Things You'll Need
Cedar mulch
Cedar shavings
Tansy
Lemons
Water
Stove & cooking pot
Spray bottle
Bandana
Tea tree essential oil
Eucalyptus essential oil
Cider vinegar
Are fleas a problem at your house? There are several homemade natural ways to repel fleas by using household products. You don’t have to use harsh chemical treatments to bring relief to your pet!
Instructions:
Start with your pet's environment. If your pet lives outdoors most of the time, you will want to help repel fleas from his area. Cedar is a natural flea repellent. Try using cedar mulch on the ground, and cedar shavings in a dog kennel or dog bed.
Planting Tansy, a fern-like plant, around the perimeter of your outdoor pets environment will also help repel fleas. Do not plant Tansy where your pet can eat the plant, because it does have low levels of toxins.
Making a homemade flea spray to treat a pet dog is easy too. Add a sliced lemon to 2 cups of water in a small pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. Cover the mixture with a lid, and let it steep. Allow the mixture to cool, then put it into a spray bottle and apply to your pet. Be sure not to spray the mixture in your dog’s eyes. Do spray behind the ears, in the arm pits, along the back and around the paws. Reapply the mixture up to two times a day.
Make a homemade flea collar by sprinkling a bandana with tea tree essential oil and eucalyptus essential oil. Tie the bandana around your dog's neck for a natural flea repellent collar. You will need to reapply the oils to the bandana once a week.
Adding cider vinegar to your pet's water supply will also help repel fleas. When the dog drinks the water, the vinegar will be excreted through the skin, creating an unfriendly environment for biting fleas. One teaspoon of cider vinegar to 2 cups of fresh water is recommended.
Adding brewers yeast (not baking yeast) to your pet’s food can also help repel fleas. One teaspoon of brewers yeast is recommended per 30 lbs. of dog weight, per day.
Vacuuming often will also help minimize fleas in the home. Be sure to empty the vacuum bag or collection chamber in an outside garbage, so you don't continue to re-infest your home.
Warnings
Never use essential oils to repel fleas on cats. Many essential oils are toxic to cats.
Writer Bio
Angela Tague writes marketing content and journalistic pieces for major brands including Bounty, The Nest, Lowe's Home Improvement and Hidden Valley. She also provides feature content to newspapers and writes health and beauty blogs for Daily Glow, Everyday Health and Walgreens. Tague graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications in 1999.
