After writing, how to get rid of cockroaches?, how to get rid of bed bugs?, and how to get rid of fruit flies?, we are now writing the home remedies for fleas infestation. Fleas are tiny jumping insects that feed on the blood of birds and mammals. They are found in the furs of dogs and cats. They use the fur of pets as their nest and lay eggs on them. Fleas can really be dangerous as they feed on blood. Their first preference is animals, but if their numbers increase and the animals are not sufficient for them, they switch to humans. It becomes necessary to get rid of fleas. But, when you think about getting rid of it, you first look after the safety of your pet.
You really can not allow your dear and lovable pet to have encounter with the chemical-rich products. Thus, in this article, we are going to discuss some of the best home remedies for fleas. These remedies are natural and thus will go soft on your furry friend. It is considered that the home remedies are quite slow and take time to show results. Well, it is not the case always. Home remedies are quite efficient and they generally don’t take much time to work. They are safe to use as whatever remedy you are preparing is your own product and thus, you know everything about its ingredients. Read the article to learn about the best home remedies for fleas infestation.
Causes of Fleas Infestation and Their Effect on Humans:
Contents
Fleas generally live in the furs of the pets – cats and dogs. They get transferred to the human world through them. As the cats and the dogs roam around the house, they drop these fleas here and there. These fleas hide in rugs, carpets and bed. They make these places their new house and come in close contact with humans. They bite you and carry diseases. Parasitic dermatitis, Lyme disease, Bartonella, erlichiosis, ricketssiae, myxomotosis and plague are the diseases which they carry with themselves. They are generally not very harmful to humans. They bite and the bite is like any other insect bite. It becomes red and itchy. The bites are healed using anesthetic creams and lotion. Antiseptic soap prevents infection.
Home Remedies for Fleas Infestation:
Home remedies may be referred as one of the most trusted remedies to get rid of the fleas. You can make the remedy by yourself and use it to get rid of the fleas. As they are home remedies and you know the ingredients, your lovable furry friend will not be hurt while treating the fleas. Some of the home remedies to get rid of fleas are:
1.) Wash Your Dog Properly
This should be your very first home remedy in the process of getting rid of fleas. Wash your dog properly. Give it a proper bath. Use any shampoo which contains citrus. Make sure that your dog takes a good bath and the shampoo is nicely applied. After it is washed up, use a dryer for its fur. Now, comb the hair of the dog. Washing may wash away the fleas, but the eggs and the larvae remain there for long. They are removed by combing. this works as one of the most successful remedies for fleas.
2.) Use The Citrus
This is the simplest home remedy to get rid of fleas in the house. Rub citrus directly on the fur of the dog. Applying citrus directly on the furs will kill the fleas and it affects the eggs and larvae as well. The formula can also be applied on cat’s fur. Use lemon or orange for the purpose as they contain citrus. Lemon is best for the purpose.
3.) Clean Your Yard
Cleaning up your yard should be your obvious home remedy if you want to rid of the fleas. Remove all the fallen leaves and debris like dried grass. They work as shelter for these fleas. This should work as the platform from where you start cleaning up your yard. When you are done with the debris, clean your yard well, including your dog house.
4.) Make a Citrus Spray
A perfect home remedy to get rid of the fleas. Make a citrus spray using lemon. Take a pan and boil some water in it. Take a lemon and slice it into small pieces. Add the slices to the boiling water. Rinse the water and discard the lemon. Now pore that in the bottle and spray it around the house, especially on the places where you think that the fleas are most active.
5.) Herbal Water for Your Dog
Herbal water – perfect remedy which initiates your other home remedy. Use rosemary leaves to make the herbal water for giving your dog a bath. Take a pan and pour some water in it. Boil the water in the pan and add some rosemary leaves to it. Strain the water and discard the leaves. Now add it to luke warm water and pour it on your dog. Dry the hair of your dog with the help of an air dryer. Do not rinse it. Make sure that you do it on a hot day.
6.) A Bowl of Dish Detergent
This home remedy works as a miracle. A bowl of dish detergent and you get rid of the fleas. Take a bowl of water and make a mixture by adding dish detergent to it. Mix it properly and keep it under the table or in a corner. Leave it as it is. Fleas will jump into it. Wait for a few days. After a few days, you will find that your bowl is filled with fleas. This works as a trap for the fleas.
7.) Salt as a Home Remedy for Fleas
Use salt as a home remedy to get rid of the fleas. Sprinkle the salt on the rugs, carpets and place where you think the fleas are most seen in the places that are very often visited by your dog. Vacuum your house after three days. When three weeks get passed away, repeat the process. Repeating the process will help you get rid of the fleas permanently or for quite a long time.
8.) Vacuum as a Home Remedy for Fleas
Vacuuming your house is the easiest home remedy. Cleaning your house is the part of your routine. What you have to do is add a little more effort to it. Vacuum your house especially, your bed, carpets and rugs nicely. Give special attention to the places that your dog loves to visit. It will help you get rid of the fleas from your house at least.
9.) Horse Apple as a Home Remedy for Fleas
Horse apple, often known as Osage orange, works as one of the perfect home remedies for fleas. This does not only kill the fleas but also help you get rid of the many other insects and rodents. What you have to do is take some horse apples and cut them into pieces. You can use a whole apple also. Keep them everywhere around the room. They can survive for almost a month in air conditioner.
10.) Pennyroyal Trees
Pennyroyal tree – one of the simplest home remedy for fleas. Plant the pennyroyal trees around the house. But you have to be very careful while planting this plant. This was used as a natural way for abortion by native Americans so it can affect the fertility of dogs as well. So, if your dog is prone to eating plants, do not plant. This is equally harmful to human health as well. If you have children around the house then avoid these plants.
11.) Flea Collar to Kill Fleas
This is one of the most effective remedies to control flea infestation. When you start noticing the symptoms of fleas infestation or you see fleas presence n your dog, go for flea collar. It is very simple to use a flea corner. What you have to do is take a handkerchief and put some drops of Eucalyptus oil in it. Now tie the handkerchief around the collar of the dog. Keep changing the handkerchief and you will be able to control flea infestation easily.
12.) Vinegar Spray to Get Rid of Fleas Infestation
You can also use the vinegar spray to get rid of fleas. What you have to do is take a spray bottle and fill the 1/4 part of the bottle with vinegar. Now add water to it. Shake it well and spray it everywhere around your house. Do it every week and you will be able to control fleas infestation.
13.) Throw Away the Pet’s Bedding
You are done with your house, now it’s time to clean the bedding of your pets. It is the second most important natural remedy to get rid of fleas. Wash the bedding of your pet nicely. Fleas on the bedding will be killed as they are drowned away with the water. Now what you have to do is dry the bedding at least for 30 minutes. As told above, eggs and larvae are not killed easily, but drying process will do the job.
Treating Your Pet to Get Rid of Fleas Infestation
1.) Give Your Pet a Natural Flea Bath
The first method to treat the flea infestation is to give a bath to your bath. You can take the pet to the vet for the chemical bath, but better to approach the problem with a natural approach. You need to try these flea bath solutions.
For flea bath solution, you just need to make a rosemary dip. You just need to cover 2 ½ cups of rosemary sprigs with water and boil for ½ hour. You need to add rosemary water to gallon of warm water. When the water still warms you need to gently pour it onto your pet. Make sure it covers the whole body.
You can also make the lemon dip which is so easy. You just need to boil the rinds of 2 lemons in 2 cups of water for ½ hour. Then you need to take that lemon water and add into the gallon of water. While the water is still warm, you need to pour it on the pet.
You just need to take the soapy water. Soapy water can be effective if you mixed it into the gallon of water mixed with a gentle foaming soap. You need to give the warm water bath to your pet.
2.) Use a Flea Comb after the Bath
The dip solution will kill some of the fleas, but you still need to remove the eggs so best to use fleas comb. You need to purchase flea comb from the pet store and use it carefully comb your pet’s fur to remove all the traces of fleas.
3.) Treat Your Pet with a Natural Flea Repellent
Fleas are repelled by the few natural scents and oils that cause chaos in them. You can apply these things directly to your dogs. But for cat, you need to avoid certain oils that can be harmful for your cat , so avoid treating your cat unless the certain substances has been recommended by the vet. Here are certain options for treating your pet.
Lavender essential oil. Rub some of the oil on your dog’s neck and back. This will be both kill and repel fleas.
Eucalyptus Oil. You need to create a spray by mixing 1 cup of water and 5 drops of oil, and then spray it on the dog thoroughly to repel the fleas. Do not use this method on the cats as it is harmful for them.
Lemon Spray. For this method, you need to boil lemon rinds for ½ hour and fill the spray with cooled mixture then you need to spray on the dogs. You can do this process on the cat also as it not harmful for cat.
4.) Repeat until the Fleas Completely Vanished
Like it is mention above, you will have to dip, comb and treat your pet many times until the fleas leave the battle. You just have to keep the eyes on the pet once a week so that you can kill the hatch of fleas on time.
Cleaning and Treating the House to Treat Fleas
1.) Clean Your Pet’s bedding in Hot Water
As soon as you feel that the fleas are inside your house then you have to make certain efforts to prevent flea infestation. You just need to immediately wash your pet’s bedding in a hot water to kill all the fleas and their eggs. Wash those items also which are being touched by your pet, such as cloth, toys and other things. Washing will help you to prevent the fleas infestation.
2.) Wash off the Sheets and Other Linens
If you are having pet at home then there is also a chances of spreading fleas beyond your pet’s domain, so go ahead and wash each and everything else you want to. You may have to wash off your cloths, your bedding, your couch cushions and anything that has fleas inside or where there is chances of getting fleas.
3.) Clean the Carpet and Upholstered Furniture
Fleas can live anywhere in your house. You can clean the carpet thoroughly by using a heavy-duty vacuum. You just have to take some times and go over the entire area more than once. You can also vacuum your sofa, upholstered chair and rugs. Use the hose attachment to vacuum the cracks in your baseboards.
Vacuuming is one of the processes used for killing the fleas. It easily sucks up adults fleas as well as their eggs.
After you just vacuum, you need to empty the vacuum bags. Otherwise fleas will hatch from their eggs and climb out from the vacuum to re-infest your home.
4.) Clean Your Carpet with Baking Soda
There is another way to get rid of fleas. You just have to cover the entire carpet with a layer of baking soda. Go ahead and use up several boxes. Let the baking soda sit on the carpet for atleast 4 hours or overnight, then vacuum it completely. The baking soda helps in dries out the eggs in the carpet, helping to kill the next round the fleas before they hatch.
If you don’t find baking soda then you can use borax instead of baking soda to treat the carpets. Be sure to vacuum it thoroughly after the treatment.
You can use salt which is also effective and cheap fleas’ killer. You can use it on the same way the way you’d use baking soda.
5.) Diatomaceous Earth Around Your Rooms
You just need to sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your rooms. This is a complete natural powder that kills the adult fleas by piercing the exoskeletons when they walk over it. You just have to wear the mask as you sprinkle it in the areas where you have seen adult fleas. Let sit this powder for 24 hours and then vacuum it up.
6.) Buy a Dehumidifier
If your home having is humidity due to humid side, then you are giving a perfect climate to encourage the fleas’ infestation. You can make your house less hospitable by the help of dehumidifier which make the air drier. You can also turn on the ac, fans, and heaters depending on the seasons.
