Flea season is upon us. Anybody who has ever had an infestation knows you have to combat fleas from many angles to control & eliminate these hopping, opportunistic parasitical pests. One of the most powerful agents in reducing flea populations is one of the most safest: Salt. Can it be used effectively against large infestations of fleas? Yes. Salting and vacuuming your floors & furniture kills the flea’s eggs by dehydrating them. If you take this route-you will be pleased with results. You’ll have to be diligent & persistent with treatment to be really effective. But with patience it can be done.
Flea eggs hatch every 3 days, so by sprinkling your floors for at least 9 days, vacuuming each 3rd day for 9 days, takes you through the complete lifecycle of flea life. Be sure and empty your vacuum after each cleaning or the pests will just crawl back out and re-infest your home! You can also salt porches, doghouses and kennels to kill eggs & maintain flea control. Borax works as an alternative to salt but has a few cautions. In high humidity areas you may need to use a dehumidifier with the salt treatment for its use to be effective.
Once the cycle of breeding, laying & hatching is contained within the treatment, the fleas will be greatly reduced in population size. In fact, most of the fleas left may be found on you or your pet at this point and can be manually removed. Comb through you pet’s coat with a flea comb. The special comb is very fine toothed and catches the fleas in between the tines. Keep a glass of soapy water nearby to clean the caught fleas off into. If you take your pet to a professional to have them groomed, a bath can be an effective way to remove body fleas from your pet.
Dips & sprays have risks with toxic chemicals. They may work, but at what expense to personal health of you & your pet? Flea collars and topical poisons harm pets & people and the environment. Stronger formulas make fleas more resistant. Salt is safe, easy, readily available and effective. Chemical products are dangerous and they don’t stay on just your pet-they also pollute you and your environment. There is no quick cure. You have to be diligent & persistent to combat an infestation of fleas. I can’t stand fleas as much as the next person. But I dislike toxic chemical pollutants even more. It is worth it to me to go the extra mile and keep me and my pets and family safe.
My mom use to put eucalyptus branches under my crib when I was a baby to keep the fleas off of me! Strong odors like eucalyptus work as effective repellants. Cedar beds for dogs are so popular because of their ability to repel fleas. The scent won’t kill fleas but it does effectively repel them. Vacuum up a little bit of cedar chips, dried lavender or small pieces of lemon peels to deodorize the air while you vacuum. You can also mix a few drops of lavender essential oil on the salt before you sprinkle it on the carpets & floors. Be sure & test anything you use in an inconspicuous location to check for discoloration if using essential oils.
Give your pet garlic and brewer’s yeast biscuits to make their skin scent repel fleas. Garlic & B-vitamins in brewer’s yeast make the skin unpleasant to habitat on for fleas. They each also have immune building properties that nourish your pet.
Put a dish of water with a few drops of soap in it under a light at night on the floor and the pests will be attracted, hop in and not be able to get out. Flush the insect-peppered water in the toilet to dispose.
To make a natural flea collar-use a bandana or similar sized piece of cloth make a knot in the cloth at a point where the article still can slip over the animal’s head. At the knot, dab on a blend or simple of essential oil of orange, citronella, eucalyptus, lemon, cedar, peppermint, rosemary or lavender. You can also add a few drops to a spray bottle of water to spray your pet’s bed.
Fleas also cannot survive hot temperatures over 90 degrees. Closing up the whole house on a hot summer day can kill all the fleas you have inside your home.
Summary:
Kill source of fleas by salting carpets & furniture.
Vacuum regularly to remove fleas & flea eggs from household.
Keep pet bedding laundered.
Use flea comb to comb out pets.
Use repellents such as essential oil collars and sprays on pets & bedding.
Be diligent & persistent in your approach for complete success.
