For dogs, a daily dose of brewer's yeast in their kibble will help to repel fleas. You can also add brewer's yeast to your cat's food. Fleas are also known to be repelled by citrus.
Lemon is a great way to repel and kill fleas if you have trouble with them in your home. Many natural flea sprays contain a citrus extract called D-limonene, which repels and kills these biting bugs.
Yes, this one sounds a little wacky, but banana peels tossed on the floor will kill fleas (we understand it's the potassium in the bananas that does the trick). You might have to tuck the peels away if your dog tries to eat them or place them in rooms your dog doesn't have access to at the time.
Create a flea spray by mixing 4 liters of vinegar, 2 liters of water, 500 ml of lemon juice and 250 ml of witch hazel in a large spray bottle. Before applying the product around your home, you should vacuum properly, emptying the contents into an outside bin, and wash any bedding/cushions that could be infested.
Citronella, eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary will all naturally repel fleas. If your dog doesn't mind a spray bottle, dilute a few drops of your chosen essential oil into a 300ml-400ml of water and spray directly onto your dog's coat.
You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, which is both effective in dealing with pests. Mixing essential oils like cedar or lavender can make the solution powerful. You can damp cloth with a vinegar solution on infested areas and on your pets to ensure that all fleas will be gone for good.
An oral fast-acting tablet that contains Nitenpyram is the safest way to kill fleas on dogs instantly. You can also bathe your dog in hot soapy water with Dawn to kill adult fleas, but this is not a good long-term solution.
Mopping and steam cleaning can help to kill flea eggs, and washing linens, bedding, and pet beds in the washing machine on the hot cycle is also advisable. If possible, declutter your home so it's easier to clean and there are fewer places for flea eggs to hide.
Hot Water. Washing linens and bedding in water that is 140 degrees or hotter will be effective to destroy most flea eggs. Steam cleaning carpets after vacuuming can also help to kill remaining flea eggs.
Baking soda does not kill adult fleas and will do nothing to protect your pets. It is excellent at absorbing smells and has been suggested by some online pet sites for use as a flea killer because it “may” dry out flea eggs and larvae. But there is no evidence that using baking soda to kill fleas is effective at all.
While Apple Cider Vinegar does not kill fleas, it may repel them because fleas dislike its smell and taste. One of the most simple ways to use this natural flea repellent is to make a solution out of equal parts apple cider vinegar and water.
Hot water can kill fleas! In fact, they die when exposed to any temperature greater than 95°F. That means throwing flea-infested bedding in the hot wash in your washing machine can help kill them. To put it in perspective, the average person showers in water approximately 105°F.
Capstar (nitenpyram) is a fast-acting flea treatment tablet for use in dogs and cats that starts killing fleas in only 30 minutes. A single dose of Capstar kills 90% of adult fleas within 4 hours for dogs and 6 hours for cats, ridding your pet of these pesky parasites.
2. Sprinkle salt. Much like baking soda, salt works in a similar way. According to Rentokil, if you sprinkle some salt on your carpet, leave for two days and then vacuum up, it will help to get rid of fleas quickly.
The most common way for fleas to enter your home is when a cat or dog attracts fleas and brings them into your house. But, fleas can also enter another way. They may come through with an old piece of furniture, or clothing and skin of a person who already has been infested.
Thoroughly bathe pets with soap and water, then comb them with a flea comb. Pay careful attention to face and neck regions, and the area in front of the tail. Soap will act as a gentle insecticide to kill adult fleas.
In just 30 days, 10 female fleas can multiply to over a quarter million new fleas in different life stages. Female fleas start producing eggs within 24 to 48 hours after taking their first blood meal and can lay up to 50 eggs per day.
Give Your Pet a Bath
One of the first solutions to get rid of fleas is to bathe your pet. Just lukewarm water, or water and a mild soap, can help get fleas off your pet's fur and skin. The dish soap can help to drown adult fleas.
Modern flea treatments, such as FRONTLINE, don't work by stopping fleas from jumping on your pet- they are effective at killing newly arriving fleas within 24 hours.
First, mix dish soap with warm water. Then place a bowl containing the mixture in each room of your house and leave it there overnight. When fleas jump into the solution, the dish soap will cause them to get stuck. Then you can simply throw out the solution in the morning to get rid of the fleas.
If you do see fleas and they are moving slow enough to catch – success – they are busy dying!
You might be asking yourself will fleas eventually go away? While some could last 2 – 3 weeks, they could also live for up to 12 months on the host it finds, so it is unlikely they will go away on their own. Fleas can also reproduce very quickly by laying eggs in carpet, bedding, or garden prolonging the infestation.