Fleas can be a particularly pesky and difficult pest to eliminate; they can jump around 100 times their own height, females lay 20,000 eggs in just a few months, and eggs take between 3 and 6 weeks to hatch. All these factors make fleas versatile and elusive and as a result many pet owners turn to commercial flea products to kill the pets and prevent future outbreaks. In some cases, you may have no choice but to seek stronger flea treatments but there are also a range of natural preventative measures that you can try to control the flea population in your home and pets.
One simple and natural flea prevention is garlic. By adding garlic to your pet’s meals you may find that you have effectively prevented fleas. In addition, there are many meal additives that can deter fleas; sulfur prevents fleas and can be added to your pet’s diet weekly, and black walnut hulls are available in capsule form at your local pet store and they repel fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. Typically, these kinds of remedies require 4 to 6 weeks to be completely effective.
Unfortunately, when it comes to fleas, prevention may not be enough. Especially if your dog or cat is already infested with fleas, you’ll need to take some time to get rid of the infestation. So it’s bath time. There is a wide selection of herbal shampoos available at the pet store that help to kill and remove fleas. Combinations of pine cedar, bergamot, rosemary, eucalyptus, citronella, juniper, lavender, or geranium (just to name a few) are especially effective when you’re dealing with fleas.
In addition, you need to remove the fleas from your home. One natural treatment involves mixing 1.5 pounds of diatomaceous earth, 1.5 pounds of organic borax, and 1 cup of salt. You can purchase the diatomaceous earth and organic borax at a garden supply store. Sprinkle this mixture throughout your house and let it sit for a few days. Finally, vacuum up the mixture and you should be flea free!
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