Get Rid of Fleas Naturally

If you've noticed that you are getting more and more fleas around the house, but don't want chemicals on your pet or in your abode, here are some less harsh ways to combat fleas.

Steps

Cleaning Your House

  1. Throw all of the pet bedding in the washing machine. This includes anything that the pets like to regularly lie or sleep on which isn't always intended to serve as pet bedding. If the bedding can go in the dryer, 15 or 20 minutes in a hot dryer will kill adults, larvae and eggs.
  2. Vacuum everywhere. You should especially do this in areas that don't get much exposure to sunlight (fleas like humid and cool spots), anywhere that you find dried blood and feces (flea debris), and upholstered furniture. Before vacuuming the carpets, sprinkle salt, Borax or baking soda throughout. Work it into the base of the carpet with a broom. Let it sit for a few hours; all of these powders will cause the flea eggs that are tucked deep into the carpet to dry out.
    • Don't let your pets walk on the carpet during this time, since they might get some stuff on their paws and lick it off, causing them to get sick. If there's a chance the pet will walk on the carpet, use baking soda and be thorough when working it into the base of the carpet so it doesn't sit on the surface and get on your pet's paws.
    • When the vacuum bag is full, seal it in a plastic trash bag and put it in a covered trash container, preferably outside. Otherwise, the little buggers can crawl out and make themselves cozy again.
  3. Get one or two dehumidifier(s) depending on the size of your room. A 4x4m room needs a 10L/Day dehumidifier (it removes 10L of water in the air per day). Apparently, fleas require 50% or higher relative humidity to live. Keep the humidity in your room under 50% for 2 days will kill adult fleas and larva, and stop flea eggs from hatching. You just need to vacuum the flea jerky and their eggs.
  4. Clean any outdoor areas where your pet might hang out. Trim lawns and weeds and expose any cool, moist dark spots (which fleas love) to sunlight, or keep your pet away from those spots.

Cleaning Your Pet

  1. Give your pet a bath. Use any gentle shampoo. Wash the neck first so that the fleas don't jump up to the head during the bath. Be thorough because you'll probably see several fleas come off and float around in the water. Alternatively, wash kitten in Head and Shoulders anti-dandruff shampoo. The acid in the shampoo kills fleas - you can pick off any remaining fleas still clinging on as they appear to be stunned.
  2. Make your own herbal flea dip. Take two cups of fresh rosemary leaves and add them to two pints of water. Boil for thirty minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and mix it with up to a gallon of warm water. Pour this over your pet until saturated. Do not rinse off, but allow your pet to air dry.
    • This is something to do on a hot day only. Also add 2 to 3 drops of the lemon mixture (see step 2 of next section) under your pet's collar to help keep fleas off.
  3. Use a flea comb. After your pet is dry, use a flea comb that is specifically designed to remove fleas in order to get rid of stubborn ones that remain. Use the brush all over their skin.
  4. Make a flea collar. Take the pet's collar or neckerchief and put on drops of Eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, citronella, lavender, or geranium. This will need to be done weekly.
    • Note: Do not use essential oils on cats! While cats are extremely sensitive to Eucalyptus and tea tree oils, a cat's ability to metabolize any essential oils inhaled, ingested or absorbed through skin is considered to be weak and there is always a risk of overloading a cat's system.
    • With tea tree oil, be especially careful to use products with 1% or less of this essential oil. It can cause nausea, vomiting, lethargy and general weakness, and should be used with caution. With this oil, more is not better.

Using Natural Products to Get Rid of Fleas

  1. Use Pennyroyal.[1] This oil discourages fleas. Plant it around your house. Do not do this if your pets are prone to eating plants or if you have children around.
  2. Make a citrus spray. Slice a lemon thinly, add it to a pint of water and heat to a boiling point. Let it sit overnight and in the morning, spray it onto areas where you suspect fleas hang out (beware of staining) and rub it over your pet's fur. Don't soak, but rather dampen the fur. Do this once a month to combat fleas.
    • Do not use a lot at first, and keep an eye out for signs of digestive discomfort in your pet.
  3. Make a vinegar spray. In a spray bottle, add: 1/4 distilled white vinegar to 3/4 water. If you want, you can also add 1 tablespoon of dish soap to get rid of dirt. This mixture makes a safe cleaner for your counters and surfaces. It is also a very effective flea remover from all of your fabrics. Spray it once or twice a week on your fabrics and your flea problem will be over.
  4. Use basic table salt. This is a relatively easy and affordable way of getting rid of fleas on a dog. Salt dries up the eggs of fleas and eventually kills all of them.[citation needed] The first part:
    • Look for affected areas on dog/cat, and for each affected area, grab a pinch of salt.
    • Wet the tips of your fingers very lightly (a drop of water is perfect) and massage the area.
    • Reapply to each area day after day until the infestation is clear.
    • Don't put too much salt on, as it may irritate the dog's skin.

Follow Up

  1. Set out soapy water. If fleas are a problem in a specific area of your yard or home, fill an aluminum pie pan with soapy water and set it out in the area (i.e.under a bed). The fleas are trapped on top of the water due to the tension of the surface of the water. Change the water daily until there are no more fleas. If you are placing the pie pan outside, empty daily to prevent mosquitoes.
  2. Repeat your cleaning regimen as often as possible. If you miss any areas where fleas are infesting, you don't want to give them the chance to multiply.
    • Vacuum thoroughly every other day. Since fleas can develop resistance to insecticides, vacuuming regularly is essential in order to bring them under control.
    • Mow the lawn regularly.
    • Wash pet bedding in hot, soapy water at least once a week.
  3. Make flea traps. This helps you monitor your progress. The more fleas you see, the more you need to clean.

Tips

  • Lay banana peels on your infested area. The inside of the peel will face up and not be on your carpets or floors. Within a few days the fleas will be dead.
  • Vacuuming can kill almost as many fleas as any product and is very effective on hard wood floors that have gaps. Vacuum a heavily infested room twice a day to see if you can put a dent in the problem.
  • It cannot be stressed enough that even though these solutions are "natural", they can still be dangerous for your pets and people as well. Watch out for signs of discomfort and sickness.
  • Always ask your vet before trying any home remedy on your pets. They can verify how safe the treatment is for your pet and may have more tips on how to treat and prevent fleas.
  • Save your grapefruit peels and soak them in the bathwater before the pet bathes. (If you don't have a problem with it.) Fleas usually hate the smell and may jump off, but make sure you do this outside.
  • Send the pet(s) outside or confine them to the bathroom so that any fleas they're carrying would not jump onto the surface you just cleaned.
  • Wash your furniture. Some dish detergents kill fleas.
  • Bathe your dog in blue Dawn dish soap. It is as effective as pricier flea shampoo, but may cause dryness and irritate the skin.
  • Use a dehumidifier. This is a cost-effective way of getting rid of fleas. Fleas need about 47%-50% humidity to survive, so setting the humidifier to levels below 47% will kill the adults and larvae.
  • When removing fleas, always start with the head and neck. If you start with a different area, the fleas will jump to the head and neck causing your pet to become irritant and the fleas could get into their noses or ears.

Warnings

  • Be careful of using too much of anything, especially essential oils. Essential oils also are toxic to many animals--especially cats. Check with your vet.
  • Many herbal proponents say that SOME essential oils are safe for cats. The key is not using too much. Generally accepted cat-safe oils are Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Peppermint, and Rosemary. AVOID Tea Tree Oil and any citrus oils (lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc.) Lemongrass is safe as it is an herb rather than a citrus fruit. Do an Internet search for "cat safe essential oils" for more information. Read several different sites, without relying on only one or two for the "full picture."
  • Watch your animals closely for any signs of sensitivity. Don't introduce everything at once. Try one thing at a time so that you know if it will be too disruptive to your pet's health or comfort.
  • With tea tree oil, be especially careful to use products with 1% or less of this essential oil. It can cause nausea, vomiting, lethargy and general weakness, and should be used with caution. With this oil, more is not better.
  • Do not give your dog brewers or nutritional yeast, as they can easily become systemically overrun with yeast, which can cause allergies and skin conditions. Nutritional yeast is not the same as brewers yeast. The yeast is dead and can do no harm. It is full of B Vitamins and is very beneficial to both pets and humans
  • Pennyroyal is a known toxin. Be extremely careful in its usage. It can cause spontaneous abortions and should not be used by pregnant women[2] or on pregnant pets.[1]
  • Rosemary is safe for pets in small doses, but be very careful not to overdo it.[3]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-pennyroyal.html
  2. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/pennyroyal
  3. ↑ http://www.ask.com/question/is-rosemary-poisonous-to-dogs
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