Fleas can be a real problem around the house. They’re a health risk and have been known to transport different diseases. There are viruses that are carried by fleas that are also hazardous to humans. People can also have negative reactions to flea bites that require medical attention.
Many people wonder how to effectively make home remedies for fleas that either kill or deter them. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help eliminate any flea problems for your furry pets. Here’s how to make some non-toxic home remedies for fleas that are effective for you, your dogs or your cats.
1. Sulfur
The first thing you can do in your search for home remedies for fleas is to go outside and sprinkle sulfur around your yard. Sulfur will keep away any fleas from entering your yard. It’s also effective against ticks or snakes. These pests can’t take the smell, so they’ll leave your yard alone. An extra benefit is that sulfur improves the soil quality by lowering its PH. That’s a nice added benefit if you like to grow small edibles like berries and tomatoes.
Necessary Items
- Powdered sulfur.
- Garden spreader.
Using your garden spreader, pour the sulfur into its basket and simply push your spreader around your yard.
2. Citrus Fruit Blend
Part of the appeal of making home remedies for fleas is that the ingredients can be found around the house. This flea repellent only requires three citrus fruits and a blender. Citrus is a natural repellent to pests like fleas and ticks. Putting citrus on the coat of your animal will create a great barrier against fleas.
Necessary Items
- 1 orange.
- A lime.
- 1 lemon.
- A blender.
Put the three fruits into a blender with some added water and blend them into a juice. Now dip your hands into that juice and run your hands over the fur of the animal. This won’t hurt the animal because it’s simply natural citrus, but it sure is going to deter fleas as they cannot stand citrus.
3. Essential Oils
Essential oils are the most popular anti-flea treatment for those wary of using chemical flea formulas. Many manufacturers of flea formulas still use DEET in their formulation, which is potentially toxic to your pets. DEET is also not good for you because it can get absorbed through your own skin when you’re applying it to your dog or cat’s fur.
Necessary Items
Pour your witch hazel into your glass jar. Add 20 drops of the citronella, 20 drops of the lemongrass oil and ten drops of the tea tree oil. Mix up the oils and witch hazel until blended. Decant the mixture into the spray bottle using the funnel.
4. Bandana or Scarf Collar
To cut down on the number of times we need to apply essential oils directly to our pets, you can create your own flea and tick collar at home. Of all the home remedies for fleas that you can make, a dog collar is one of the simplest as you only need to worry about treating one piece of fabric.
Necessary Items
This is one of the easiest home remedies for fleas to make. All you will need is an extra bandanna or scarf along with the flea spray we made earlier (see ingredients above in 3. Essential Oil Flea Repellant).
- Bandana or scarf.
- Essential oil anti-flea spray.
Spray the essential oil flea spray onto a scarf or bandana. Roll it up and put it around your dog’s neck. That should give enough protection from fleas for about two weeks. That’s a simple way to ensure that you don’t have to spray them each week.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
There’s a fifth way to take care of fleas and ticks naturally, and it involves treating the internal system of your pets. You can attack fleas via your pet’s own blood with substances that fleas hate. This flea remedy involves using a preventative in your pet’s drinking water. You can take a cap full of apple cider vinegar and add it to the drinking water of your pets.
Apple cider vinegar changes the way that your pets blood will taste to the fleas and ticks. Since these pests are bloodsuckers, they will sip the blood of your pet and be repulsed by the taste. This makes it one of the more stealth home remedies for fleas and ticks.
Necessary Items
Take your apple cider vinegar and pour some into your pet’s drinking water.
6. Garlic
We’ve already looked at adding something to your pet’s drinking water, but how about adding something to your pet’s food? Garlic is a great thing for your pets to eat as fleas don’t like it at all. If they bite your animal after it has eaten garlic, they will quickly stop sucking and go find another animal to bother.
Necessary Items
Crush a clove of garlic and sprinkle it into your pet’s food. One clove is all it takes to prevent the fleas from jumping on your dog in the first place. Garlic is all natural and also an anti-viral agent. Between garlic in their food and apple cider vinger in their drink, your dog’s internal systems are fully covered. You can also try switching to garlic wafers if your pet doesn’t like the taste of raw garlic. Also have your vet monitor your dog’s liver function as it can accumulate there over time.
7. Baking Soda and Diatomaceous Earth
Baking soda and diatomaceous earth are a safe combination that works well at killing fleas inside of your house. The diatomaceous earth is made up of many little sharp shells that kill fleas. The particles attach to the body of the fleas, cutting them up until they die. You want to make sure the diatomaceous earth you use is food grade. This means that it’s not toxic to pets and humans.
Necessary Items
- Baking powder.
- Diatomaceous earth.
Mix the two powders together in equal measure. You can pour the powder wherever you think the fleas are hiding. After 24 hours, vacuum up the powder and dispose of the vacuum canister contents.
8. Water
Believe or not, water is a simple way to treat pets that have fleas. Water can help decrease the number of fleas in your pet’s hair. When the hair shaft of your pet is wet, fleas can’t grab on as well. Wetting your pet with water can help facilitate flea removal by making them slip off the hair of your pet.
Necessary Items
You can either bathe your pet in a tub of water or spray them down with a garden hose. This treatment is best done outside as adult fleas will fall off your pet during the water treatment.
9. Nematodes
Nematodes are a small type of worm that like to feed on flea eggs. Many home remedies for fleas only target adult fleas. By targeting larvae, you’ll also be protected from the next generation of fleas before they mature.
Necessary Items
Spread the nematodes in your yard wherever you think flea infestation is likely. Nematodes, along with sulfur, are some of the easiest home remedies for fleas you can use for your yard.
10. Pet shampoo
Just as you want to clean your house if you suspect a flea infestation, you’ll want to do the same with your dog. A good, all natural pet shampoo can make it uncomfortable for fleas to stay attached to your pet.
Necessary Items
Rinse your dog with water and lather in the pet shampoo. Pick a scent (like lavender or citrus) that will naturally repel fleas. After drying your pet, use a flea comb to check daily for fleas.
11. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has become popular with health-conscious consumers, but it’s also prized for killing fleas on dogs and cats. It can be used both internally and externally on your pet.
Necessary Items
Rub a handful of the coconut oil into your pet’s fur. If your pet likes the taste, you can also give it to them internally. Mix 1 teaspoon (for smaller pets) to 1 large tablespoon (for larger pets) the coconut oil in with your dog or cat’s food. Some animals may initially get loose bowels, so introduce the coconut oil slowly into their diets.
12. Neem Oil
Neem oil comes from the neem tree in India. Popular in ayurvedic medicine, neem oil helps keep dog’s coats shiny. Neem also works as a great flea deterrent as fleas and other bugs can’t stand the smell of neem.
Necessary Items
Place a few drops of the neem oil in your palm and rub it into the coat of your dog. If your dog is sensitive to the neem, then dilute it using a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba. Note that while neem oil is effective for dogs, it’s not recommended for cats.
Conclusion
After following this guide, your pets should be protected with all natural home remedies for fleas. We’ve looked at using sulfur and nematodes around your yard to keep fleas away from your home. Besides shampoo and water, we’ve also looked at using citrus fruits, essential oils and other oils to form an external flea barrier for your pets. And to round out our home remedies for fleas, we’ve also looked at some things your pets can take internally. Please share your own home remedies below.
Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.
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