Fleas need to feed to survive and they choose the blood of your pets because they like it. Luckily, you can do something about that. Read on and I’ll explain how that works.
If your pets eat food that the fleas don’t like, then the fleas can taste it through your pets blood and they will move on to other hosts. For instance, fleas don’t like garlic, sulphur, walnuts and apple cider vinegar. There’s plenty more to this list, but always check with your vet first to see if it’s okay for your pet to eat.
Note that it takes time for natural products to work – it doesn’t happen overnight. This is only possible with flea treatment products that contain chemicals. Expect at least a month before you see any results.
Let’s look closer at some of the natural ways to prevent fleas.
Check your pet for fleas
Natural flea control is also about checking your pet for fleas, flea dirt and flea eggs. The easiest way to do this is with a flea comb. It’s just like an ordinary comb, but with smaller space between the teeth.
Go through the fur systematically, looking for any signs of fleas. Use a bucket of water to clean the flea comb when you find something. If you find small black dots of dirt on the skin, it might be flea feces, also called flea dirt.
Put the findings on a wet piece of paper and look at the color of the dirt. If it changes to red, then you have found traces of fleas on your pet and you need to start the flea treatment process as soon as possible.
Give your pet a flea bath
A great way to get rid of fleas with natural flea control is to bathe your pet with herbal shampoo. It contains a variety of different ingredients that work effectively against fleas, without harming your pet.
Start from the top and work your way down. This prevents the fleas from running up and hiding in your pets ears. You can put some flea shampoo around the neck of your pet to make sure the fleas won’t reach the head.
When you have applied the shampoo to the whole body, leave it there for about 20 minutes. Natural flea control takes longer than traditional flea treatment, there’s nothing we can do to change that. Then rinse the pet thoroughly and dry it.
I often use flea drops right after a bath to prevent fleas from attacking my dogs. There’s nothing natural about that, but it’s very effective and it keeps my dogs protected and flea-free at all times.
Natural flea control in your home
If you don’t want pesticides in your home, there are other ways of fighting a flea infestation. You can create your very own flea killing mixture with diatomaceous earth, natural borax and salt. Diatomaceous earth contains particles with sharp spines that puncture and kill the fleas. The borax and the salt prevent new fleas from moving in by making your home less desirable. It also dries up the fleas.
Apply your mixture to carpets and other places where the fleas might live. Leave it completely alone for a few days. It’s not poisonous, but you still want to avoid inhaling it for several days. Quarantine the room if possible and make sure your pet doesn’t enter it either. Vacuum the whole place afterwards.
Note that natural flea control won’t kill fleas in all stages. This means that you can’t kill fleas that haven’t hatched and you probably have to repeat this process several times to get rid of your flea problem.
5 reasons why you should use natural treatment
- It is non-toxic with no harmful effect on the environment.
- It can be used safely on young pets and around children.
- Long lasting and effective formula if you do it right.
- Can be used directly on pet, bedding and on sofas, carpets and rugs.
- Chemical free without pyrethrin and permethrin.
Natural flea control with apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar contains a perfect balance of vitamins and minerals. It also has antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitical and anti-inflammatory properties which make it one of the most wonderful home remedies to get rid of fleas on your dog.
The best way to administer apple cider vinegar to pets is to add a tablespoon of it their drinking water bowl. You must make sure to use only organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. The vinegar will make your pet’s skin acidic and naturally repel fleas.
I also like to add apple cider vinegar to my dogs’ bath water as a final rinse, allowing the coat to air dry afterwards. This will not only repel fleas, ticks and other parasites; it will also give your pets a shinier coat. Do not worry: the salad dressing-like smell of vinegar will disappear within minutes.
You can also make a homemade natural flea spray using diluted apple cider vinegar (use distilled water to dilute organic vinegar). Spray it all over the pet’s coat prior to its daily walk to avoid bringing fleas home.
Get rid of fleas naturally using garlic
Garlic is a natural antiseptic, anti viral, antibacterial and also has an antibiotic action. It enhances immunity and has a natural flea-repelling effect. In fact; garlic has been universally accepted as a flea repellent for centuries and is even considered the best natural flea repellent for humans.
To repel fleas on your dog using garlic, add ½ tsp of crushed garlic to its food. Be careful: some dogs are sensitive to garlic and may suffer from flatulence and even diarrhea. Most dog breeds, however, love the taste of garlic and have no problem eating it. Check with your vet if you have trouble figuring out how much garlic to add to your pets food. Some pet owners also use odorless garlic pills, but I’m not sure if it has the same effect as fresh garlic.
Best way to get rid of fleas in the house naturally
Here are some more tips to get rid of fleas in your home without using chemicals:
- Wash the dog house with salt water. This eliminates eggs, larvae etc.
- Scatter fresh pine needles, chamomile flowers, lavender leaves and flowers, and cedar-wood shavings under your dog’s bed.
- Make a non chemical, all natural, non-sticky flea repellent with the following recipe:
Combine 20 drops each of Citronella, Eucalyptus and Peppermint essential oils with 2 ounces of Witch hazel. Apply all over your pet to repel fleas naturally.
Get fleas off your pets and out of your home now, without using any chemicals. Here are some natural products that can help.
