http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-solutions-for-natural-flea-control.html
5 Solutions for Natural Flea Control
With a scratch, scratch here and a scratch, scratch there… Warm weather is returning and with it come the fleas. Those nasty little buggers could drive a dog to drink but pumping their blood full of prescription medication (aka harsh chemicals) or using harsh soaps and sprays hardly seems like a pet lover’s answer. Below are some all-natural solutions that will have your dog itch-free in no time.
1. Rosemary Flea Dip
Steep two cups of fresh rosemary in boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and add up to a gallon of warm water depending on the size of your dog. Wait until it cools but is still warm and pour over your dog until he’s soaked. Allow your dog to dry naturally. Works especially well on hot summer days.
2. Lavender Essential Oil
Wash your dog thoroughly and towel dry. Apply a few drops of lavender essential oil to the base of the tail and another at the neck.
3. Brewer’s Yeast
Add a small Brewer’s yeast tablets to your dog’s food. Much like prescription meds (but much healthier), this is excreted through Fido’s skin making him less attractive to fleas. Check with your veterinarian for the proper dosages depending on weight.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
A spoonful of this stuff added to your dog’s water makes their skin more acidic and not-at-all tasty to fleas. If apple cider vinegar is not your dog’s cup of tea, you can dilute it 50/50 with water, pour into a spray bottle and use as a repellent.
5. Lemon Spray Repellent
Cut a lemon into quarters, cover with boiling water and let it steep overnight. In the morning, spray all over your dog, especially behind the ears and around the head generally (be careful of his eyes), around the base of the tail, and under your dog’s legs.
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35 comments
add your comment »To repell flys from biting dogs outside you need to clean up the poop&neutralize the urine smell from the area.Use agricultural lime to do that.
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Diatemeous earth can be sprinkled lightly around to kill all types of bugs.
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on may 3rd 2009 i sent my comment to you on controlling fleas on domestic house animals a regular bath will help you a lot there is also a flea shampoo which quite a lot of people use it in oder to to control the fleas this message is to eric s from milan kothari.
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I see lots of remedies for fleas & ticks but nothing for mites. Since the warmer weather came in here in NY, my two cats and four kittens have been scratching constantly and I noticed bumps around the neck area and along the back. I've checked carefully for fleas and/or ticks and can find none which leads me to believe it may be mites which are a lot harder to see. Anyone have any suggestions for treating this? Also, is cedarwood oil ok to use on cats? I'm concerned about toxicity of many essential oils when they groom themselves after it's been applied.
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Kabin
Konteyner
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I don't know of any natural fly repellent for dogs. You might look at the pet stores like PETCO.
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Is there a natural fly repellent for dogs?
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Apple cider vinegar works for our dog. We have been putting it in her drinking water for about 6 months now. The first time she took a drink you could tell she thought something was different! After that she just started drinking with no problem. Sure she gets a few fleas, but nothing like before.
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how about the smell of lavender oil or lemon, doesn't it make the dog crazy?
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I found a good resource that uses the nrdc's greenpaws.org website at www.fleacontrolbook.com. One good tip they share is to use garden nematodes on your lawn to eat flea larvae. They have a 3 step approach to treat inside/outside AND the pet.
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