Many flea killers on the market contain harsh insecticides but you can make your own flea-fighting products at home using natural essential oils. Essential oils are derived from plants and can help rid your dog of any fleas while making him smell delicious. Create your own homemade flea killers using essential oils to use on your dog and keep both your pup and his environment clean to prevent the fleas from returning.
Flea Killing Essential Oils
Several essential oils have flea-killing and repelling properties, including:
- Peppermint oil
- Citrus oils
- Neem oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Tea tree oil
- Lavender oil
- Rosemary oil
Because these oils may cause skin irritation or even toxicity when applied straight to your pup's skin, you need to dilute them up to 90 percent before application. This is true of most homeopathic medicines, which are heavily diluted substances that might otherwise cause illness.
Flea-Killing Spray
Make a flea-killing spray with an essential oil to naturally get the fleas off of your dog's coat. Apple cider vinegar helps kill fleas and soothe itchy skin, so combining it with the essential oils will increase the effectiveness of the solution.
Things You'll Need
Pure essential oil
Distilled water
Apple cider vinegar
Spray bottle
Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 3/4 cup of distilled water. You can boil and cool tap water if you don't have distilled water.
Add 10 drops of essential oil to the water and vinegar mixture and stir.
Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Shake before use.
Tips
When using this spray on your pooch, don't soak his fur in it. Instead, lightly mist his coat and use your fingers to work it into his fur. Spray his coat a few times a week to repel fleas between baths.
Flea-Killing Wash
If your dog is dealing with a flea infestation, you'll need to wash the blood-sucking insects off of his coat to remove as many of the pests as possible. Add some essential oils to your dog's normal shampoo to increase its effectiveness. You'll need about five to six drops of essential oil for every 5 ounces of shampoo.
You also can make a homemade moisturizing shampoo to kill the fleas on your pup's coat with natural ingredients.
Things You'll Need
Liquid castile soap
Vegetable glycerin
Distilled water
Essential oil
Mix 3 ounces of liquid castile soap with 1 ounce of vegetable glycerin.
Stir in 2 ounces of distilled water.
Add five drops of essential oil. If combining oils such as tea tree and lavender, use three drops of each.
Tips
When bathing your dog, allow the shampoo to sit on his coat for 10 minutes before rinsing it off to allow the essential oils to kill the fleas.
Additional Flea Control
To make your dog's flea spray and shampoo more effective, remove the fleas from his environment to reduce the chances of an infestation.
- Vacuum your carpets one to two times weekly to get rid of fleas and their eggs.
- Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth around your home and allow it to sit for a few hours before vacuuming it away. This substance naturally kills fleas and can be rubbed on your pup's coat before baths.
- Wash your dog's bedding in hot water weekly.
- Keep grass trimmed outdoors to discourage fleas.
References
Writer Bio
Based in Las Vegas, Susan Paretts has been writing since 1998. She writes about many subjects including pets, finances, crafts, food, home improvement, shopping and going green. Her articles, short stories and reviews have appeared on City National Bank's website and on The Noseprint. Paretts holds a Master of Professional Writing from the University of Southern California.
