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Natural Flea and Tick Control

posted by Melissa Breyer May 8, 2008 9:00 am
filed under: Pests, Pets, , , ,
Natural Flea and Tick Control
50 comments

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).

More on Pests (12 articles available)
More from Melissa Breyer (501 articles available)

50 comments

50 comments

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50 comments add your comment
Audrey Gains

Ew ticks flea and all the other bugs are gross are a nuisance

Alicia Nuszloch

thanks for the tips .

Rod A.
  • Rod A. says
  • Feb 4, 2010 7:24 PM

There is a product called Nature's Defender that is natural & non-toxic and an instant kill for fleas, ticks, etc. and is safe for cats and dogs of any age, and can also be used on bedding, carpets, floors, and anywhere else you want to use it. It can also be used on people for mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers. We use it on our horse, dogs, cats, children, ourselves, grandchildren, and all over our house and yard. I personally have also killed a copper-head snake with it. It has been scientifically tested by leading scientists at leading univerisity labs, and has been rated #1. It was developed for use by the US Military to control the sand fleas in Iraq, as an alternative to the DEET based products that were being used. IT WORKS ! !! ! !

Sky Fits Heaven

thanks!

Catman P.

Really - It works.

Catman P.

Garlic is the best protection against vampires. It works for me and my cat :-)

Mary Dee

i do not and will not use any chemicals, sprays, to get rid of any fleas that might be on my animals, what i do is first brush their coats to make sure there is no tangles, then, i just get a Nit comb, the ones they use for when children get nits in their hair, very cheap to buy, and i just gently go through my animals fur, it not only gets the flea, but also the eggs that are attached to the fur, and as you all know if your animals have fleas then you have an infestation in your rugs as well and their bedding, so.. you wash their bedding on a regular basis in hot very hot water, keep their bedding clean, and my rugs are cleaned also with a steam machine, i have wooded floors, and i wash them down with just hot water and some lemon juice, and dry your floors straight away, i use a non chemical lavender cream to go over my wooded floors after washing, and my pets do not have any fleas, but as you all know, THEY WILL BE BACK, so keep the nit comb handy, and groom your animals regulary, this is what i do anyway, hope it helps...

Catman P.

Great info ~ Thanks.

Julie Foutch

I believe in home methods for things as there are to many things out there that are harmful to our pets.All i know is that these methods work fine for me and they don't harm my pets.

Sandra Big

Hi, I've put a post on here recently but not sure what I said and have not checked to see if still on here. Don't know if I received any replies to post. Like many here who have cats and dogs I'm looking for something natural to get rid of fleas. I just don't like the idea of continuing to use poison on my special, sweet kitties! Where can I buy the brewers yeast to give to my cats? I'm not sure what else to try. It is not any fun to bathe my kitties and have not done that in a long time! I prefer not to have to do that! All for now. Love to hear from some of you. Oh, I now have 3 cats and lost 1 who was a feral cat who i loved dearly and was almost 2 years old. He brought in the fleas to my indoor cats and when he got sick I had to take in all 4 cats and thought I was going to lose all of them. Cost me almost $1,000.00 dollars!!!! Really a rip-off at Vets!! I still need to take them back to vet for shots!! 2 were alley cats and do have an alley in my backyard! They are all older cats. Excuse any typoes!! Have a great day!

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Disclaimer: Care2.com does not warrant and shall have no liability for information provided in this newsletter or on Care2.com. Each individual person, fabric, or material may react differently to a particular suggested use. It is recommended that before you begin to use any formula, you read the directions carefully and test it first. Should you have any health care-related questions or concerns, please call or see your physician or other health care provider.

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