Natural Flea Control

[Guest guest]

Natural Flea Control

 

Fleas usually gain entry to your home through your pet or visitors' pets. For every flea on your pet, there may be as many as 100 more in the pet's environment.

Before reaching for pesticides, try these safer choices:

 

*Bathe and comb your pet regularly. Use mild soap, not insecticides. If fleas are found on the comb, dip the comb in a glass of soapy water.

*Citrus is a natural flea deterrent. Pour a cup of boiling water over a sliced lemon. Include the lemon skin, scored to release more citrus oil. Let this mixture soak overnight, and sponge on your pet to kill fleas instantly.

*Make your own flea collar for your pet by soaking a leather pet collar, or absorbant rope or cloth with velcro attachment in the citrus oil solution described above. Commercial flea collars are saturated with pesticides which threaten the environment and may cause health risks for your pet.

*Add brewer's yeast and garlic, or apple cider vinegar, to your pets' food.

*Cedar shampoo, cedar oil and cedar-filled sleeping mats are commercially available. Cedar repells many insects including fleas.

*Fleas in the carpet? The carpet should be thoroughly vacuumed especially in low traffic areas, under furniture, etc. Put flea powder in the vacuum cleaner bag to kill any fleas that you vacuum up, and put the bag in an outdoor garbage bin.

*Trap fleas in your home using a wide, shallow pan half-filled with soapy water. Place it on the floor and shine a lamp over the water. Fleas will jump to the heat of the lamp and land in the water. The detergent breaks the surface tension, preventing the flea from bouncing out.

 

~eartheasy.com

[Guest guest]

A few others that we have found useful:

Before vacuuming, about once a week, sprinkle the carpets with just plain old table salt - kills fleas. Let the salt sit for awhile - at least an hour, several if you can do it.

Also, keep a "raw" (untumbled or polished) amethyst stone - an inch or two in diameter, in the pet's water dish. The small amount of minerals released are supposed to be good for the pet, and does something to the way they smell to fleas - fleas don't like it an are repelled : )

HTH,

Bobbie

 

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FreebieReporter

Frugal_Ways

Sunday, November 28, 2004 11:17 AM

Natural Flea Control

Natural Flea Control

[SushiLvr 0]

Hi, I read about the amethyst idea yesterday online and purchased a few amethyst stones; both raw (untumbled) and polished stones. I figured why not try this out since I have 5 indoor cats and am quite against chemical flea control. Three of my cats begin to salivate profusely immediately after being given monthly chemical flea control, and as an R.N. I realize this is a sign of drug toxicity. Sooo, I thought why not try it. I've only read of one account where the person stated it didn't work. My question is this...for those who find this simple treatment effective, what kind of water bowl are you using? Stainless steel, ceramic or plastic? And, should that make a difference? I wonder if the plastic might absorb any of the mineral released and if the stainless steel might actually enhance it? I currently use stainless steel bowls, the large ones. They're easier to keep clean and aren't so heavy. So, I'm trying to take a survey here I guess, wondering if the bowl used might actually make a difference.

 

Thanks very much.

[Suepea 0]

 

My question is this...for those who find this simple treatment effective, what kind of water bowl are you using? Stainless steel, ceramic or plastic? And, should that make a difference? I wonder if the plastic might absorb any of the mineral released and if the stainless steel might actually enhance it? I currently use stainless steel bowls, the large ones. They're easier to keep clean and aren't so heavy. So, I'm trying to take a survey here I guess, wondering if the bowl used might actually make a difference.

 

Thanks very much.

 

I too was skeptical about amethyst, but thought if I could pick one up on ebay for under 2 bucks, what could it hurt? I have an enameled bowl, probably over metal, I put it in. I won a cheap bid for a nice smooth round beaded necklace, and put the whole strand (it is just string, I believe...Will have to restring someday I imagine), My cat had a real flea problem and It was no longer in my budget to keep using Revolution, Which was working, but hated the poison factor and was amazed this really seemed to work for us. only used it for 6 months now, but it was sure worth the gamble for $2, I am shocked. (and we are happy!)