Does your dog or cat have a flea problem? Many commercially available flea remedies contain synthetic pesticides like organophosphates and carbamares. This includes common sprays, powders, rinses, lotions, and those dreaded flimsy white collars that keep your pet's head immersed in a constant cloud of toxins. Read the label. It will tell you to avoid getting these products on your skin, yet tell you cover your pet's skin thoroughly! So instead of running to the pet store, here are 5 safe and effective remedies to cure flea infestations organically.
Clean your house thoroughly. This means vacuuming furniture and rugs daily (especially pet areas), and washing pet bedding in hot water and drying it on high heat. Vacuuming alone can remove up to 30% of the larvae and up to 60% of flea eggs from carpet. Flea eggs can survive in vacuum cleaner bags, so when you're done vacuuming throw the bag out, or stick it in the freezer for a few hours before reattaching it.
Keep Your Pet Healthy. The absolute best way to avoid flea problems is to keep your pet healthy. Fleas will seldom take up residence on a dog or cat that has a healthy coat and skin, but on animals with dry, itchy skin, or hot spots it's a different story. Exercise your pets regularly, and feed them a high-quality pet food (your own cooking or an organic food is best) that contains whole vegetables and whole meats (not meat by-products).
About The Author: Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services.
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Re #3, baking soda is better than borax. Borax rates 4 and baking soda 2 in possible harm, according to Environmental Working Group on a scale of 0 (best) to 10.
I was told by our local humane society to use table salt to rid fleas in carpet and furniture. Definetly wins for a cheap fix!
I always cover the floors and under furniture covers with salt to get rid of fleas and their eggs in the carpet etc. Baking soda would be good too. Also Brewers yeast rubbed into the fur is a good thing to do to. Look up brewers yeast and fleas in the search bar~
Some good tips! e use borax also. Cider vinegar in the drinking water works too.
I'm wondering about the citrus oil rinse though. I've always been told that dogs & cats do NOT like the smell of citrus. We used a flea treatment on our dog 3 years ago that smelled like orange oil & it freaked her out so bad that she still cringes & urinates whenever I come near her with her flea treatment,even though I changed it.
First of all, nothing really "dehydrates" a flea. They have an exoskeleton which doesn't allow this type of desiccation..just simply doesn't happen that way. IF the salt/boric acid is fine enough, it can cut through the hard exoskeleton and cause the flea to bleed out.
Second, "Keeping your pet healthy is absolutely the best way to prevent fleas" is a half-truth at BEST, which can actually cause more harm than an outright lie.. Give me ANY healthy OR sick animal and I'll give you a ton of fleas if left untreated. In fact, a flea is more likely to use a healthy host for its food supply than a sick host. Grooming habits aren't a big factor, either. Keeping your pet clean can minimize the flea population but left untreated will NOT prevent fleas from using your pet as a host.
actually the dicamateuas earth DOES kill the fleas. it killed 10 on my cat several months ago. that was all i did was the DE. along with flea comb the night before.
what i did do wrong was put to much of it on her and me.
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