Want to kill insects everywhere at once? How to get rid of fleas naturally? There is an all-purpose solution! Being discovered in the last century, diatomaceous earth has proved of much use for many spheres of application, including even food production facilities. There is diatomaceous earth for different purposes on the market, and you need “food grade” variation. Never use “pool grade” kind for bugs. This type is safe and attracts many pests, including fleas. The principle of work is simple. When fine granules are eaten by insects, they dehydrate them and destroy exoskeleton without which they cannot survive. Bug dies from dehydration.
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Diatomaceous Earth: Versatile and Forceful
There are three major ways of using diatomaceous earth:
- Sprinkle it over carpets in your apartments and leave for a night or two. After that, vacuum clean the surface. The thing is that fleas usually lay eggs between carpet fibers, and the granules dry those out, greatly reducing bug population. But don’t turn fans or conditioners on n the room, because generated air flow may distribute granules around the house, making it difficult to clean.
- You distribute the earth around your house, including backyard. Leave it in the dry grass (moisture decreases its efficiency dramatically). Don’t clean it, if it’s sprinkled over earth.
- Your dog can also be cured from fleas thanks to diatomaceous earth. Massage it into coat (but don’t rub into skin), spreading around all body parts except pet’s face. It will dry fleas and eggs out. Clean dog’s fur in bath after 12-20 hours. This procedure should not be performed too often, because diatomaceous earth may cause skin dryness and irritation, and is dangerous for a pet, if licked a lot.
You can sprinkle carpets and leave them overnight.
If you are prone to asthma, keep asthma pump by hand, when applying the remedy, and close lips and nose by a moist cloth during sprinkling the substance.
Old and Tried Boric Acid
Want to stop infestation quickly and safely? How to get rid of fleas naturally? Try boric acid. It is another strong and effective solution that has been here for decades. The acid acts like a desiccant for fleas, e.g. dehydrates them and kills instantly. Is it toxic for you and your animals? Just a bit. If not inhaled too much, everything will be okay.
- First of all, make a container for storing and using the acid. You can take a Pringles container, or something similar. Put several pebbles inside to avoid powder baking, and fill container more than half full. Pierce the cover with a needle to make holes that would pass the granules. Keep the container away from children and make a note on it so that to prevent misuse!
- Before sprinkling the acid, clear the areas to be covered from different objects (toys, shoes, etc.).
- Puff the acid around the areas where fleas live (carpets, fabrics, bedding and upholstery), leaving a thin, almost invisible layer. It may discolor fabrics, so you can test it preliminarily. Also spread it under furniture. Never leave acid on exposed areas like tables, countertops, etc. Clean it after one-two days by vacuuming. After four-six weeks, shampoo carpets.
Store tool out of reach of children.
If you powder upholstery, a hand brush may be used to advance the acid into gaps.
A Hand-Made Flea Collar: Deterioration and Prevention
How to get rid of fleas on dogs naturally and safely? Make a collar that deters bugs and serves as a good prevention method. Make it once, and it will serve for your pet for several months in row.
Time to Grow Pennyroyal Herb
For many years this remedy has been helping to control flea population quite effectively. But remember that the plant affects fertility, so you better keep your pets away from it. Use it cautiously. All of the below mentioned methods will work equally effectively.
How to get rid of fleas in the yard? Grow pennyroyal in your garden, including the areas where dogs are walking. But create a barrier that will keep pets away from the plants themselves.
Use crashed leaves or essential oil of pennyroyal. Apply it on cheesecloth and hang in the areas infested by the parasites. Don’t let pets and children touch it. Alternatively, teabags with pennyroyal leaves left around your dwelling will deter the insects and protect different places from them.
Mint is an effective remedy for fleas.
Pennyroyal oil is also effective. Mix several drops of oil with one-three teaspoons of water and spread it over a bandana or cloth that will serve as a collar. Let the pet wear it for some time. If you notice the animal scratching or showing the symptoms of allergy, put the collar off.
How to Get Rid of Fleas Naturally on Your Hair?
When the infestation is at its peak, fleas may start invading human body. Hair on head is a very convenient place the insects, which is why people infected by fleas usually suffer from itching of head and forehead and find the bugs there in the first turn.
How to get rid of fleas in human hair without special chemicals and remedies? There is one efficient recipe. You will need baking soda, a liter of warm water, apple vinegar, dishwashing liquid with lemon scent, shower cap, comb with fine teeth and spray bottle.
- Blend baking soda and warm water poured in a spray container (it must be clean from the residues of chemicals).
- Apply it on hair, spread all around the scalp. Avoid applying it on your eyes. Put shower cap on and wait 15 minutes for the remedy to dry fleas out. Baking soda will dehydrate both eggs and the bugs.
- Rinse soda out with warm water. After that, comb your hair throughout the length (from roots to ends), using a hair pick with fine teeth – thus, you will clear dead flea bodies and eggs.
- Wash your head with soap for dish washing (don’t mistake with detergent) and rinse it from hair completely. Massage the scalp properly to clean up all eggs that may be laid under skin layers. Comb your hair properly. The procedure may be repeated again once or twice.
- After combing and cleaning, apply apple vinegar on your skin, keep about twenty minutes, being in shower cap. The substance will change the acidity of scalp, making it inconvenient for the bugs to exist in such conditions.
- Perform a final rinse. Repeat the procedures once a day, not more often. Remember that extermination of fleas may take pretty much time. It all depends on the scale of infestation.
If you treat your pet, repeat the attacks on fleas every week, and soon your beloved animal will finally recover from the parasites. And remember to check it for fleas periodically: prevention is always easier than healing.
