[Strawbale] Once again the problem with those little white insects.

Sun Apr 5 13:18:45 CEST 2009

Hallo Dries,Te zien aan jouw naam ben je nederlandstalig,Woon je in NL of B
?
Ik neem aan dat je al gegoogled hebt naar limewash oftewel kalken,Hier een
google resultaat:

White wash is very inexpensive to make and is fairly harmless to goats.
Goldie, our big LaMancha doe, not known for her brains, actually likes to
drink it (though we try not to let her) and many of the goats lick it off
the walls.  We have never had a goat get sick from white wash, so we don't
worry about it.   The goats will also wear the wash off when they rub on it,
so be prepared to recoat every year or so.  But remember, it's not paint,
and it's only a barn, so you can really just slop it on.

To make your own white wash, you need lime.  There are two kinds of lime you
can buy so be sure you get the right kind: hydrated lime, which is pure
white.  It is also called slake lime, builder's lime, or mason's lime (the
old timers at our feed store incorrectly call it "burnt lime"- DO NOT use
burnt lime).  Hydrated lime is also very caustic, so the bag will have a
warning on it.  The other kind of lime is light gray and is the kind we use
to spread on our barn floor.  It is called "ag lime", "garden lime", "barn
lime" or dolomite.  Do not spread hydrated lime on your barn floor.  Why do
we spread lime on our barn floor?  It provides that antibacterial quality,
dries out,  "sweetens" the floor , and Larry says it makes it easier to
clean.

Please, remember that when handling hydrated lime and preparing the white
wash not to breathe the dust from the lime and to wear gloves. I learned the
hard way about the gloves (I hate wearing gloves).  The lime will ravage
bare hands.  If you do get the wash on your hands it's a good idea to rub
your hands with vinegar; the acid in the vinegar counter acts the alkaline
in the lime.  Larry says a little Bag Balm later helps too.  Barn lime on
the other hand is not as caustic and you can handle it with your bare hands
without worry.

Notes about this whitewash:

   - It will wash off over time if exposed to rain.
   - This is "authentic white wash" and is not paint and is not permanent:
   rubs off and sometimes flakes off over time.
   - If you lean against a white washed wall you will end up with white on
   your clothes.
   - I do not recommend this for home decorating use.
   - It is safe to use inside barns and is not harmful to small animals.

 *White Wash*

Mix in a large bucket, a five gallon paint bucket is ideal:

   - 3 large coffee cans of hydrated lime (about 12 cups)
   - 1 pound or 1 small coffee can of salt (about 4 cups)
   - 2 gallons of water

When you mix this together, mix a little lime/salt, then a little water,
then a little lime, etc.  It you just dump it all together it's like
stirring boat anchor.  You should let the mixture sit over night, but we
usually just use it right away and have had no problems.

The white wash should be fairly watery, remember it's a wash, not a paint.
Give it a stir once and a while as you use it.

To use the white wash, just get a big brush and slop it on.  Don't worry
about getting it on your clothes, it washes out very easily.  It may seem
like it's not covering very well as you paint it on, especially on new pine
2x4s, but it will whiten up considerably when it's completely dry, be
patient.
Veel plezier met het experimenteren,Caï

2009/3/26 Dries Kennes <drieskennes at versateladsl...>

>  Helloi Caï
>
> Can you tell me more about the lime-wash?
>
> Regards
>
> Dries Kennes
>
> Caï van Hoboken schreef:
>
> Hé Rikki,
>
> To disencourage the reappearance of "them bugs' you could also make use of
> a lime-wash,
> once you`ve solved the moister problem.The alkalic surface is also
> resistant to fungi,alge and bacteria.
>  Good luck,Caï
> Amsterdam,NL
>
>
> 2009/3/18 forum at lamaisonenpaille... <forum at lamaisonenpaille...>
>
>> Hi Rikki,
>>
>> I don't remember the latin name. Some call them "plaster beetles".
>> No use killing them (no idea how). They come out of the walls if the
>> walls are moist and if there are cracks to come out through.
>> So:
>> - check out from which walls they come
>> - vacume one or twice a day
>> - check if there could be a humidity problem in those walls
>> - check out where the cracks are (and fill them up once the invasion is
>> over, so that the wall is a better insulator and will absorb less
>> moisture from air passing through)
>> Say: "thank you little beetles" (they are a 'nuisance', not a 'problem')
>> If they come back again after a year (in the same building) then there
>> defenitely is a moisture problem in straw!
>>
>> Bye,
>> André
>> France
>>
>>
>> Rikki Nitzkin a écrit :
>> > HI all,
>> >
>> > Just last year I remember asking about how to get rid of them little
>> > white insects that sometimes appear in the plaster the first year
>> > after building...
>> >
>> > There is another case of them and I want to send the contacts/info to
>> > the person menaced with them, but I can't remember what they were
>> > called (or the when we talked about them) to find them in the Straw
>> > Archives. Can anyone help me?
>> >
>> > I seem to remember that the only solution was to kill them...but with
>> > what? Any non-toxic/natural solution?
>> >
>> > thanks,
>> > Rikki Jennifer Nitzkin
>>  > rikkinitzkin at earthlink... <mailto:rikkinitzkin at earthlink...>
>> > 0034 657 33 51 62
>> > Aulás, Lleida
>> >
>> > "Tenemos el Derecho y la Responsabilidad de Crear el Mundo en que
>> > Queremos Vivir"
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>  >
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