Home Remedy for Flea Infestations

Treatments for your Pet

• Eliminate fleas from your pet first before attempting to control fleas throughout the rest of your house. The fleas feed on your pet's blood and lay eggs in their fur. Quarantine your pet to a certain area of your home or yard and bathe him with an herbal shampoo that contains natural flea repellents such as rosemary, cedar, bergamot, lavender, citronella, juniper or eucalyptus. Leave the shampoo on the pet for at least 15 minutes (you may have to hold him or tightly confine him if your pet is a cat as most cats hate water and wetness) before rinsing to give it the best chance of killing the fleas. Purchase a flea comb with special narrowly-spaced tines that help catch fleas. Use the comb after your pet's bath and on a daily basis to control new fleas. You might also consider buying an herbal collar containing tea tree oil or citronella to help ward off future flea attacks. Wash all of your pet's bedding in hot, soapy water and dry it in the clothes dryer. Keep your pet flea-free by adding garlic or brewer's yeast to his daily food. According to veterinarian Dr. Richard Pitcairn in "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies," these nutritional additives might work by making your pet smell and taste unpleasant to fleas.
  
  

Treatments for your Home

• Vacuum your house thoroughly and often; pay special attention to your pet's areas since more than 90 percent of fleas are located where your pet sleeps. Mix 1 ½ pounds of diatomaceous earth, 1 1/2 pounds of natural borax and 1 cup of salt together to make a powder that you can sprinkle throughout the house to control fleas. The diatomaceous earth kills fleas because it contains very small but sharp particles that cut into the flea's exoskeleton. Borax and salt kill fleas by removing moisture from the flea's environment, which ultimately causes their dehydration and death. Although the mixture is non-toxic, it can cause respiratory problems in humans and pets. Consider leaving the house for 2 to 3 days after applying the remedy to give it time to work. If you cannot leave the house, place the mixture inside of your vacuum bag where it will kill fleas after vacuuming. Let it sit for a few hours after vacuuming, then dispose of the bag. Repeat this on a daily basis until you feel the problem is under control. According to the University of Illinois Extension, steam cleaning can kill adult fleas as well as many of their eggs so consider having your carpets stean cleaned to control particularly heavy infestations.
  Control fleas in the yard by spraying it with beneficial nematodes, microscopic insects that eat flea larvae.