Natural Flea and Tick Control

What are your options for flea and tick control if you do not wish to use sprays, pills, or injections? Several healthy alternatives exist.

• Apply herbal flea powder “sparingly” to your pet’s coat.

• Use herbal flea collars.

• Apply natural skin tonic as a general skin toner, parasite repellent, and mange treatment.

• Add nutritional or brewer’s yeast and garlic to the animal’s diet.

• Treat your carpets with a special antiflea mineral salt.

• Occasionally (once or twice a year) sprinkle natural, unrefined diatomaceous earth (which kills insects) along your walls, under your furniture, and in cracks where you cannot vacuum, but not directly on your animals.

• Use sprays or powders containing pyrethrins or natural pyrethrums, which are the least toxic of all insecticides used on pets.

• Another gentle weapon against fleas is a good flea comb with tightly spaced teeth. Your pet should be combed frequently during flea season, probably every day. When you find fleas, drop them into a bucket of soap suds to kill them and stop their spread.

• Try all-natural, preservative-free foods that are good remedies for or preventors of fleas: along with brewer’s yeast, try raw garlic, zinc, and barley grass concentrates. Check with your veterinarian regarding the proper dosages depending on weight.

• Natural repellents do exist. Essential oils such as citronella, tea tree, wintergreen, and eucalyptus have been shown to work.

• Vacuum all surfaces where fleas and their eggs may live, and wash blankets and sheets in hot water.

Adapted from The Healthy Pet Manual: A Guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer by Deborah Straw (Healing Arts Press, 2005).

Read more: Pests, Pets, cats, dogs, fleas, ticks

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Alicia v.

5:56AM PDT on Mar 31, 2013

Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate this info. Have a great time always.

March 31
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Miss N T.

12:33PM PDT on Mar 19, 2013

N.B. The article recommended garlic but garlic should NEVER be fed to cats!! Please make a note of this!!

March 19
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Bethany M.

1:48AM PST on Dec 3, 2012

thanks

December 3
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Melania P.

1:18PM PDT on Oct 25, 2012

Nice to know this, thanks!

October 25
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Jana S.

12:55PM PDT on Oct 25, 2012

Thanks for the article. Would be even better if you provided links to some of the natural products to use. Beautiful DaZe to you & all our furry friends...;)

Carol K.

7:07AM PDT on Oct 24, 2012

Glad I read comments I have a cat are there any other suggestion to USe or not to use my cat never had flea problems until last year he lives inside. Last year was horrible. I live in Florida NW