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Natural Flea Control
Natural flea control? Does it work? You may wonder. The answer is a reassuring "yes"! In fact, I wouldn't even consider the alternative (i.e. the conventional
ways such as flea powder, flea bombs, dips, and flea collars), since I know that these flea control products contain chemicals that are usually harsh on our dogs as
well as the environment.
If you read the labels of some products on flea control, you can find such warnings as:
- (flea collars): "CAUTION: Do not allow children to play with this collar. "
- (flea bombs): "CAUTION: USE ONLY WHEN AREA TO BE TREATED IS VACATED BY HUMANS AND PETS. Harmful if swallowed or absorbed through skin. Avoid breathing vapors or
spray mist. Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Do not apply directly to food..."
- (flea shampoos): "WARNING: Causes eye irritation. Do not get in eyes. Harmful if swallowed."
In fact, many such flea remedies contain "nerve poisons" that can cause nerve damage to humans. If it is toxic for humans, chances are the products will have some
adverse effects on our pets' health as well.
Prolonged use of such "poisons" on our pets will naturally weaken their immune system. For example, some flea collars and powders can cause severe conditions
such as skin irritations and permanent hair loss on pets. Flea bombs are extremely dangerous, as they virtually explode and fill your entire house with
particles that are not only poisonous, but also highly flammable. Dips are dangerous too. One study found that more than 3 dips per year led to an increased incidence
of cancer in dogs.
As we and our pets are weakened by these poisons, our enemy (the fleas that is), on the other hand, will grow stronger over time. It's a losing battle!
Fortunately, natural flea control is possible: they is safer and more environmentally friendly. What more can we ask for?
Understand that as in many health problems, strong adverse reaction to fleas and flea bites, i.e. flea allergies, is also indicative of a poor immune system. Dogs
with a strong immune system usually are less bothered by a few flea bites here and there. Those with a weakened immune system, on the other hand, may develop severe
allergy symptoms just from one or two flea bites. It makes sense, therefore, that if we want to fight a winning battle against the lowly fleas, we have to build up our
dog's health and resistance through a healthy diet and lifestyle, aided by natural herbal supplements.
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Natural Flea Control Using Herbs
Let's now turn to some natural herbal flea remedies. Natural flea powder can be made using various herbs. They are easy to make and safe to use.
Natural Flea Control: Herbal flea powder
Mix equal parts of these dried powdered herbs:
Put the herb mixture in a jar with a shaker top, and apply to your dog's coat 2 or 3 times a week. Note that the herbs will not kill the fleas but will instead drive
them away from your pet, so it is advisable to let the dog outside after applying the herbal flea powder so that the fleas will not find refuge inside your house!
Natural Flea Control: Feverfew herbal flea rinse
Feverfew flowers (as well as oxeye daisy) contain certain compounds known as pyrethrins which have paralytic effects on fleas.
To make a herbal rinse, steep handfuls of feverfew flowers in a jar of hot water. Wait till the mixture is cool enough to pour on your dog's coat, allowing it to soak
all the way to the skin. Let the rinse do the job for a while and then rinse your dog with clean water. Comb her hair with a flea comb and when you find some paralyzed
bugs in her hair, make sure that you plunge them into a container of hot, soapy water to finish them off since the feverfew herbal rinse itself is not strong enough to
kill the fleas. It is also advisable to do this task outside your house!
* When using herbs that contain pyrethrins, be sure to use the potions right away as the compounds will break down and lose their potency easily.
Natural Flea Control: Multiple-herb flea rinse
You can also use the following herbs to make an even more potent flea rinse:
Yarrow has insect-repellent qualities. Mullein flowers contain the volatile oil limonene which has flea-killing effect. Calendula is anti-bacterial and is effective
in healing wounds.
Add the above herbs to boiling water. Let the mixture steep and wait for it to cool down. Use it as a flea-repellent rinse on your pet.
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Herbal Supplements for the Immune System
Natural flea control also means fighting fleas "from the inside": we have to feed good, nutritious herbs to our pets to build up their own internal defense systems.
The following herbs can do an excellent job in this regard:
- Echinacea,
St.-John's Wort, Astragalus - these herbs are excellent in boosting the immune system.
- Burdock root, Dandelion,
Red Clover - these herbs help eliminate wastes and also strengthen the body's natural defense
systems to cope with fleabites.
- Nettle - the antihistamine action may reduce allergic reaction to fleabites.
- Garlic - also effective in boosting the immune system. Some people also say that the smell of garlic can also repels fleas (so does brewer's yeast).
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Other Safe and Natural Flea Control
Instead of resorting to harsh, harmful chemicals, we can also use other natural flea control methods that are safe and environmentally friendly ways to get rid of all
the unwelcomed "bed and breakfast backpackers" on our pets.
Cleanliness and Sanitation
First and foremost, maintaining cleanliness and sanitation in our living environment is the most important thing. Regular cleaning and vacuuming will interrup the life
cycles of the fleas. Here are the cleaning regimes that we have to do:
- Steam clean our carpets to kill the flea eggs.
- Vacuum and clean our floors once or twice weekly to get rid of flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. Pay particular attention to the surrounding area where the dog sleeps.
- Use hot, soapy water to wash the dog's bedding.
Diatomaceous Earth
Many people have also reported successful use of natural diatomaceous earth (DE) in killing fleas (and other creepy crawlies for that matter, such as ants,
cockroaches, mites, bed bugs, etc.) DE is actually the fossilized remains of some prehistoric planktons. The fine particles in the earth cut through the exoskeletons of
insects when they walk on it (kind of like people walking on broken glass - ouch!), resulting in dehydration and the insects will usually die in a few hours.
If you want to try using DE, be sure to get the unrefined type (not the type used for swimming pool filters). Wear a mask (especially if you have a sensitive nose!)
when you sprinkle the earth along the walls, under the furniture, and places where your vacuum cleaner cannot reach. You can do it once or twice a year to make sure that
some bugs on the loose hiding out in some cracks and crevices in your house are "properly dealt with".
Herbal Flea Collar
Another natural flea control method is to make a flea collar for your pet using essential
oils. Be sure to use 100% natural pure essential oils and always dilute the oils in a base oil such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, etc.
To make a flea-repellent oil, we need:
- 7-8 drops of Peppermint
- 1-2 drops of Citronella
- 3-4 drops of Lemon
- 3-4 drops of Clary Sage
Dilute the oils in half an ounce (15 ml) of base oil. Add a few drops of the oil mixture to your pet's bandanna or a cotton collar and, voila, you have made a natural,
safe, and nice-smelling flea collar for your four-legged friend! Note that the oils will not kill the fleas, but since the smell repels them, a herbal flea collar will
stop the fleas from camping out in your dog's fur.
Related Topics
Natural Flea Tick Remedies
Flea Allergies in Dogs
Dog Skin Irritations
References
R. Kidd, Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Dog Care (Storey Publishing, 2000).
Pitcairn and Pitcairn, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (Rodale, 2005).
M.L. Wulff-Tilford and G.L. Tilford, Herbs for Pets (Bowtie Press, 1999).
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