5. Use Diatomaceous Earth to Control Fleas

Now what is this Diatomaceous Earth (DE)? It is the the microscopic remains of fossilized algae, diatoms. It is a very fine powder, just like flour. Diatoms are the type of algae that can be found in freshwater as well as in saltwater. But how does this Diatomaceous Earth kill fleas?The cell walls of Diatom are made of silica which in turn is a component of glass. The exoskeleton or the hard shell of fleas or such other insects are vulnerable to the sharp edges of microscopic diatoms. The silica shards in DE cut through the hard shell of fleas and dry them out. This leads to death of fleas as well as of their larvae. What is more important is that DE is non-toxic to human beings and animals. But the only one which belongs to food grade category and not the one used for pool filtration systems.

How to use Diatomaceous earth to get rid of fleas?

Here are the steps that you should follow to use Diatomaceous earth to kill fleas.

• Brush off all your carpets and vacuum thoroughly. Wash off everything that you can’t vacuum, with hot water in your washer.
• Now wherever you think the fleas or their larvae might hide, sprinkle the DE in thin layers. You can safely sprinkle DE on your carpets, pet beddings etc.
• Leave the Diatomaceous earth in all these places for about 12-48 hours. While fleas start dying 4-6 hours after you treat your home with DE, it’s still better to leave the thing for longer.
• Now vacuum away all the powder and remember to discard the vacuum bag.
• You may even use this Diatomaceous earth in your yard but this will need a large quantity of the powder.

Precaution: Always buy the food grade DE. While this Diatomaceous earth is non toxic, it is still a fine powder that may get messy and irritate your eyes or throat. So, it is desirable to wear a face mask while working with any such fine talc like powder. Don’t ever buy DE used for pool filtration systems as they are hazardous when breathed in. Diatomaceous Earth, however, is not so effective in humid environments and also when it is wet. Use it in dry form only. Try to avoid DE from coming in contact of the skin of your pets as this may dry out their skin.

6. Use Pennyroyal Herb to Repel Fleas

There are many varieties of the pennyroyal herb. European pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) and American pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegiodes) have been traditionally used to deter fleas. However, pennyroyal which belongs to the mint family, is dangerous for human and animal health. Native Americans had been using this herb for abortion. Dogs and cats too can face fertility problems if this herb is used for them. They may even die if the pennyroyal essential oil is licked by them or its leaves are chewed by them. However, when you don’t want to kill fleas and just want to repel them, you may like to use pennyroyal. But use it with all precautions.

Ways to use pennyroyal for fleas

1. Grow pennyroyal plant around your yard, especially where your dogs love to be. However, safeguard them in a way that they stay out of their reach.
2. Crush a handful of fresh pennyroyal leaves in a mortar and pestle till the leaves release oil and aroma. Tie this paste of pennyroyal leaves in a cheesecloth. Be careful about not dropping any juice of the leaves. Hang this cheesecloth in your room or any other place which is badly infested by fleas. Ensure to keep it out of reach of the children and pets. Also let your family members know about this herb and how your are using it so that they do not try to experiment with it in any way.
3. Pour 1-3 drops of pennyroyal essential oil onto your dog’s collar. Tie this collar to around your dog’s neck in such a way that oil doesn’t come in contact with your pet’s skin. If you see the dog itching or any other sign of allergy, remove the collar.
4. Place a small amount of dried pennyroyal herb into some tea bags. Leave these tea bags on the floor. If you have kids and pets around, keep them at a height where they cannot reach these tea bags.
5. You may sew cloth tubes filled with dried pennyroyal and use them as collars for your cat.

7. Use Rosemary for Flea Control

If your house is not badly infested by fleas but yes if it’s irritating due to even a mild flea infestation, you can use the herb rosemary for controlling such flea problem in your home. You can use rosemary for flea control in several ways, as a powder, a rinse, or an oil. While dogs can be washed with rosemary water (made by boiling rosemary leaves in water), cats should not be given this treatment due to certain reactions in them. Rosemary oil can be poured (only a couple of drops) in your pet’s collar. However, because we are discussing flea control for overall house, here’s a recipe for rosemary powder that you can use anywhere in your home.

How to make rosemary herbal flea powder at home?

Get this:
Equal parts of:

• Rosemary
• Rue
• Wormwood
• Fennel
• Peppermint
• Coffee grinder or mortar and pestle

Do this:

• Take all the herbs and grind them together using a mortar and pestle or in a coffee grinder.
• Grind them till they become fine powder.
• Sprinkle this herbal powder on your carpet, furniture, pet’s bedding, below furniture, window sills or anywhere else where you think there may be fleas.
• This is a natural flea repellent and not a way to kill fleas.

8. Homemade Flea Spray for Flea Control

While you can get a lots of flea spray in the market, they all contain chemicals that can be hazardous in a long term. You can make your own herbal flea spray with such natural ingredients as lemons, rosemary and certain essential oil. Here’s the recipe.

Get this:

• Lemons (thinly sliced)- 6
• Rosemary leaves- from a handful of sprigs
• Boiling water- 1 liter
• Geranium essential oil- 3-4 drops
• Spraying bottle- 1

Do this:

• Take a large bowl and place lemon slices in it.
• Take off the rosemary leaves from sprigs and chop them.
• Add the chopped rosemary leaves to the lemon slices in the bowl.
• Add boiling water to lemon and rosemary.
• Add geranium oil.
• Cover and leave overnight.
• In the morning, strain the water and fill it in the sprayer.
• Your homemade citrus flea spray is ready to be used.
• Spray the solution on your furniture, bedding and anywhere you want to. As it is a safe herbal solution, you can even use it for your dog’s bedding. This spray will repel the fleas.

9. Citronella Essential Oil for Flea Control in Home

Citronella oil has been used traditionally as a natural flea repellent. It is a volatile oil derived from stem of the plant Cymbopogon nardus (Ceylon citronella) or Cymbopogon winteratus (Java type citronella) along with greenish blue lemon scented leaves. It is a safe oil to be used not only for pets but also for human beings. Citronella oil effectively repels insects such as fleas and ticks, mosquitoes, black flies etc. You can mop your floors with a mixture of essential oils with citronella oil as one of the key ingredients. This will keep fleas away from your home.

How to use citronella essential oil for flea control?

Get this:

• Citronella oil- 20 drops
• Tea tree oil- 10 drops
• Lemongrass oil- 10 drops
• Geranium oil- 5 drops
• Warm water- 1 gallon

Do this:

• Vacuum your entire house properly and discard the vacuum bag.
• Take the warm water and mix all the essential oils with this.
• Mop the floors of your house with this water.
• For the first few days, mop everyday with this scented water. Thereafter, you can do once a week to keep the fleas as well as mosquitoes away from your home.

10. Horse Apples for Flea Control

Horse apple (Maclura pomifera) belongs to mulberry family and is commonly known as Osage orange. The other names of horse apple include hedge apple, monkey ball, bois d’arc, bodark, or bodock. Traditionally, horse apples have been used for repelling insects. You may also try this out.

Do this:

• You may take whole horse apples or cut them into halves or sections.
• Place the fruit or the pieces all around your house, in rooms, hallway, window sills and even in yards.
• Place one fruit in each room.
• This fruit lasts for about two to three months in air-conditioned environment.
• Some say the ripe horse apple works better and others say the raw ones do well. For getting the best out of the fruit, use the green ones and let them be there till they dry out. They continue to be effective even when they are wholly dried out.
• These fruits not only control fleas but also other insects and rodents including field mouse, grass snake etc.

Whatever home remedies for flea control you decide to apply, it’s better to begin with the arrival of flea season or even before this season starts. Once your home gets infested with fleas, it becomes harder to get rid of them. Preventing the fleas from developing at the first instance will help you a lot in your efforts for flea control.

Information found at http://www.rapidhomeremedies.com/remedies-to-get-rid-of-fleas.html