Recipes for Natural Flea Treatments

Dog
wendy domeni

Chances are that if you own a cat or dog, you will experience an infestation of fleas at some point. If you do not act fast, your entire house will be covered in fleas. In addition to biting your pets, the fleas will begin to bite you. You can go to the veterinarian and order some flea medication, but this medication will contain harsh chemicals that you may not want around your house. You also cannot apply the flea medication to any puppy or kitten under the age of six months. In these cases, you will want to make your own natural flea treatment.

Dogs

Step 1

Place your orange and grapefruit peels in a blender. Add 1 quart of water and blend until smooth.

Step 2

Pour the liquid from the blender into a pot through a strainer. This step will strain out any leftover bits from the peels of the oranges and grapefruits.

Step 3

Cook the mixture on low for 20 minutes, then set it aside to cool.

Step 4

Add the lavender oil to the mixture and stir, then pour the mixture into an empty spray bottle.

Step 5

Spray this all-natural flea treatment on your dog and any other items in your home where you see fleas. You can do this up to four times daily, and you will not need to wash the flea treatment off.

Cats

Step 1

Place the rosemary in a pot with 1 quart of water. Cook on low for 20 minutes.

Step 2

Strain the mixture to remove any leftover rosemary flakes, then stir in the cedar wood oil.

Step 3

Pour the mixture into an empty spray bottle.

Step 4

Spray your cats with this all-natural flea treatment. You can also use this spray on your furniture, pet bedding and carpets.

Step 5

Apply the treatment once every 4 hours until the fleas are gone.

Warnings

  • Make sure you treat your backyard as well as the inside of your house, or you will just bring the fleas back in with you. Sprinkle pine needles and cedar wood chips all around the yard. Fleas hate these smells and will stay away.

Tips

  • Use salt, which is a natural ingredient, to kill any fleas that may be living in your carpet. Just sprinkle it on the carpet, let it sit for a few hours, then vacuum it up.

  • Wash your pet in water with a little bit of dish soap. Leave the pet soapy for 5 minutes before rinsing. This bath will kill any fleas that may be living on your pet.

Items You Will Need

  • 3 orange peels
  • 3 grapefruit peels
  • Blender
  • 2 quarts of water
  • Pot
  • Strainer
  • 4 drops of lavender oil
  • Empty spray bottle
  • 4 tablespoons of dried rosemary
  • 4 drops of cedar wood oil

References

About the Author

Alicia Bodine has been a professional writer for 13 years. She has produced thousands of articles for online publications such as Demand Studios, GoBankingRates and WiseGeek. Bodine is passionate about gardening, travel, education and finance. She has received awards for being a top content producer.

Photo Credits

  • wendy domeni