Herbal Flea Control and Your Dog
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| Rosemary Flea Control |
To foil the nasty little pests in your home, place eucalyptus in dog bedding, under carpeting, and in furniture. Sachets of eucalyptus can also be placed in linen closets, and in low-lying cabinets and drawers. An infusion of eucalyptus oil in the final rinse when you launder your dog's bedding will kill fleas, their eggs, and any mites that have hopped on for the ride. Make sure to always wash suspect linens thoroughly in hot water. (Strong essential oils can be toxic to cats, so use these measures to treat dog bedding only.)
Make Your Own Flea Dip
Vacuum carpeting and furniture frequently, and bathe an infested dog with a quality flea dip. You can make your own from 1/3 cup of dried rosemary leaves steeped in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and left to cool overnight. Strain and combine the liquid with warm water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice for your dog's final rinse.
Internal Measures for Flea Control
Brewer's yeast added to your dog's diet will repel fleas from the inside out. (You can buy it in capsule form or as a powder that you can add to his food or incorporate into homemade dog biscuits.)
Herbal Flea Control in the Garden
In the garden, plantings of rosemary, sweet woodruff, mint, lavender, and garlic will help keep fleas under control, and using eucalyptus mulch helps too, particularly near doorways, under windows, and around areas where your dog likes to stretch out to relax.
Would this also apply to Cats? Not sure if a cat would eat brewer's yeast...
ReplyDeleteSure, this works with cats. They can be finicky eaters, though. Use yeast sparingly, and put it in strong smelling treats or meals, like mackerel, kidneys or liver; or bake it into treats.
ReplyDeleteSara
Will dried pennyroyal made into a sachet help with fleas? Bugs never die in Louisiana.
ReplyDeleteLaurie
NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! Pennyroyal is one herb in the mint family that is poisonous to dogs! There have been reported cases of people using pennyroyal in pet shampoos and accidentally killing their pets.
ReplyDeleteInstead, try eucalyptus oil in a sachet.
Would lavender work on cats as well as dogs? And what can you do herbally for inside your house(specifically for carpet). There are a lot of allergies and asthma and respiratory issues that my family has, so the more natural the solution the better. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteYou can use lavender on cats, but watch concentrations because some cats are sensitive to strong fragrances.
As for natural flea treatments, one of the best is eucalyptus (leaves, mulch, branches and oil). You can place them in pet bedding, use eucalyptus mulch in your garden and near doorways, and use eucalyptus oil in the final rinse for pet and human bedding.
You can also make a rosemary water spray: Boil two cups of fresh rosemary for 20 minutes in two quarts (8 cups) of water. Cool and refrigerate. Use on carpeting, pet bedding and even on pets (test textile surfaces for staining before using). If you or a family member has respiratory problems, consult your doctor before making changes to your indoor environment. If your pets are very young, old or ill, check with your vet, too.
Diatomaceous earth can kill fleas (but use caution because it can exacerbate respiratory problems), and the right nematodes can kill flea larvae in the lawn.
I hope this helps. Sara
Thanks for your site.... Can I make a spray of Eucalyptus oil et al to spray on my dog daily. I live in an area of California where the flea infestations are all year round and if don't use the Vet flea meds then the dogs eat a flea and get tapeworm and then need tapeworm killing meds. I don't want to continue with this cycle of poisoning the dog with Western meds. There must be a natural solution that is simple. Can you give me a recipe I could spray on my dog nightly? If I buy euch oil, how many drops? If I buy rosemary oil, how many drops? How much lemon, water, vinegar, witch hazel, etc? I'd really like to have a nightly spray. Thanks.
ReplyDelete