Six Easy Home Remedies to Get Rid of Fleas
If the first flea you spy hiding in your dog’s fur freaks you out, it’s for good reason. Just one female flea can lay as many as 50 eggs in a single day!
You might associate fleas with your pets, but the fleas on your dog or cat are only the tip of the iceberg. The vast majority of the fleas are scattered around your home or yard, and they may attack you too, leaving itchy and painful bites.
When it comes to home remedies to get rid of fleas, it is extra important to try a natural flea repellent. The fleas were most likely tracked into your house by pets, and you want to choose a method to get rid of fleas that will keep your pets safe.
Always make sure the home remedy you use is safe for your pets. When in doubt – check with your vet.
Here are some natural ways to get rid of fleas!
1. Diatomaceous Earth
This is one of the most popular home remedies for fleas in the house because it is safe to use even on your dog.
To use diatomaceous earth, begin by vacuuming areas suspected of harboring flea eggs. Do this because the diatomaceous earth (DE) cannot kill the eggs.
Next, sprinkle the DE in the suspected areas. You can even put it on your dog. Wait a couple of days, and then vacuum up the DE and dead fleas from your dog’s bed and other areas. Wash your dog. Use a moisturizing shampoo since DE will dry out your dog’s skin.
2. Boric Acid
This stuff is death to fleas and many other creepy-crawlies. All you have to do in order to use it is sprinkle it in areas which you think are infested, wait for a night, and then vacuum it up.
Be careful with boric acid; while it is a natural remedy for fleas, it is also toxic. Make sure your pet and children do not get into it.
If you can’t find boric acid, you can pick up a box of 20 Mule Team laundry detergent booster at your local Walmart or similar big-box superstore.
20 Mule Team Borax is a well-known home cleaning product.
If you think your clothes or bedding may be infested, soak them in warm water plus a half cup of 20 Mule Team Borax right in the washing machine, then continue with the remainder of the cycle. The laundry booster also softens hard water, removes stains, and deodorizes your clothes!
3. Salt
Salt can be used to kill fleas when you don’t have a heavy infestation.
You may not need to go out and buy anything at all to deal with fleas. You may be able to just grab the table salt in your kitchen and use that to tackle your infestation!
- Just sprinkle it in areas in your home where you believe that fleas are lurking.
- Leave it there for at least one week (a week and a half is even better).
- Then vacuum it up.
Salt can kill fleas, but it takes a while to work. You should not use salt on your dog.
4. Traps with Tea Light Candles and Dish Soap
Fleas are attracted to the light of the candle
- Get a bowl and fill it with warm water and dish soap.
- You want to use enough dish soap to thicken the viscosity of the liquid.
- Make sure it is mixed in evenly, and then add a tea light in the middle.
- Light it, and wait.
Fleas will gravitate toward the light and then get trapped in the dish soap liquid. This can take all night, so just leave the room once the traps are all set up. In the morning, you can throw away the dead fleas.
You may want to set a number of these traps and leave them overnight for a few nights in a row.
5. Rosemary
Many herbs, such as Rosemary are a great way to repel fleas.
Rosemary will not actually kill fleas, but fleas don’t like it. There are multiple ways you can choose to use rosemary to discourage fleas.
- You can boil rosemary leaves in water to create rosemary water, and use it to wash your dog (do not do this with a cat). Do not rinse it out, just let it dry. Rosemary has anti-inflammatory properties, so it will soothe itching while repelling fleas!
- You can also grind up rosemary leaves to create a powder, and sprinkle this in your dog’s bed and other areas where he tends to hang out.
- Another alternative is to purchase rosemary essential oil. Dilute it with water in a spray bottle, and spray it in areas of the house where fleas seem to be congregating. You must dilute essential oils when you use them for safety reasons.
6. Cedar Oil
Cedarcide is a non-toxic formula that can be used to protect against fleas.
This is another essential oil that you can use to control fleas. Unlike rosemary oil, it can actually kill fleas (and as a bonus, ticks). As long as it is safely diluted, you can use it on both your dog and surfaces in the home.
Like rosemary, it smells really good, so this is another plus of using this method. It will kill more than just fleas—it will kill bad odors too!
You can also purchase cedar oil blends specifically created to repel insects. One such product is Cedarcide which is a naturally-sourced insecticide designed to keep fleas (as well as ticks and chiggers) off pets, people, and home areas.
As you can see, there are many natural methods that you can use to deter and kill fleas around your house. It can be a challenge to win your battle against fleas, but with perseverance, you can do it!
Just make sure that you don’t give up until the fight is won. And the next time you spot a flea, take action right away before the problem spirals out of control.
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