What Is the Best Way to Control Fleas Naturally?

It's better to control fleas the natural way because most conventional flea medicines contain pesticides and insect growth inhibitors that are known to cause side effects and toxicity in a few pets. Since dogs catch flea infections very easily, it's important to not exclusively rely on topical solutions and flea preventive tablets, but to adopt an all around approach as a long term flea control solution.

The Importance of Flea Control

Fleas are parasites that attach themselves to the dog's body and feed on blood. They also transmit several diseases and cause conditions like tapeworm infections, flea allergy dermatitis, tularemia and anemia. Since these conditions cause the pet a lot of discomfort, it's important to keep fleas at bay.

Controlling Fleas in Your Home

To prevent flea infections from recurring, you need to keep your house and the surroundings clean. Vacuum and then steam clean your carpets so that flea larvae are completely eliminated. You should also dispose of vacuumed dirt in an appropriate manner so that the house remains parasite free. After you take your dog out on a walk, comb his fur with a flea comb and look for any signs of infection. Prevent your dog from roaming outdoors in plants and trees, because he's likely to catch infections from such places.

Disinfecting the House

Wash and disinfect pet bedding and clean your home with a mixture of boric acid and diatomaceous earth. You should also dispose of pet feces in the right manner. Since fleas thrive in moist areas that aren't exposed to the sun, use diatomaceous earth in your back yard to get rid of them. Another thing you can do to control the flea and tick population in your garden is to use horticulture oil on your plants.

Natural Remedies

Apart from keeping your environment clean you could also use natural remedies to get rid of fleas that exist on the pet's body. Try incorporating small amounts of garlic or sulphur to the dog's food to kill active infections. Garlic should be given in very small amounts, as the ingredient is toxic for dogs when given in large quantities. You could also use commercially available products that contain natural ingredients known to combat flea infections.

Look for Products that Contain:

  • Eucalyptus
  • Rosemary
  • Geranium
  • Pine cedar
  • Lavender

Removing Fleas from the Pet's Body

If you find an adult flea on the dog's body you should remove it carefully so that the parasite's head isn't left behind under the skin. Fleas are known to burrow under the skin and become attached. You should only use a pair of tweezers to pull the flea out. Get as close to the skin as possible but make sure you don't hurt the pet. Keep a germicide handy to wipe the affected area after removing the flea.

If you have two or more pets living in the same household it's important to check all your pets for flea infections, because they spread easily from one animal to the other.

 

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