How to Naturally Get Rid of Fleas From Your Home, Garden and Pets

Fleas are a nuisance you don’t want to have around. They can be on your pet, as well as in your home and in your garden. You can kill fleas using toxic chemicals, but they damage your environment and are not safe for your pets and kids. They also lose their effectiveness over time and fleas can become resistant to them.

However it is possible and more affordable to get rid of fleas naturally and you can easily make your own homemade flea killer. For example, you can use a natural flea killer such as diatomaceous earth (DE). You can also use natural flea repellents such as lemon and vinegar. You need to remember that it’s always best to treat a flea problems in you house quickly to prevent flea infestation.

How you Can Recognize a Flea

Fleas are very small wingless bugs that look at the first sight like specks of dust. An adult flea is about 0.1 inches long and its color ranges from dark brown to black. Although fleas cannot fly, they can jump up to 4 feet high. This means that they can move quickly from one area of your house to other areas and move between hosts quickly.

Fleas breed at an enormous rate so even if you just have a few fleas in your house they can reproduce quite quickly and the result is a flea infestation. So it’s always a good idea to kill fleas quickly to prevent an infestation.

Fleas tend to bite humans around the ankles and wrists as these areas are usually in more contact with pets. However, you may also get flea bites on other warm, soft areas of your body like your waist, armpits, and the backs of your elbows and knees.

How to get rid of fleas at home naturally

Here are natural solutions that can help you get rid of fleas. Attack these nasty creatures on all fronts – home, garden and your pet, to get the best results and prevent flea infestation.

Vacuuming – Vacuum all the house thoroughly to prevent flea infestation. Before you vacuum the carpets, sprinkle one of the following natural ingredients: salt, borax or baking soda all over the carpet and make sure it reaches the base of the carpet. These natural substances can put an end to a flee infestation by drying out the flea eggs that are tucked deep into the carpet and as such help you to control fleas.

You can also sprinkle the natural flea killer, Diatomaceous Earth (DE) on the carpet (use food grade DE only). This is a natural substance made up of the powdered remains of fossilized algae and is also used as a natural insecticide that can also kill bedbugs.

Let the substance you choose to sit for a few hours and then vacuum the carpet. During the time that the substance is on the carpet, don’t let your pet to step on it as your pet may lick the substance and get sick. When you finish vacuuming the house, seal the vacuum bag thoroughly and put it outside in a covered bin to prevent the fleas from coming out. Repeat vacuuming as often as you can and do it on a regular basis to make sure all the fleas are completely gone.

Washing is an excellent way to control fleas and prevent them from infesting your house. Use your washing machine to clean your pet bedding or any other fabrics that your pet likes to sit on. If you can use your dryer for these items, leave them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes to kill the fleas and their eggs. Do it at least once a week to prevent an infestation.

Dry air is an excellent natural way to control and even kill fleas – fleas love to live in a humid atmosphere. Therefore if you have a certain room which is infested with fleas, you can use a dehumidifier to dry the air for 2 days (keep the humidity in your room under 50%) to kill fleas and prevent the flea eggs from hatching.

Homemade natural flea sprays – Cut one lemon and boil it in a pint of water. Let it cool and pour into a spray bottle. Or fill a spray bottle with three parts water, one part white vinegar or apple cider vinegar as some people claim that vinegar is a natural flea killer. Or you can add few drops of essential oils that are natural flea repellents such as peppermint, citronella and rosemary to a spray bottle filled with 8 ounces of water. Spray the living area or other rooms with your homemade flea spray to get rid of the fleas.

You can find more ideas on how to use essential oils in my e-book Magical Aromatherapy. This e-book will allow you to  discover the most effective ways to use essential oils to unlock their amazing healing power.

Water trap – use a shallow dish with warm soapy water to drown and kill the fleas. Replace the water on a daily basis until there are no more fleas.

How to get rid of fleas in your garden naturally

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a natural flea killer. Diatomaceous earth is safe to use around the yard (use food grade DE only), but you will probably need a large amount to get the positive effect on flea control. Diatomaceous earth must be dry to work, so don’t wet it or mix with water. It’s a good idea to wear a mask when applying diatomaceous earth. For more information read my ultimate guide on how to use diatomaceous earth to kill fleas.

Garden maintenance – It is advised to mow the lawn regularly to prevent a flea infestation and to keep them under control. Get rid of weeds and trim the shrubs and foliage. Thus you will expose dark and moist areas, which are preferred by fleas more than the sunlight. It’s also beneficial if you can prevent your pet from going around these areas.

Natural substances that repel fleas– Use cedar wood chips or eucalyptus leaves over areas infested with fleas as fleas hate them.

Flea repellent plants – Use garden plants that repel fleas such as peppermint (also great against mosquitoes) and spearmint, lavender, sage, lemongrass and rosemary. Mint is invasive plant so plant it in pots.

How to get rid of fleas on your pet

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) food grade only – some people use DE directly on pets to kill fleas. But a few words of caution are needed here – DE is very drying and may dry out your pet’s skin. When applying DE on your pet’s skin, don’t use large amount and make sure to protect your pet’s eyes, nose and mouth and shampoo your pet within 12 hours. You can also use yeast instead of DE, as fleas don’t like the taste of it. Use brewer’s yeast or nutritional yeast and rub it onto your pet’s skin.

Bath and comb – wash your pet thoroughly with a mild shampoo and after your pet has dried, use a flea comb all over your pet’s skin, and drown the fleas in a soapy water to kill them.

You can also wash your pet with rosemary solution to repel fleas – mix 2 cups of fresh rosemary leaves with 2 pints of water and boil for half an hour. Strain the liquid and mix it with a gallon of warm water, and pour it on your pet to repel fleas. Let it dry naturally and don’t rinse it.

You can also make a lemon spray for fleas by thinly slicing a lemon and boil it in a pint of water. Let it cool and pour into a spray bottle and use it to spray on your pet’s fur but don’t soak it. The natural oils and citrus scent naturally repel fleas.

Vinegar for flea control – Another idea which you can use instead of the lemon water solution, is to fill a spray bottle with three parts water and one part white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. While in the bath and after rinsing and towel drying, spray the vinegar solution on your cat or dog’s fur to repel fleas.

Fleas hate vinegar, and they will fall down the drain much easier, rather than clinging and hiding in the fur around the face and ears, as they are prone to doing. Follow up with a thorough comb-over.

Flea collar and essential oils – there are a lot of references in the web about making a natural flea collar by putting a few drops of certain essential oils on the dog’s collar on a weekly basis. However there are several caution notes you must be aware of:

– Never use essential oils on cats.

– Tea tree essential oil is toxic, to both humans and pets, if taken orally. If you decide to put it on your dog’s collar, always use lower concentration oil (1% or less) and always dilute it with a carrier oil. Use very small amount on the collar, and don’t use it directly on the skin. Tea tree oil is also an excellent natural remedy for treating flea bites on humans and it can be used to make an effective bed bug spray.

– Other essential oils to repel fleas include lavender, geranium, cedarwood, peppermint, rosemary, lemongrass and citronella. It’s always best to dilute them first with a carrier oil (1-2 drops in a tablespoon of carrier oil) and not to use them in the concentrated form. Use a small amount on the collar and don’t put it directly on the skin.

It is always a good idea to consult with your vet before trying any home remedy for fleas on your pet. Your vet can make sure that the treatment is safe for your pet and may have more tips on how to get rid of fleas.

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