Naturally Combatting Fleas
"He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas" ~ Benjamin Franklin
Dealing with fleas can be a frustrating experience for pet owners. These tiny parasites not only cause discomfort to our furry friends but can also infest our homes. While there are conventional flea control methods available, many of us are seeking safer and more natural alternatives. I am still a little traumatized by my days as a vet tech. My skin still crawls as I remember clients, in the heat of a California summer, bringing in their dogs and cats covered in fleas for me to bathe and dip. The fleas would be scurrying through my hair as I soaped up and then coated their pets in chemicals. Don’t think for a second I didn’t spritz myself with those same chemicals in an attempt to get the creepy crawly things out of my hair and off my body. At the time I didn’t know there was another option. And, yes, going the natural route will take a little more consistent routine, but the results are a healthier pet and a healthier you!
Before we embark on our natural flea-fighting journey, it's crucial to understand the flea life cycle. By disrupting it, we can break the endless loop and prevent re-infestation. Let's explore the four stages of a flea's life and determine how we can intervene.
Eggs: The life cycle of fleas starts with eggs. Female fleas lay up to 50 eggs a day on their host (your pet) or in the surrounding environment, such as bedding, carpets, or furniture. These tiny eggs are barely visible to the naked eye and can easily fall off your pet, spreading throughout your home.
Larvae: Once the eggs hatch, they transform into larvae. Flea larvae are legless and white, seeking dark and humid environments to thrive. They feed on organic debris, including flea dirt (feces), dead skin cells, and other organic matter found in carpets, bedding, and cracks and crevices.
Pupae: The larvae spin cocoons and enter the pupal stage. Pupae are well-protected within their cocoons, making them resistant to treatment methods. They can remain in this stage for days or even months, waiting for ideal conditions to emerge as adult fleas.
Adult Fleas: When the pupae sense the presence of warmth, vibrations, or carbon dioxide from potential hosts (such as your pet), they emerge as adult fleas. Adult fleas immediately seek a blood meal to survive and reproduce. Once they find a host, the cycle repeats, and the infestation continues.
To effectively break the flea life cycle, it's crucial to target multiple stages simultaneously. Here are the steps we take in our household. The trick is to stay consistent.
Treat Your Pets: The first strategy is to keep those pesky little hitchhikers off your dogs and cats in the first place. We start with grooming. Here in Colorado getting that undercoat groomed out as quickly as our dogs will release it in the spring makes a big difference. Those fleas can and will hide and are hard to find in the thick deep undercoat of our mountain dogs. When we lived in California regular bathing was important. It is best to use a natural shampoo or I even use our personal shampoo bars as they are gentle to the skin but will create a good lather with a second soaping. Chemicals in the shampoo are not necessary to kill the fleas. We always leave the shampoo on for about 10 minutes before rinsing as it suffocates the flea. And then we rinse, rinse, rinse. And when you are sure you have rinsed enough, rinse one more time. Unrinsed soap can irritate the skin and cause a major rash, and if you thought the scratching from fleas was annoying……… Remember to treat ALL of the pets.
Apply Essential Oils: We also apply diluted essential oils to our pets by putting a few drops of the prediluted blend onto our hands and then petting it all over our fur babies twice a day during the worst months (avoiding the eyes and nose). We can also drip a couple of drops onto a bandana and tie it around our companion's necks like a flea collar. My favorite oils are a blend of Lavender and Cedarwood or the Terra Shield Blend. To kick it up a notch try adding Lemon Eucalyptus, Citronella, or Turmeric Essential Oil. It may take a little experimenting to find what works best in your neck of the woods, but you will find an effective blend.
Clean and Vacuum Thoroughly: Regularly vacuum your home, paying extra attention to areas where your pets spend time, such as carpets, rugs, bedding, and furniture. This helps remove flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. Dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister in an outdoor trash bin to prevent fleas from reinfesting your home. Have you ever used a flea bomb in your house? I have a natural option for you. Just like the chemical pesticide version, you will need to vacate the house for several hours. Add 5 drops of each Oregano, Black Pepper, and Peppermint to your diffuser and run on the longest strongest setting option your diffuser offers. We like to use at least one diffuser per room. Please make sure everyone is out of the house (or out of the house as these 3 oils, in quantity and strength, can be irritating to the throat and lungs. Afterward, vacuum all of the floors in every room, especially dark areas and under furniture, and don’t forget to vacuum all furniture as well. Then, as before, dispose of the vacuum bag or contents (outside) immediately. If we are dealing with a flea infestation we do this at least once a month.
Wash Bedding and Fabrics: Wash your pet's bedding, blankets, and any fabric items in hot water. High temperatures effectively kill fleas and their eggs. We use a natural laundry detergent with the OnGuard blend included. Then we add a few drops of essential oils with flea-repellent properties, such as Lavender or Citronella, to a wash rag when we switch things to the dryer. We also use a natural homemade flea powder on our mattresses and on the pet beds. (I’ll give you our recipe in just a moment).
Take it a Step Further with Natural Home Treatments: We love diatomaceous earth as a natural flea powder. We add about 20 drops of our favorite bug-repelling oils to approximately two cups of diatomaceous earth. Try any or all of these oils: Lavender, Cedarwood, Citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus, or the Terra Shield blend. We use this powder to dust the carpet, pet bedding, along baseboards and crevices, and even on our pets directly.
Outdoor Flea Control: Maintain your outdoor areas by regularly mowing the lawn, trimming vegetation, and removing debris where fleas may thrive. Consider using natural outdoor flea repellents, like cedar chips or nematodes to create an unwelcoming environment for fleas. We also use the above homemade flea powder to dust the areas that our pets like to lay outside. We repeat the dusting about once a week. But we keep it limited to the spaces where they spend a lot of time because Diatomaceous Earth will kill the other bugs, good and bad.
This 5 pronged approach will go a long way to keeping the fleas from becoming a big problem. Remember that this is a continual process during the warm season. Here in Colorado, it gets cold enough to stop the cycle by mid-November and then we don’t have to worry again until about March or April. But states like California (where I grew up), Texas, Georgia, and Florida will likely be a year-round process.
While natural methods are effective for most flea infestations, there may be situations that require professional intervention. There’s no judgment here if you choose a different path. But for the well-being of your pets and family, we urge you to embrace at least a season of natural flea control methods as a trial. Remember, consistency and proactive measures are key to successfully eradicating fleas.
