Flea Control
Natural Remedies

Effective Natural Remedies for Flea Control in Pets

Citrus Peel Infused in White Vinegar

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Marcia (Costa Mesa, Ca) on 02/19/2015
★★★★★

I use apple cider vinegar in their water, but also citrus peel infused white vinegar topically, for flea control.

Citrus peels have two organic chemicals called limonene and linalool which kill all stages of the flea's life cycle.

Just pour a 1/2 gallon (or really as much as you want, cause it can also be used for general household cleaning too) - of white vinegar into a large glass, covered container and throw in whatever citrus peels you have - oranges, grapefruit, lemon, lime... doesn't matter which or how much...as long as it's completely covered by the vinegar. Stir or shake it up every once in awhile and give it a week or two. Leaving it in sunlight will accelerate the process.

I use the solution, once a week, as a final rinse (don't rinse it off) after their baths. The citrus chemicals kill any fleas they may have picked up and smell of the vinegar, though not detectable to us, once the dog is dry, repels the fleas for the rest of the week.

The solution can also be put in a spray bottle for occasional spot treatment and it can even be used as a cleaning solution around the house!


Coconut Oil

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Responder (Asheville, Nc) on 12/16/2011
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Please do not ever put coconut oil, water or food in the microwave!! It distroys all of the vitamins etc and body goes into attack with all food and liguids in microwaves. It kills plants with microwaved water for instance. I quit using microwaves 3 years ago after I learned it helps to/does kill living beings. Coconut oil easily warms up at room temp and immediately melts once on hands or tongue.

Coconut oil is also outstanding in ridding and preventing fleas and ticks on cats and dogs. I've witnessed it with both my own cat and puppy. For my cat I leave out a teaspoon on a plate and she'll lick as much as she needs. If she finished that up I'll put more out. If she doesn't eat all or refuses it then I know she doesn't need anymore at this time and I toss it out so it doesn't go rancid and collect dust. Sometimes she'll eat a lot for a week or two.. To sometimes won't eat any for a week. Dogs I just give a teaspoon once or twice a day during warm/hot months and randomly in winter and fall.

If their fur has fleas I coat their fur with coconut oil, use a fleas comb to rid fleas and then shampoo. Fleas and ticks cannot tolerate the smell of coconut oil and by their eating it goes through their pores. They can't move in the oil so is easy to rid them. This method not only saves one money, but from harsh pesticides that are no longer effective as they once were, helps save your pets health.

Make certain cats are not cold for the oil will make them much cooler while oil is on. One may need to wash them twice. Coconut soap is good to wash off of cats. Must try to get all oil off cats because it will collect dust and go rancid.

I've personally heard vets tell me not to use coconut oil that it doesn't work. Yet they never tried. They insist on meds like human doctors to make them money. I've had two vets tell me that coconut oil does work and they also give me many holistic remedies. One yet I took a homeless cat in to get checked out I told him about coconut oil and he asked me not to tell anyone so he doesn't lose money. That angers me quite a bit. He'd rather poison animals and something not effective rather than something healthy and works.

Replied by Khakimo
(Usa)
12/27/2011

Just wanted to say - I saw several people mentioning to take care to dispose of the coconut oil before it goes rancid. I was wondering if anyone saw it go rancid - because coconut oil supposedly does not go rancid.

Danielle
(NC)
08/11/2021

You just don't want to leave it exposed to the elements. That's when things grow bacteria, even coconut oil.


Coconut Oil
Posted by John (Orlando, Florida) on 03/19/2009
★★★★★

Flea removal remedy: Our indoor Yorkie got several fleas in her fur and they moved so fast that when we tried to catch and kill them they would scurry or hop away. Finally in desperation I rubbed some coconut oil in her fur and the oil literally reduced the fleas to slow motion where we could easily pick them out and kill them. We found that the oil would cause them to stick to the teeth of a very fine comb making them easier to immobilize and kill. I have only used coconut oil so far but feel reasonably sure that almost any cream would work as well.


Colloidal Silver

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Rick (Woburn, Ma) on 08/23/2010
★★★★★

I started adding a small amount of home made colloidal silver to my cats drinking water for the recommended health benefits about 6 months ago(maybe a tablespoon per pint). I noticed that he hasn't come home with any fleas or ticks this summer which was a big problem last year.


Crab Apple Flower Essence

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Lynn (St. Petersburg, Florida) on 07/01/2007
★★★★★

I own several cats, and I recently moved to a new house where the new sod was infested with flea eggs/larvae. Within 2 weeks we had a flea infestation second to none. My cats go into the back yard which has a Cat Fence-In System, which keeps them in, but they brought tons of fleas into the house. I spent hours online searching for a non-toxic remedy. I ended up using diatomacious earth in the yard, which helped quite a bit. However, my cats were still scratching and miserable. I found that within the true homeopathic remedies of flower essences, "Crabapple" essence took care of the problem. There are others in different lines of homeopathic preparations which work also. I put two drops in their water bowls, and was putting it in their food, but only need to do the water bowls now as they are no longer scratching and chewing themselves raw. There are remedies for earmites, too. I think it's important to let people know that I am NOT referring to herb oils or plant extracts. Those didn't work for them. Essences are completely different and work on a vibrational level, which for some sounds unbelievable, but try it for yourself (it's at your health food store, and cheap) and do research online, with "flower essences" or "homeopathic remedies" for pets, and with some digging you will find it. Please feel free to contact me for further information as I would welcome the emails. Thanks.

Replied by Paul
(Oakland , CA)
08/13/2008

Hey thanks...i'm trying the crab apple essence....two drops in the water....how much in the food...?...one...two drops?... once a day?...have you heard of any ill effects? I also ordered "Flea Free"...which is at least not a super deadly chemical like Frontline etc....Paul

Replied by Sarah
(Los Angeles, Ca)
09/19/2011

Hi... Is this also safe for dogs? I have a 4 lb. Chihuahua and am loathe to use chemicals on her. She got sick when I gave her brewers yeast. Thanks!!


Diatomaceous Earth

21 User Reviews
5 star (13) 
  62%
1 star (8) 
  38%

Posted by Celia (France) on 04/06/2018
★★★★★

I have had a massive flea problem with cats and dogs in the house and I used diatomaceous Earth. It's messy but it works. There is lots of information on the internet about it and it is available to buy on Amazon.


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Kimberly (Tennessee) on 10/09/2016
★☆☆☆☆

I had used diatomaceous earth before, but it seems when using it this time, it hasn't been very good at controlling the fleas on my dogs? I put it in an old baby powder container. I applied it while stroking the hair up in the opposite way and applied heavily! Still it did not control the fleas, so I continued with the application daily. I also brushed them daily before each new application. Still, I was not satisfied with this product.


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Michelle (Clarksville, Tn ) on 08/25/2016
★☆☆☆☆

I sprinkled DE all over my carpets. It was a powdery mess. The dust from it was overwhelming. I had it in my daughter's room & she has asthma. She could not breathe in there. (It said to keep on for a day before vacuuming up, so she had to sleep in another room.) It took forever to get it all vacuumed up. It made a mess of my vacuum internally. All that work & I noticed no change in the fleas. Putting it on the pet too was about impossible. How do you get dry powder to stay on a dry pet that won't be still??

Replied by Theresa
(Mpls., Mn)
08/26/2016

Hello Michelle,

Your experience sounds spot on - DE makes a huge mess if you do it right, and you do have to sleep in another room while the dust given time to work. If you still are loaded with fleas, you may not have done enough dust, or applied to all the areas that needed it. You might find the lamp trap easier to use and more effective for your situation. Get a small desk lamp and place it on the floor that you want to treat. Put a white plate under the bulb on the floor, and add some water with a few drops of dish soap added - mix it so the soap is dispersed but don't get it all sudsy or full of bubbles. Turn the lamp on and turn the room lights off and then check to see what you have caught in the morning. I find this to be a very effective way to catch fleas and quickly clear out an infestation from a room. I have a lamp trap in each room of my house - they work on mosquitoes as well as fleas and tend to catch any insect. Keep your house well vacuumed, wash pet beds and human bedding frequently, and deploy many lamp traps to help rid your house of fleas. I also find the easiest and most effective way to get rid of fleas on pets is to give them a flea bath followed by a blow dry and flea combing to remove any fleas that survived the bath. Good luck and please keep us posted!


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Valerie (Missouri) on 03/07/2016
★★★★★

FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth is excellent at repelling and killing fleas ON the cat and can be sprinkled on carpets and floors (make sure you get as close to the walls as possible. You can sprinkle it directly ON the pet and rub it in and it will not harm the animal. Use only FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous earth...found at feed stores and some pet stores. The regular kind is poisonous. The food grade is natural, very effective, and odorless. BE careful with it, as it is very powdered (like powdered sugar) and will fog up the air, so I use an old ketchup dispenser to gently apply to animal and floors. Leave on floor for a day, then vacuum. On pets...it kills fleas, larvae, eggs...by dehydrating them.


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Lesley (Sherman, Tx) on 06/13/2015

I use DE on my cat and I find two dead but the rest that I pick off of her are moving and not dead. I read not to put too much because it will make her skin dry. I'm stuck on what else to put on her maybe because I dont want to dry out her skin. I'm trying to find something for the flea eggs and adult fleas and I get like quite abit off her but not really infested yet or in the house yet, they just seem to stay on her only! Any suggestions? I'm reading on here ACV is good for fleas but not sure if it does the eggs too? She's an older cat and don't want to use any chemicals on her, don't really know what else to do really. Can you help me?

Thank you.

Replied by Julie
(In)
08/23/2016

Black walnut extract, 4 drops in her water and a few drops on her.

Replied by Maria
(Chicago)
08/29/2016

Black walnut is toxic to cats. In the past I read articles that said to use it but recent research disagrees. I then asked my vet and he said it is toxic.


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Sarah (Australia) on 02/17/2015
★★★★★

I treated a flea infestation using diatomaceous earth. I sprinkled all it liberally over the cats regularly (once a day), and used a fine sieve and sprinkled it all over my floors - carpeted and wooden and tiles - and left it to sit for a week. I vacuumed it up and then treated it again to be certain. It cleared up a really bad flea infestation really well.


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Ann (Miami, Florida) on 01/14/2015
★★★★★

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is the best thing invented!!!!!!

I had a bed bug problem and tried everything. I have kids so I had to keep sleeping in my bed or risk bedbugs following me to their room. A real horror story until I found out about food grade Diatomaceous earth and tried it. There gone! I put it everywhere in the electrical sockets and to this day their still gone! I recently had a little flea problem and now mix some of the earth into my dog food and dust the dogs to keep the fleas off. My sister in NY had bedbugs I sent her some earth and it worked on her house too! I purchase a 5lb bag a year ago when I had the bedbugs and I still have 3/4 of the bag left since it doesnt take much when applying. When I first found a bedbug I called an exterminator and he quoted me at $450 to treat and that he would come back as often I needed. Once it took me 1-2 weeks to figure it all out and I invited him back he was astonished and asked me what I used ;)

Before you put pesticides and pay those high bills try it. I went a little crazy by applying it while opening all windows. Once I sprinkled everywhere with a mask on I vaccumed and put on baseboards ...etc . amen they're gone. I still apply the earth underneath bed and places you can't see just for peace of mind. I hope this helps someone.


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Sean (Plymouth, Pa) on 08/07/2013
★☆☆☆☆

I started using food grade de a few days ago and I was wondering how long it take to first see results? It's only been down 5 days so far and it seems like the fleas are only getting bigger, so I don't know what to do.

Replied by Karyn
(Eastbay,ca)
08/16/2013

DE is a great product -but don't use to offen as it will dry out the skin. If this is used on a cat I would also use a flea comb. The De will not kill the flea eggs

If this is for a dog I recommend a natural product called EVOLV. Website: wondercide.com for products and information. It's a spray.

I did try on the cats but since they don't like to be sprayed I have put some on a cloth and wiped them down with it-but, I prefer to use the DE on them.

Replied by Debbiefudge
(Brighton Uk)
08/18/2013

Give fresh raw garlic as well. (NOT to be given to cats). Dogs only!! Small dogs half a clove. Large dogs 1 clove. Daily


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Betkawetka (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA) on 08/05/2012 2 posts
★★★★★

Wanted to share a flea remedy that I discovered by accident. Used DE as a powder on cats for flea control, put about a 1/2 tsp along spine and work into their fur making sure that chin and tail, anus area gets covered. USE ONLY FOOD GRADE. Found it at local farm feed store. Also added DE to cat litter, add one cup to 2 inches of litter along with one cup baking soda to control odor and lightly mix it on. Do not breath DE dust. Also mix DE with laundry Borax flakes and use on floors, carpets, and in baseboard cracks to stop all pests, along with fleas. Use a broom or carpet rake to work powder into deep fibers and leave it after a week vacumm it up and re-apply. Worked great for massive flea outbreak in South Florida Summer of 2011.

Replied by Skoecher45
(Duquette, Mn, Usa)
11/04/2012
★★★★★

I have a dog and a cat. Both spend time indoors and out. Earlier this summer I had a terrible infestation of fleas in the house. Tried many things until I came to read about useing Diatomaceous Earth (food grade). Sprinkled it throughout the house on the carpet (that's all my house has except for in the basement). Left it there for two weeks (had to leave, otherwise would of vacuumed it up sooner). Two weeks and serveral days later I have finally gotten rid of the fleas. No more bites on my ankles (which had cleared up in the two weeks I was gone). Animals don't have them either. Before leaving I was already putting the DE in my pets hair and will continue to use it as a deterrent for fleas and ticks. I'm sold on the stuff. Dog might have Ear Mites but so far the DE doesn't seem to work.

It (DE) also appears to be working well for getting rid of spiders... no more spider webs on the stairs leading to the basement (split entry house).

Looking forward to seeing how this stuff works on our pets during tick season.

Replied by Rika
(Riverside, Ca)
07/03/2013

I'm having a flea problem in our bathroom (small just where the toilet is) I put DE all around the toilet bowl and some on the floor itself. But the fleas still jumping on me. Why are they in the bathroom anyways? That's actually where they're are the worst. They're still jumping in the DE. Does it take a few days or is there another solution? Thanks.

Replied by Rae Ann
(California)
07/03/2016

We had fleas that kept biting in the bathroom. It turned out that possums were under the bathroom area of the house and the fleas were coming up through cracks.

Replied by Suseeq
(Sydney Australia)
07/04/2016

Rae Ann, did you pour salt down those cracks?

Replied by Lisa
(Fl)
02/17/2018

Try neem oil for mites. It's working on my latest batch of stray kittens that lost hair between ears and eyes with tiny pinpoint red scabby dots. Vet told me she'd have to do a scraping to determine which med to prescribe. It's possible neem kills all mites by suffocation. Thick food grade coconut oil kills lice by suffocation...may kill mites too. Be very careful not to get neem in their eyes because it is an eye irritant.


Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Melissa (Vancouver, Bc) on 09/07/2011
★★★★★

I find that diatomaceous earth works well for flea control. I have used it on my cat and both my dogs and have not had any problems since!

It is all natural, easy to use and much less expensive than other alternatives.

Just sprinkle the DE throughout your animal's fur, especially on their backbone. The diatomaceous earth will kill the fleas by lacerating their exoskeletons and dehydrating them.

Both pure DE and brands containing calcium bentonite or montmorillonite will have the same effect.



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