Get Rid of Fleas
 Fleas can be compared to money:
It is very difficult to understand, how they appear,
And absolutely it is impossible to notice, where disappear...
Tick Repellant
Ticks can be troublesome outdoor pests, as they feed off the blood of mammals, and can carry and transfer bacteria and disease such as Lyme disease. Some retail products are designed to repel ticks, but these are many times high-priced items and no more effective than a simple homemade solution.
Repellent for Pets
For pets, add 1 cup of water to a spray bottle, followed by 2 cups of distilled white vinegar. Ticks hate the smell and taste of vinegar, and will be easily be repelled by this ingredient alone. Then, add two spoonfuls of vegetable or almond oil, which both contain sulfur (another natural tick repellent). To make a repellent that will also deter fleas, mix in a few spoonfuls of lemon juice, citrus oil, or peppermint oil, which will all repel ticks and fleas while also creating a scented repellent. Spray onto the pet's dry coat, staying away from sensitive areas including eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals. When outdoors for an extended period, spray this solution on two to three times per day. When pets are outdoors generally to use the restroom only, spray the solution onto the animal's coat once per day.
A simple homemade repellent can be made with a few inexpensive household ingredients. In a spray bottle, mix 2 cups of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water. To make a scented solution so you do not smell like bitter vinegar all day, add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil or bath oil. Eucalyptus oil is a calm, soothing scent that also works as a tick repellent, while peppermint and citrus oils give off a strong crisp scent that also repel ticks. After mixing the solution, spray onto clothing, skin, and hair before going outdoors. Reapply every four hours to keep ticks at bay, and examine the skin and hair when returning home to make sure no ticks are on the body.
Flea & Tick Remedy
8 oz apple cider vinegar
4 oz warm water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Mix dry ingredients first then slowly add to wet as the vinegar and baking soda will react slightly. Put into spray bottle and spray pets down. Be careful not to get in pets eyes.
Use Borax throughout the house, sprinkle it on the carpets and let sit for a few hours, then vacuum. This should kill all the fleas and ticks in your home and on your pets.
* It is safe for any animal, apple cider vinegar has a shelf life of about 3-5 years so you'd be fine to store it for a long time, just keep it out of direct sunlight and it shouldn't spoil. As for application, if your pet if flea and tick free then once a week, or after every bath. If they're infested, spray every couple days until infestation is gone, then do maintenance spraying of once a week or after every bath.
Obviously vet medication is quicker and requires less maintenance
So how do you get rid of fleas? It's not enough to just kill the ones on the animal. (Click)
You have to treat the yard and home too.
Wash your pets bedding once a week or any other material your pet comes into contact with in hot water. Lavender has been used to get rid of fleas since before the time of Christ. They used to put lavender in the kennels and beds. I like to put a few drops of lavender essential oil on my dogs bed. I also put a few drops of lavender on my bed when I change the sheets. Do this at least once a week for awhile. You need to address all the stages of the flea cycle. Add a tablespoon or essential oil to the rinse water. Try rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus, or lavender.
Vacuum your furniture and cover them with towels or sheets and wash that weekly. Cover any chair or couch your pet may go on. Actually any you may go on too, because the little blood suckers feed off of anything that has nice warm blood.
Some people have used a homemade powder to get rid of fleas. They sprinkle this powder on the rugs or put it in hard to reach places like cracks, corners and under furniture you cant move to help stop the life cycle of fleas.
They mix 2 parts diatomaceous earth,
1 part baking soda
and 1 part cornstarch.
Add essential oils as desired.
The diatomaceous scratches the skin, the baking soda dehydrates them and the cornstarch is a good carrier. Keep pets and small children out of the room when you work with this and please wear a mask. Do not use the diatomaceous that you get for swimming pools. The kind for swimming pools is called glassified and this kind is dangerous for pets. Diatomaceous earth consists of skeletons of microscopic algae that contain trace minerals. The kind you can use for fleas is found in pet stores and is safe according to some vets. It dries out the fleas and they die. The right kind is called amorphous. When you vacuum, wear a mask. Consider your pets, children and lifestyle before you use this in the house. I wouldn't use it because my dogs are so small and close to the floor. If you have children that play on the floor avoid this stuff. Do not apply this to your pets. It is said to be effective outside.
Cedar shavings have been used for centuries to repel fleas.
Walnut leaves have been used successfully by some to get rid of fleas. Spread the leaves or the boughs of the walnut tree under furniture, in closets, and everywhere. In a few days the fleas were gone.
To get rid of fleas on throw rugs wash them weekly or store them for awhile.
Dry bedding at maximum heat in your dryer. This will get rid of fleas by killing all the stages of the flea.
Essential oils that repel insects. Here is a list of some essential oils that was listed in my aromatherapy catalog that repel insects. They are sweet bay, cajeput, cedar wood, cinnamon bark and leaf, clove, dill, eucalyptus, fennel, geranium, juniper berries, lavender, lemon grass, patchouli, peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, tea tree, thyme, and vetiver. Mix one or more of these with baking soda and sprinkle on your carpet to get rid of fleas. Leave this overnight if you want and vacuum the next day.
Vacuuming all carpeting, mattresses, couches, chairs, and even hardwood floors will help get rid of fleas. Don't forget to move furniture and vacuum there too. Vacuum everything. When you finish dispose of the vacuum bag in a sealed plastic bag and put it into a outside garbage bin. There will be eggs in the bag and you don't want them to hatch and crawl out. Don't wait until the bag is full.
Borax salts (also called sodium polyborate) causes fleas to dry out and kills the larvae when they inhale or try to eat the dust. Work it deeply into the carpet and leave it on. Vacuum up the excess. Wear a mask while applying it and vacuuming it. You can let pets on the carpet after you vacuum. This is said to be a very effective way to get rid of fleas.
I wash my floors with a bucket of water, a squirt of dish soap, about 1/2 cup of vinegar and about 10 drops of essential oils. I usually grab lavender, peppermint, or patchouli oil. These are known to work as insect repellents.
Heat your house to 103 degrees for several hours. Just pack you and your pets in a car and leave for a while. When you get home, vacuum everything. Take the vacuum outside and remove the bag and dispose of it. This is said to work because fleas can't take heat. This is why steam cleaning your rugs work so well.
Steam cleaning will get rid flea eggs.
Drown the fleas at night by placing a pan of soapy water next to your pets bed. Have a night light above the pan. When the fleas jump to the light they fall into the water. Discard water down the toilet in the morning.
Put herbs in your dog bed or make sachets. Some herbs that can be used is Lavender buds and or leaves. rue, feverfew, tansy, catmint, black walnut tree leaves, palmerosa, camphor, rosemary, wormwood, southernnwood, sage, pennyroyal leaves, or neem. Some herbs can irritate some dogs. If they avoid the pillow, then remove. My dogs like the smell of lavender and seek it out. Pregnant women or pregnant pets should not use pennyroyal.
Don't forget to get rid of fleas in your yard.
Mow and water your lawns. Short grass lets the sun to warm the soil and this will kill the larvae. Watering drowns the developing fleas. If you have sandy or patches of dirt, you can put a dark plastic tarp over the area on a hot day. This will kill the larvae.
I'm lucky because I have ants in my yard, lots and lots of ants. Ants will eat fleas, larvae, and eggs. If I have my way, I would rather have the ants. So don't use pesticides on the lawn.
Nematodes are tiny microscopic worms that you can get at garden supply stores. Mix in water and spray on the yard. They eat immature fleas as well as other insects.
Grassy areas and moist areas can be treated with agricultural lime. Make sure you don't use the kind that is used in construction work. This will dry out the fleas. You can add some cayenne pepper to it if you want. Add about one cup of cayenne for every gallon of lime.
I hope some of these things help you. Good luck. :)
Remember that you can be sensitive or allergic to anything, so keep this in mind when using essential oils safely.
Bay Rum - avoid during pregnancy, especially first 3 months. Could possibly irritate sensitive skin.
Bay Laurel- No precautions listed.
Benzoin absolute - Nonirritant, non toxic. Can cause possible sensitization, due to the solvents used.
Bergamot - Should not be used on the skin before going out into the sun or in a sun bed for up to 24 hours. may be irritating to sensitive skin.
Calendula - No precautions found in the literature checked.
Chamomile, Roman and German - Also pretty safe. Only precautions or safety data I can find on this one is it can cause dermatitis in some people. So do a patch test. Also avoid in first 3 months of pregnancy.
Cinnamon leaf can cause sensitivity in some people and should not be used if you're pregnant. Please don't mix this up with cinnamon bark. Cinnamon bark is used for inhalation only.
Citronella Warning-Avoid if pregnant. Also may cause dermatitis. Could irritate skin.
Clary sage - Avoid during pregnancy. Don't use when drinking alcohol, since it can induce a narcotic effect, and exaggerated drunkenness.
Clove - can cause sensitivity in some people and should not be used if you're pregnant. Eucalyptus- No precautions found in literature checked. Must be diluted.
Fennel, sweet- Avoid when pregnant, and don't use if you are epileptic. Don't use on children under 6 years old. Use in moderation.
Frankincense - no precautions found.
Geranium Rose - Nontoxic, nonirritant, generally nonsensitizing, but may cause contact dermatitis in some hypersensitive people. Especially the bourbon type.
Ginger - could possibly irritate sensitive skin.
Grapefruit - slightly phototoxic. It oxidizes quickly so store in refrigerator.
Jasmine -Nontoxic, nonirritant.
Juniper - Warning - This oil stimulates the uterine muscle and should be avoided in pregnancy. It should not be used if you have kidney disease, it's a nephrotoxic. Don't use it for young children. Use in moderation.
Lemon Myrtle - Could irritate sensitize skin
Lemon Yellow Sweet and Lemon Yellow Dry - Could irritate sensitize skin. May cause sun sensitivity for up to 24 hours.
Lemongrass - Could irritate sensitize skin.
Lime - Generally nontoxic, nonirritant, and nonsensitizing. However the expressed peel oil is phototoxic, but not the steam distilled whole fruit oil. So check which one you are getting.
Manderine, Green or Red - May cause sun sensitivity for up to 24 hours.
Marjoram, Spanish or Sweet - Don't use if pregnant.
Melissa/Lemon Balm, also called Melissa officinalis from the family Laviatae - Use in low dilutions (up to 1%). Narcotic in large doses, causing headaches.
Myrrh -Don't use if pregnant. Don't use in high concentrations.
Myrtle, Red - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Neroli - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Nutmeg - Don't use if pregnant or on small children. Large doses shows signs of toxicity. Use in moderation.
Orange Sweet - May cause sun sensitivity for up to 24 hours.
Oregano - May cause sun sensitivity for up to 24 hours. Do not use if pregnant.
Palmarosa - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Patchouli - Nontoxic, nonirritant, it's overuse can cause insomnia, nervous attacks and loss of appetite.
Pepper, Black - This oil is toxic and a irritant in concentration. Use in low dilutions only. (not more than 1%.)
Pepper, Pink - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Peppermint - Don't use with homeopathic remedies. Use in low dilution on skin. Could irritate sensitive skin.
Pine, Scotch - Don't use this oil if there are allergic skin conditions. It is a skin irritant in concentration. Use low dilutions only.
Ravensare - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Rose - Generally considered safe, nontoxic, nonirritant. However it should be avoided during the first 4 months of pregnancy.
Rosemary - Don't use if pregnant. It raises blood pressure, so use with caution if you already have high blood pressure. Don't use this if you are epileptic.
Sandalwood - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Sage, Spanish - Do not use if pregnant. Use only in moderation. Do not use if you are epileptic.
Sage, Clary - Avoid during pregnancy. Don't use when drinking alcohol, since it can induce a narcotic effect, and exaggerated drunkenness.
Spearmint - Avoid during pregnancy.
Spruce - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant. If you're allergic to spruce trees you will want to avoid this.
Spruce, Black - Avoid during pregnancy. Could irritate sensitive, delicate skin.
Spikenard - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Sweet orange - Should not be used on the skin before going out into the sun or in a sun bed for up to 24 hours. may be irritating to sensitive skin.
Tangerine - Should not be used on the skin before going out into the sun or in a sun bed for up to 24 hours. May be irritating to sensitive skin.
Tea tree - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Thyme, Mild Provence (linalool chemotype) - Avoid during pregnancy. May be irritating to sensitive skin. Avoid if you have high blood pressure.
Valerian - May cause drowsiness. Avoid if you need to stay alert, Don't use and drive or use dangerous equipment.
Vanilla, absolute - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Vetiver - Safe, nontoxic, nonirritant.
Ylang Ylang - This has a strong odor intensity. Normally said to be nontoxic, nonirritant, but has a few cases of sensitization. The scent can cause headaches or nausea in some people.
I hope this is helpful to you. One of the problems with aromatherapy is there is so much information out there on essential oil safety that doesn't agree with each other. I only put down information I could verify in more than one source. There are aromatherapy books out there for pregnancy, babies, adults and even pets. Check them out and see what meets your needs. Good luck and enjoy. :) |
