Effective Natural Remedies for Flea Control in Pets

Salt

Posted by Hisjewel (America, New York) on 09/12/2016
★★★★★

We have cats for pets.

I found that salts works like a charm. The finer the better. I use Diamond fine salt just for this purpose to sprinkle on the carpeted steps. Salt dehydrates them, big ones little ones, and the fleas yet to be born. And if a water bug passes by his fate is the same as the fleas.

I put it on my mom's carpeted steps before the hot weather comes in. I might leave it on a few days. Then I sweep it up.

Amethyst

Posted by AV (FL) on 02/01/2023

Just a comment. My holistic vet says that healthy pets won't have as many fleas as pets with a compromised immune system or underlying illness.
The scabs could be because the cat was allergic to fleas. I adopted a cat full of scabs and vet said it was an allergic reaction. Scabs went away once fleas were gone.

Borax

Posted by Cathy (Lakeside, Ca) on 02/19/2015
★★★★★

For fleas - You can sprinkle 20 mule team borax on carpet (keep pets away and leave an hour.. Or less) then vacuum. The borax will also kill fleas in vacuum bag.

Borax

Posted by Nikki (Yuba City, Ca) on 11/22/2015

For the borax to work on carpet you need to sprinkle everywhere & leave it for at least 3 days. Otherwise it won't do anything. After 3 days or more, vacuum. Then sprinkle it again. The recipe for a spray borax is "Teds Mange Cure". Just search it here on E.C. It 100% works for fleas as well as mange. My dogs get rinsed after every single bath with Ted's recipe. They've never had mange. I've always used it for fleas. Hope this helps. Nikki

Dish Soap

Posted by Awesome Person (Texas) on 07/17/2013
★★★★★

I use dawn dish liquid to wash my dogs and it instantly kills most fleas.

Borax

Posted by Rastamom (Vancouver, Wa) on 04/30/2013
★★★★★

The lady is right about Borax! Used to use it on my carpet in Calil.... Love all the questions and remedies! Very helpful, thanks.

Neem Seed Oil

Posted by Sheila (Salt Lake City, Utah) on 01/30/2013
★★★★★

OMG, I cant believe it, it works!!! All I did was dab a dropperful (twice in once week) around her ears, in betweem her shoulderblades and behind her neck, and shes relaxed, calm mellow, happy and not scratching, I cant believe!!!

Every year my Dog has a horrible time with fleas (Large shepherd), to where she doesnt sleep thru the nite and she licks the hair off her hindquarters, and shes bald and scabbing. Awful.

I had been using finely powdered brewers yeast sprinkled in her dry food (like cinnamon toast, twin labs brand) for a few years and it worked like a charm, but it seemed to stop working.

I did some research online herd rave reviews, except one lady claimed Neem oil killed her dog, as the dog had licked it off its fur, and went into convulsions and died. So I was sure to place the oil where she couldnt lick it off, I was nervous, but desperate, and Ive used Neem oil on myself over the years with great results (yeast infections, etc, lol! Healing skin rashes, ear mites for the cat, and ear infections on my 5 year old)

I was very skeptical, but First I gave her a bath, and rubbed a small amount thruout her fur when she was dry. Then dabbed a dropperful or two in proper areas. She seemed better, then a couple days later, I did it again.

Shes great now, cant believe. Shes not scartching at all.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Dr Howard (CA) on 02/07/2023

Sodium benzoate used as a food grade preservative in aloe. Kills fleas.

Baking Soda

Posted by Sheila (Wichita, Ks) on 08/07/2012
★★★★★

Started brushing my dogs and cats with baking soda about 2 years ago. I originally did this as a dry bath. It definitely helped with the smell. But I have also noticed that I have not seen any fleas in this time. Usually I have to treat every year. I brush them once a week. It's worth a try right?

Borax

Posted by Kendra ( Pleasant Hill) on 04/14/2017

Do your pets have to stay out till you vaccum up the borax?

Salt

Posted by Theresa (Mpls., Mn) on 11/17/2017

Hey Eley,

You might try a lamp flea trap - no fuss and no mess.

Amethyst

Posted by Diana (Morristown, Tennessee) on 02/19/2012
★★★★★

An amethyst stone put in your pets drinking water will totally eliminate FLEAS! Just drop a stone in the water and no more need for expensive treatments. I don't know why or how it works--it just does. I have used this method for two years and have not seen a single flea. My daughter was using expensive treatments once a month and still having an infestation of fleas, and she was even having to use an exterminator once a month.

She tried the amethyst stone and for a year now she is flea free!!

Try it and you to will be a believer!

Cedarwood Oil

Posted by Ellie (Stga Sps, Ny) on 11/13/2012
★★★★★

I have to agree with Angie, Waverly, Oh. She recommended using cedar shavings instead of straw in a dog house. I bought catlitter cedar shavings and also used it to insulate my rosebush with it for winter. Surprisingly the following year for the first time my rosebush didn't have a bug anywhere on it or holes in the leaves as it previously had year after year. It is sold as catlitter and may be great to retard fleas and other critters too. Ellie

Orange Rind

Posted by Teri In T Town (Tacoma, Wa, Usa) on 08/05/2011
★★★★★

I have used the orange rind on my dog who had a significant problem with fleas. I rub the inside of a peel all over her and then rub it in. It makes her smell heavenly meanwhile but really does a number on the fleas. I also made a spray by boiling 7 or 8 rinds down and filtering it. It is unbelievable how well this works. This and vacuuming seemed to eliminate our flea problem.

Lavender Oil

Posted by Teri In T Town (Tacoma, Wa, Usa) on 08/05/2011
★★★★★

My last dog never had fleas and we never used a thing on him, so I was really baffled when my current dog had a significant problem. I had my last dog, a chocolate lab, when we lived in a house that had slopes in the back yard covered with Lavender and Rosemary. Everyday he rolled around in the herbs, and seemed to enjoy the heck out of it, and would sun himself laying in the middle of them. I always thought it was because they were soft and made for a nice cushion. But, I think he was giving himself a flea treatment and I really loved the way he smelled when he came back inside.

After we moved, we got another lab who plays a lot with dogs in the neighborhood, and we were faced with a very significant problem!! I use a very dilute amount of lavender oil on her, combined with the orange peel treatment, premium raw dog food diet, and lots of vacuuming. You do have to keep up the routine to keep the fleas from coming back, but we have not been bothered with them since.

Borax

Posted by Bonnie (Torrance, Ca) on 12/02/2010
★★★★★

I had a nasty flea infestation, and the ONLY thing that worked was borax powder. This stuff is amazing! You can buy it at a hardward or gardening store, and it is pretty inexpensive. I take the powder, and sprinkle a lot of it into all the carpets... I find that using a stiff broom to brush it in really helps to get it deep into the carpets. Then wait a few days and vaccuum! The cool part is that borax powder is less harmful than table salt... A win/win if you ask me!

Borate Powder

Posted by Mark (Exeter, United Kingdom) on 11/11/2015 12 posts
★★★★★

FOR: Linda Baytown, Tx.....
Borax = sodium tetra-borate decahydrate

CAS-No. 1303-96-4

The most commonly occurring Borax compounds are:

Borax/ sodium tetra-borate Decahydrate =

(Decahydrate means "10 water molecules")

Borax/ sodium tetra-borate Pentahydrate =

(Pentahydrate means "5 water molecules")

Borax/ sodium tetra-borate Anhydrous =

(Anhydrous means “without water”)

All 3 of the above are exactly the same product except for the number of water molecules .

========================

Boric Acid = Orthoboric Acid

CAS-No. 10043-35-3

Boric Acid can also be sprinkled directly onto a carpet or near the infestation of ants, fleas, termites, silverfish or cockroaches as the Boric Acid is abrasive to an insect's exoskeleton.

Boric Acid is an effective insecticide, by acting as a stomach poison in insects (ants, fleas, termites, silverfish & cockroaches).

To prepare poison add 1 teaspoon of Boric Acid and 10-12 teaspoons of sugar to 50ml water. Mix into a syrup and leave syrup near infestation.

To apply the powder, crush any powder that might have clumped up and using a sieve / sprinkle the powder onto carpets, fabrics and upholstery

(If you use a sieve, please do not use it in the kitchen after, as Boric Acid can be harmful when ingested).

Leave the powder down for 1-2 days, this will kill all eggs and larvae, then hover all the powder up making sure none is left.

Mark

Amethyst

Posted by Janice (Coloma, Mi) on 09/16/2010
★★★★★

You can add me to the YEA list on the amethyst. My homeopathic vet told me under no circumstances to use the flea and tick poison. Having two cats and a dog I was really afraid I was going to get infested with fleas. I had read about the amethyst for fleas a while back on Earth Clinic and decided to try it. All I had was an old amethyst ring (yes, it was polished) and I threw the whole thing in a big bowl that the animals all share. I probably threw it in there around March. It seemed to be working very well and then a friend who has a gem shop gave me some rough amethyst and I threw that in the bowl also. I left the ring in because it was working and I wasn't going to take any chances. They didn't seem to have any problem with it being in there and they drink from it every day. This was a very bad year for fleas and I am thrilled that it worked. I did have to do a lot of explaining about why my ring was in the animal's water dish.

Amethyst

Posted by Isabella (Raleigh, Nc) on 08/30/2010
★★★★★

Yes - it sounds bizarre. I didn't think it would work but decided to try an amethyst rock. I definitely don't believe in healing through crystals and I'm not into anything New Age. I bought a tumbled amethyst - about the size of a half dollar - from an ebay shop. It was less than $5 with shipping. I have 5 cats and a dog and usually spend a fortune in the spring/summer/fall on Frontline treating them for fleas. I started using the rock in April. I treated the cats one time in May and that was to kill ear mites. I have not had any problems with fleas or ticks! In addition, I treated my dog only once this year and that was in May. I was skeptical that this would work for cats and amazed that it has worked for my dog. I could not say exactly how long it took before it began "warding off" the fleas. I leave the rock in their water dish all the time - removing it only to clean and refill the dish. I would not claim this would work for everyone. I've tried many things on earthclinic that haven't worked for me but this is one thing I can say has!

Amethyst

Posted by Tinker (Statesville nc) on 05/02/2025
★★★★★

Been using amethyst stone in cats water bowl about 8 years. Cat is indoor and outdoor He has no fleas. Have 2 stones. While using 1 stone I put other stone on deck to recharge by sun and moon light. Cat lets me check his belly often and no sign of fleas

Amethyst

Posted by Blackcat (Istanbul, Turkey) on 05/11/2010
★☆☆☆☆

I had put an amethyst stone in my cat's drinking bowl as soon as I came across the posts on amethysts for fleas. I waited almost a week, but did not see a difference, then I started adding apple vinegar to his bowl with the stone still there. Do you think that I should have waited more and that the amethyst still works with vinegar? By the way, it's been weeks since I had started the vinegar but there are still fleas:-( Thank you...

Lemons

Posted by Robyn (Hampton, Tn) on 12/21/2009
★★★★★

Homemade Flea Repellent

You can make an effective flea repellent from lemon by cutting it into quarters and immersing it in boiling water. This is then steeped overnight to get you the repellent. By spraying this all over your pet, especially behind the ears and generally around the head, and also at the base of the tail and the 'armpits', you can rid it of fleas.

I am wondering if Grapefruit boiled in pieces in water and then steeped overnight would do the same thing...probably would.

Also as a note...dawn baths, baby shampoo and peroxide mixed together baths, and dove baths afterward are great for killing fleas, and the dove washing makes the skin feel better if it is dry.

Robyn

Garlic

Posted by Ben (Southern Pines, Nc) on 10/14/2009
★★★★★

Garlic Oil: I give my 130lb shepherd/dane 3 tablets 2 times a day and when I ran out the fleas where horrible, he had sores and all. started back on the regimene and within 3 days a drastic improvement