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These simple recipes are quick and inexpensive and will allow you to ensure your pet becomes flea-free as naturally as possible:
* Homemade flea collars: Make your own flea collar by taking an average collar and adding some drops of essential oil mixed with 2 tablespoons of almond oil (use dilute solutions when applying to cats as they can be very sensitive to essential oils). Some great flea-repelling essential oil options include cinnamon, rosemary, wormwood, clove, peppermint, pennyroyal (don't use this if your pet or human in the home are pregnant), and cedar wood.
* Neem oil rub: With a few drops of the oil on your palms, rub it into your pet's fur and skin.
* Homemade Flea sprays using essential oils: Mix 10-15 drops of your favorite oil (essential oil or neem oil) with 1-2 ounces of mild, organic soap and water. Pour into a spray bottle and spray your pet periodically throughout the day during a flea outbreak.
* Lemon wash: Citrus is a natural flea deterrent and will condition your pet's skin. Make this wash by combining 4 sliced lemons, 1 tablespoons of salt, and 6 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil for two minutes, then turn off and let steep 24 hours. Wash your pet with soap, comb out to remove dead bugs, and then apply the lemon water generously over your pet. Repeat the lemon wash portion of this daily until your pet's skin improves. Can also be used as a spray and applied daily.
* Flea shampoo: Combine 6-10 drops of essential oil (see list above) with two ounces of organic, biodegradable, mild shampoo or soap. Use this to shampoo your flea-infested pet (don't forget hard-to-reach areas like their armpits, between toes, and under tails) and let the shampoo sit on their fur for five to ten minutes. Then rinse thoroughly to avoid skin irritation. Repeat daily until the problem leaves.
* Diatomaceous earth: Buy some of this product and dust over your pet (lightly) just like other flea treatments. Also dust your pet's sleeping and playing areas.
* Herbal flea powder: Crush together dry herbs including rosemary, fennel, yellow dock, wormwood, and eucalyptus in equal portions and then apply to your dog's fur as you would conventional flea powders.
* Rosemary Flea Dip: Steep two cups of fresh rosemary in boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and add up to a gallon of warm water depending on the size of your dog. Wait until it cools but is still warm and pour over your dog until he's soaked. Allow your dog to dry naturally. Works especially well on hot summer days.
* Brewer's Yeast: Add a small Brewer's yeast tablets to your dog's food. Much like prescription meds (but much healthier), this is excreted through Fido's skin making him less attractive to fleas. Check with your veterinarian for the proper dosages depending on weight.
* Apple Cider Vinegar:A spoonful of this stuff added to your dog's water makes their skin more acidic and not-at-all tasty to fleas. If apple cider vinegar is not your dog's cup of tea, you can dilute it 50/50 with water, pour into a spray bottle and use as a repellent.
So the important thing to keep in mind here is that if you keep a clean house, you're probably not going to be dealing with more than a few dozen fleas at any given time.
Flea Control by Vacuuming
This assumes that you have carpets.
One of the things that convinces a flea that it is time to leave the cocoon and jump on a host is vibration. And a vacuum provides one helluva vibration! If you toss a little diatomaceous earth on the floor before vacuuming, then the flea ends up in a cush pile of diatomaceous earth in the vacuum bag.
If you are going to vacuum less often than once every three days, you should probably spread diatomaceous earth all over the floor between vacuuming.
If you are experiencing a LOT of fleas, you might want to vacuum once or twice a day just to be comfortable.
For more useful hints, check out our main page here:
flea control West Auckland
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