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Natural flea control for dogs and cats can work very well. Natural pet care in general, is not hard and can change the quality of your pet’s life. That article has more info. And this one on feeding more Species Appropriate food.In general, the healthier the animal, the less the fleas will bother them. One important step is to stop feeding foods containing CORN. There are many other elements in poor quality pet food, but if corn (and by-products) are on the ingredient list of your pet’s food, get rid of it and purchase better food right away. Grain-free for sure!
I find that PetCo, Pet’s Plus and Pet Works carry a few better brands, in general. And most major cities now have upgraded pet stores with better products. Read those labels!
For outdoor pets, better food and daily flea combing may be all that’s needed to keep them comfortable. My cats love to be flea-combed around their face, ears and chin, and around the top of the tail. Comb them all over if they’ll let you. Use a specific flea comb (pictured below) and drop fleas into soapy water. Do the same for indoor pets.
Natural Flea Control
1). Vacuum vigorously and frequently, including hard floors, the sofa and other upholstered items. Place the vacuum cleaner outside (not in the garage) in case any of the fleas escape, or replace the bag daily.
2). Purchase flea nightlights that have a sticky trap by a night light. Put on the floor and the fleas jump on at night, looking for warmth. You can do this with a bowl of soapy water under a night light at floor level too. Put these all over the house and they work well.
Some brands of the packaged light and sticky board have the sticky pad exposed so won’t work with pets and small children in the house. Others have the glue board behind a screen like the one shown. I like those best: BioCare Flea Trap and ZEP-ONFT are in my home.
Fleabusters Works for Flea Control
3). If this is not enough, use FleaBusters. The powder is NOT safe to breathe so use it correctly.
Find local providers on the web at www.fleabusters.com. They sell a patented boric acid derivative that can be applied by homeowners, BUT I highly recommend paying them to do it for you. You have to move furniture and apply it exactly right. And, they will give you a one-year guarantee.
Using Fleabusters on Concrete or Tile
If your infestation is not severe, sprinkle the powder (get it on Amazon) as their site directs. For my outdoor cats, I put the powder on carpet/floor mat squares, following directions on exactly how to do it. The treated carpet squares and floor mats go on the porch floor. The cats, of course, like to lie on them.
The fleas will disappear over a few weeks time. You can follow number 1). above in the meantime.
4). Local companies may provide Organic Pest Control to treat with non-toxic powders. They can treat for scorpions, silverfish and other pests too.
5). I generally don’t use Advantage unless there is a serious situation. I don’t want to systemically poison my dog or cat so that a flea doesn’t find her tasty. BUT, you can use it once while waiting for the FleaBusters to work, if needed. Treat the main yard area if infested.
6). If bathing is an option, the soapy water will kill the fleas onboard.
Improve Your Pets Health
Anything you can do to improve your pet’s health will help them repel fleas naturally. There are special garlic supplements that are said to work, but I have never used them.
Change to a better food, and give filtered or Spring water – not tap water. Play with them and use the flea comb. I generally don’t recommend bathing dogs with special shampoos, as most products change the pH of the pet’s skin and make them MORE susceptible to itching and inflammation. You can try using Ecover or other simple chemical-free soaps, but NOT regular dish soaps like Dawn.
Give your cat or dog a pasture-raised organic raw egg yolk several times a week to nourish the skin and fur. For dogs, also give them a RAW meaty bone several times a week.
I don’t use flea collars as I feel they are toxic, potentially dangerous, and are irritating to the skin. There are now electronic flea collars that emit an electromagnetic pulse or squeal to repel fleas. I don’t use that either as I figure it would drive my animals crazy!
Don’t use flea bombs in the home – those are poisons you are spreading everywhere you’ll touch for a long time!
Finally, NEVER spray your home or yard with systemic, commercial pest control. These products are extremely dangerous to your health and to your pet’s health. There is irrefutable evidence linking pesticides (in water, food, and pest treatment) with Parkinson’s, MS, Alzheimer, cancer and more.
