Things You'll Need
Diatomaceous earth
Table salt
Broom
Trashcan
Although fleas for the most part are harmless to pets and humans, fleas have been involved in the transmission of such diseases as the plague and murine typhus. If your cat or dog becomes infested with fleas, it's likely that the fleas hitched a ride from the outdoors. This means there is a good chance the fleas are in your yard and possibly on your concrete sidewalk or patio as well. Fortunately, you can get rid of the fleas using an all-natural method.
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth lightly over the entire slab of concrete. You can also use table salt. Both products pierce the exoskeleton of the flea, causing it to dehydrate and die.
Push some diatomaceous earth into any cracks, or crevices within the concrete, using a broom. Fleas are tiny enough to hide in between the floorboards of a home, so you can expect them to squeeze in between sidewalk cracks.
Wait three days for all of the fleas to die. Sweep up and discard the diatomaceous earth and dead fleas into a trashcan.
Repeat two weeks later to get rid of any new fleas that may have hatched from left-behind flea eggs.
Tips
Treat the outdoor concrete when rain is not expected for at least 72 hours.
Kill the fleas on your pets and in your home at the same time as you treat the concrete. Otherwise, the pets will just become reinfested.
Warnings
Don't use the table salt if you have vegetation near the concrete you wish to treat. Salt will destroy the vegetation if it gets on it.
References
Photo Credits
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NA/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
Writer Bio
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.
