Many of us prefer to totally avoid the use of toxins in our home, and particularly on our pets. Fortunately, there are many natural flea control methods available
The first thing to realize about natural flea control remedies, is that just because something is natural, does not mean it’s not toxic. Pyrethrins, insecticides derived from the African chrysanthemum, are both natural and toxic.
Essential oils
Some essential oils can be toxic in large doses as well, particularly to cats. Since cats do not metabolize essential oils very well, they can build up in their systems and cause problems. Although many cat owners use natural flea control remedies that contain essential oils, it is advisable to use caution.
Good nutrition and flea control
Feeding your pet good quality food is not just the right thing to do, it can also provide better protection against fleas. Poor nutrition can make your pet more susceptible to fleas, since a healthy animal is less appealing to adult fleas. Ask your vet for recommendations.
Garlic and yeast
Bother garlic and yeast can help to naturally protect your pet from fleas. Cat owners should be aware, however, that garlic is toxic to cats, and can damage their red blood cells.
Brewer’s yeast can be used for both dogs and cats. Use about one teaspoon for cats and small dogs, and about a tablespoon for a fifty pound dog. If your pet develops a skin rash, they may be allergic to yeast
Grooming
Thoroughly combing your cat or dog with a flea comb is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to control fleas. Regular baths for your pet are as well. In most cases, plain soap will suffice, and there’s no need to use chemical flea shampoos.
Flea traps
A simple way to trap adult fleas is by placing a light next to where your pet sleeps. Then, under the light, put dish of soapy water. The fleas will be attracted by the light and drown in the soapy water.
This method only works for adult fleas, but if it’s done consistently, it can be remarkably effective.
Diatomaceous earth
Diatomaceous earth kills fleas by damaging their skin and dehydrating them. It can be sprinkled under furniture, on carpets, and in other areas of your home that may be infested by fleas. It can also be applied directly to your pet.
Nematodes
Nematodes are microscopic worms that eat flea larva, and are an effective, natural way to control fleas. Nematodes can be purchased at pet and garden stores. Apply them to moist, shady areas in your yard and around your home. They multiply rapidly, so a small amount will produce the desired result.
Holistic Flea Control
Good information on natural flea control methods from this holistic pet care site.Natural Flea Control for Dogs and Cats
Natural flea control tips from a licensed Veterinarian.Flea Scare Naturals
Natural Flea and Pest Control Products
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
I have no pets and an organic garden AND fleas! Every time I work in the garden I get bit by fleas, definitely fleas. Is there an organic homemade recipe I can use outside that is safe for the garden and will get rid of the fleas?
Hi mettarose,
If I were you, I’d try using nematodes in your garden to see if that helps. Nematodes are tiny worms that eat flea larvae, so they ought to help without causing any harm to the natural flora or fauna in your garden.
Buy LOTS on nemotodes, and sprinkle them EVERYWHERE, inside and out. Will kill fleas, won’t harm humans. NON TOXIC!!! Also, buy some hydrocortisone cream for the bites.
you can use nematodes,pronounce knee-mu-toads (here in Texas anyway) they are a beneficial microsopic worms, harmless to pet or humans also they will rid your yard or garden of fire ants. you can usually find them in feed and livestock stores. very inexpensive and wont hurt the enviroment because they do occur naturally. for more info do a search for nematodes and fleas.
Help! My boyfriend brought his dog Bob over and unbeknowst to us both, he has fleas (he skipped a dose of Frontline). So now I have fleas in my bed. How can I get rid of them??? Non toxic and safe. I was just given the gift of a pure silk duvet for my bed so I can’t wash it. Any ideas??? Thanks!
They salt and vac. treatments work! But also at night try and put out some pans of water with just a lil bit of dawn dish soap (or any brand) in the water! Place the pan (like a pie pan) under a night light or put a tea candle in the middle of it, the fleas like the light and will jump to it land in the pan and drowned!! Good luck all!
to the person who said they had the problem about getting fleas in the soup….just put bowls of soup all around your house to catch all the fleas, on a serious note, i have a major flea problem, i have found that the lightbulb over hot soapy water does work pretty well, the fleas go to the light…and drown
I Spray our 2 dogs evry night with apple cider vinegar and once a week we do all flooring and carpets. So far no flees at all pass it on touch wood.
Borax (as in 20 Mule Team) from the grocery store (Walmart didn’t have it) worked quickly (within hours!) to stop an investation of fleas (from a cat) that my daughter got from a friends cat this week. It was awful! 20-30 bites on her legs. But the Borax is working! She washed all her clothes and is getting a new mattress. BUT… please read Wikipedia on Borax, it’s natural but toxic if breathed in or absorbed through skin. Wear gloves, shoes, and wash afterwards. After trying toxic pesticides that didn’t work, including foggers, when I got deer fleas one time from hiking …Borax sprinkled on my carept worked over night! I never saw a flea again…I “salted” the carpet w/it and left it for 4 days. Vaccume up after 3-5 days…empty your vaccume bag and tie-up the trash bag. Repeat often. It worked for me! Don’t let children be exposed to Borax in the carpet, don’t put it on your pet, or expose it to your bare feet. Wash your hands afterwards. Borax, of course, is ment to be added to laundry soap. To get rid of fleas: It works! I’m not an expert so read all you can on the topic. Best of luck.
where can I find diatomaceous? can i use the product in the house?
Lucy, try your local garden store, or the garden department at Home Depot or something similar.
You can find Diatamaceous earth at your local garden center if they have an organic section.
If I use diatomaceous earth on carpets, is it safe to walk on them barefoot after sprinkling it? I have fleas in house, yard and garage.
Becky, diatomaceous earth is non-toxic, and safe to walk on. It kills fleas by scratching their exoskeleton and causing dehydration. You can apply it directly to your pet as well.
THE VINAGER REALY WORKS I HAVE SPRYED AND THE FLEAS JUMP RIGHT OFF IT STINKS BUT IT WORKS.
I have heard vinegar works well, but what exactly can it be sprayed on? Also, what can the Borax be sprinkled on and how long should I wait to vacuum? How long should the vinegar be left on before washing it off? Can either one of these products be put on my dogs? Thank you for any and all advice. Annie M.
Put garlic capsules in your dogs food, the fleas dont like this when they bite your dog and will find another animal to feast on. to see if you have fleas in your home put a bowl of boiling water in the middle of the room before bed and if by the moring you have more than 5-8 fleas in the bowl you have a problem which will need sorting. i recomend frontline.
Hi Christina, I have read that you can put your duvet in someones deepfreeze. Fleas are not supposed to survive at any stage after 5 days but I would give it a week. Don’t forget to vacume every second day! What a lot of work but it takes 3-6 weeks to become adult feas. If you don’t get them all they will quickly take over.
Diatomaceous Earth can be purchased at any pool supply store! It is organic & is used to coat the leaves of diatamaceous filters. Leavinf swimming pool water super clean!!!!!
Beware of using the Diatomaceous earth as it is toxic to small animals and things that are low to the ground as it does not break down in the lungs and causes respiratory problems in animals close to the ground and possible little kid’s. This is listed on the packages and the website that has the holistic flea treatments.
is there anything to put in dogs water to try to get rid of fleas on dogs
I had read that putting 1/4th cup of white distilled vinigar per gallon of drinking water helps keep fleas off of cats and dogs. I have been doing that and it has really keeped the flea population down. They animals don’t seem to mind the taste either.
will peroxide work? it seems to make them run away.
Vinegar in a dish attracts the fleas and they drown.
Soapy water in a dish under a light works well but can’t possibly get all of the critters.
Lemons, 3 to 4 cut up and steeped in a quart of boiling water for at least 6 hours (then strained into spray bottles) provides an essential oil product for spot spraying (smells nice too, we used it on the beds)
…but, vacuum vacuum vacuum day after day after day is what really works. When all else fails – get a professional, and YES you will still need to vacuum vacuum vacuum. We would have saved a lot of money, time, worry and stress if we had only started out with a professional pest control company instead of trying to do ourselves at the start.
we have a flea problems in the house and on our 3 indoor cats. i really would like to know if there is something NON TOXIC and NON CHEMICAL as well as inexpensive to get rid of fleas. i need something that will be safe on the cats and on us. there is no carpet in the house, just hardwood floors and linoleum tiles.
any ideas is welcome thank you.
s m, I don’t know of much other than what’s on this page. I would try both nematodes and diatomaceous earth. You can find both a gardening stores. Lots of vacuuming is important too, and washing any bedding, clothes, etc that might be infested.
I see that someone was wondering about peroxide. I use a remedy that works to kill fleas really well. You take 1 qt. peroxide, 1/4 cup of baking soda, and one big squeeze of dish soap or dog shampoo. Leave on cat or dog for about 15 minutes or so then rinse very well. It works for me and I have 2 dogs and 2 cats.
@sadie,
Thanks for the tip on using peroxide with baking soda and dish soap. Any issues with bleaching your pet’s hair? :)
I Just got back from vacation to find my cat ran off but left all her fleas. I heard crushing moth ball on your rug then vacuuming a few minutes later may work although we always want to read those warning lables before acting. I rubbed vapor rub on me and my children and I haven’t gotten bitten since. Heard bug sparys like Off help temporarily. Are there any over the counter meds or vitamins that can be crushed and used in carpets?
My kitten has a really bad flea infestation. It has gotten to the point where they are all over him, my blankets, and biting the crap out of me. My room is in my basement, and the cat cannot stay upstairs. The fleas are all over my room! I tried a medication to put on him but it didn’t work at all. I need something that is COMPLETELY SAFE and NON TOXIC that can be put on my kitten, and me, without harming either of us. PLEASE HELP!!
The OFF worked. Had to be the one in the green bottle, but I haven’t seen a flea since I sprayed it on me and the kids. $5.00 at the dollar store per can. Green Bottle… Spray it everwhere you can and vacuum everyday. I have a small home so I only needed two cans. repeat if needed, but after everything we tried, the OFF was best (the green can) =)) good luck….
I recently got a new kitty that has a mild case of fleas. I had fleas before because I got another kitten 2 weeks before but regular flea shampoo and meds got rid of his.. Here recently I’ve been gettin bit and I noticed my other kitten has them now too!! But, the flea meds don’t work and the shampoo only kills the ones that are on them currently. I’m gonna try the pan of boiling water in the middle of the floor tonight. I got flea collars but I read on them they may harm my babies…. So I need an alternative..
What about steam cleaners, both the bare floor ones and the carpet cleaners? The ones for bare floors emit really hot steam – wouldn’t that kill fleas/flea eggs? Has anyone else tried this approach? I know the carpet “steamers” aren’t really steamers at all, they just use hot water but I’m hoping that the combination of lots of vacuuming and the steam cleaning will work.
Does anyone know of a safe, natural/organic flea bomb that I can use to kill the fleas in my garage?
Hey,my best friend is a vet tech. And what worked good for a while with my under twelve week old kittens,was to wash them I’m LEMON soap!!that’s it….repeat this step every week and the fleas will eventually go away…unforanately I have a sdmall dog that always goes outside and consistly brings them in!!!
You can also make your own flea collar by getting tea tree oil and placing a few drops on the dogs collar. Remember to do this every day so the smell stays on the collar. You can also steep two cups of fresh rosemary in two pints of boiling water, then you mix this with enough warm water to make one gallon, you can wet the dog down with this and let them dry naturally. Very strong smell. Thanks for all the tips because I can’t stand the thought of fleas in my house or on my dog.
I had always heard that borax is an effective way to get rid of fleas. this is so not true. I sprinkled it all over the floors in my house with no results. just to make sure, I picked a couple fleas off my dog and put them in a clear container half filled with borax.——- two days later the two fleas were still jumping around in tne container. I used strait borax, not detergent with borax. lets not waist out time money or energy on this myth anymore.