close, symbiotic relationships with certain insects such as those we've discussed above.
These microbes actually perform crucial, life-giving functions for certain insects. But silver can be used to kill the bacteria the insects depend upon for their very lives, which either results in the deaths of the insects, or in the insects leaving the area to escape the silver and thus spare their bacterial symbionts.
What's more, silver is toxic to the fungus and bacteria some insects – like fungal gnats and fire ants – eat and thrive on.
So, that's how it works. And that's why it only works on certain insects, and not on others.
If the insect is not dependent for its very life on a symbiotic bacterial, or on a fungal microbe for food, then silver most likely will not work against it. But if an insect is dependent on a bacterial symbiont or fungal food source for its very life, it will likely be easily repelled by colloidal silver.
