How to Control Fleas Without Chemicals
Many of the flea and tick treatments available today contain toxic chemicals that can be hazardous to pets and to people. Even when these products are used according to the manufacturer’s directions, these chemicals are not safe for pets or humans. The Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administrations Center for Veterinary Medicine, is pursuing a series of actions to increase the safety of spot-on products for pets. These actions are designed to help consumers use these pesticides safely. However, many pet owners prefer to not use these products at all and are looking for safer, more natural alternatives instead.
There are safer, natural ways to control fleas. They may require a bit more effort on your part, but isn’t that effort worth it if it’s safer for you and your pet?
Combing
Use a good flea comb with tightly spaced teeth. Comb your pet daily during flea season and drop any fleas you find into a bowl of soapy water to kill them.
Bathing
Bathe your pet with a gentle shampoo such as oatmeal. You don’t need to use harsh flea shampoos – most of them have chemicals in them, which is what you’re trying to avoid by not using the pesticide spot-ons in the first place. Fleas tend to accummulate in bedding, so wash your pet’s bedding as well.
Vacuuming
Vacuum thoroughly, including on and under furniture and in crevices and near baseboards. Discard the vacuum bag immediately after vacuuming to prevent fleas and eggs from reinfesting your home. Severe infestations may require professional steam cleaning.
Diet
Feeding a high quality, varied diet can help prevent fleas. A stronger diet leads to a stronger immune system, and it is believed that this can contribute to your pet being more resistant to fleas. Pet owners who feed raw or homemade diets have reported that their pets no longer have flea problems.
Maintain Outdoor Areas
Keep your grass mowed and keep shrubbery trimmed short in areas where your pet spends time. This will increase sunlight and dryness, which will help reduce the flea problem. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in your yard to cut down on the flea population. Diatomaceous earth also makes a great natural pantry bug killer, it works for all insects. It’s reported to be safe around pets, but don’t sprinkle it directly on your pet!
Natural Flea Control Products
There are numerous natural flea control products on the market, but not all of them are safe for pets. In particular, avoid using products containing essential oils such as Pennyroyal, Tea Tree or Citrus oils. None of these are safe to use around pets, especially around cats. Some manufacturers of essential oils claim that their oils are pure and safe to use around cats, but quite frankly, I wouldn’t take any chances on statements of that nature unless they’re backed up by research by an independent toxicologist.
The National Resource Defense Concil’s Green Paws website has a comprehensive directory of flea and tick products, including natural products, and lists ingredients and toxicity warnings.
If you’re using natural products to control fleas for your pets, please share with us what has worked for you in a comment.
Great information here. I’m always looking for safer ways to help control fleas and ticks. I like the idea of using natural ingredients when at all possible. I’ve try a few I found locally, but so far I haven’t had good results. Thanks for the website links, I check those out.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
I use some vinegar in the water dish. Works like a charm.
That is great information. I have used the diatomaceous in my house and I think it works. Last year I had tons of fleas and this year they aren’t so bad. I have so many animals, it is really hard to keep them under control. I do the bathes on the dogs but don’t think I will be bathing these cats.
Those look like great links and I am going to check them out.
Have a great week.
Thankfully fleas have never plagued my cats. A healthy cat is less inclined to attract them.The worst thing I’ve seen are those plastic chemical flea collars! Re: essential oils, as a former aromatherapy instructor, I can tell you some of the oils can be hepatotoxic but what can be used safely are the hydrosols (the distillate or flower water of essential oils) that are 100% safe.
Mason and Marg, I’m glad the information was helpful. Since my cats have always been indoor cats, I’ve never had to worry about fleas.
Layla, I agree, the old fashioned flea collars are the worst choice. I’ve seen countless cases of dogs ingesting them and getting very sick (cats tend to be a little smarter and at least not eat them….). Thanks for your comment on the oils – I’d heard that before, but I’m still a little leery of using them around pets.
Ingrid, I’ll be writing when I get it all cleaned up, but I’m using the bathe-sweep-wash routine on my nine, mostly because of the delicate health of Peaches and even Cookie. Three years ago Mimi came in with babies AND fleas, and because I couldn’t treat her, I treated everyone else with Frontline, but I still had to wash and vacuum or I’d have had to keep up with the Frontline. Peaches didn’t take it well then, so this time I’ve just dropped the Frontline. It’s just about under control, but she and Cookie are besieged, possibly because of Peaches’ health and Cookie’s age–Cookie is the one who brought them in, and she’s never had but a few before.
I have tons of basic peppermint and spearmint and make a weak tea as a rinse after bathing and use it as a spray between baths. Things I can’t wash, like my merchandise and materials, get tossed in a hot dryer for at least two minutes, then packed up and shipped out somewhere else–remember to clean the lint trap and throw it away just like the vaccuum bag.
That’s it for now…
I’m so sorry you have to deal with all of this, Bernadette!
I consider that grooming your pet is a vital part of being a pet owner. Grooming your canine helps you accomplish many things. It gives you time to spend time with your dog and also clean and cut there coats to make them look better and shinier. So instead of applying fleabusters, just groom your pet and keep your environment clean.
[...] Many of the flea and tick treatments available today contain toxic chemicals that can be hazardous to pets and to people. Even when these products are used according to the manufacturer’s directions, these chemicals are not safe for pets or humans. There are natural and safe options to control parasites. [...]
[...] Many of the flea and tick treatments available today contain toxic chemicals that can be hazardous to pets and to people. Even when these products are used according to the manufacturer’s directions, these chemicals are not safe for pets or humans. There are natural and safe options to control parasites. [...]
Thanks for a great post. Most, though not all, cats on a raw meaty bone diet never get fleas, or merely one or two in a year. For them, a totally safe flower essence may be all that is needed. Spirit Essence has Para-Outta-Site and Green Hope Farms has Flee Free.
Thank you for visiting, Dr. Chambreau, and thank you for mentioning flower essences. I’ve had great success with the Spirit Essences line as well as the Green Hope essences for other issues.
has anyone tried giving there cat or dog garlic? Is that good for fleas? Some people have told me they do it and it works, but i dunno…. they said they just sprinkle a little garlic in the food and all is well… I ask my vet and they keep telling me frontline or revolution, but I dont like those ideas….
Garlic can be toxic for cats, Pearl. Some people have had some success with Brewer’s yeast mixed in with food. However, be aware that some cats are allergic to it.
My cat east brewer’s yeast pills like treats!! He loves ‘em!!
Eats, not east!!!!
My concern is heartworm. One of my cats two years ago tested positive for heartworm, which I believe means that even though my cats are indoors only she was bitten. My vet likes Revolution (which also kills fleas) so that’s what I’ve been using. I don’t like giving them medication and wonder if it is better to give a pill for heartworm and treat the fleas and ticks naturally .
Since heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, indoor cats are at risk, too, as you’ve unfortunately had to find out, Tricia. I don’t like any of the products on the market for preventing heartworm disease, but it comes down to weighing the risk of the preventative versus the benefits of preventing the disease. Here’s an article I wrote on feline heartworm disease, maybe it’ll help: http://consciouscat.net/2010/08/09/feline-heartworm-disease/
I use a lot of flea traps. They have a little light to attract the fleas to heat and a sticky pad to trap the fleas. They help reduce the amount of fleas you have to deal with and also just let you know if you have a problem. I used the Victor Ultimate Flea Trap from Amazon last year. They were pretty inexpensive and worked for what I needed.
I have used dishes of soapy water with a light on it at night… It lets me know how many fleas I still have..it is like leslie”s traps.. light attracts them and so does the heat.
That’s a new one to me, MJ!
I stopped using Frontline because it just does not kill fleas any more. The company denies this, but even my vets are no longer claiming it’s useful. And good luck getting a refund back from the company! Impossible.
I switched to Revolution and even the older cats with health issues had no problems with it. It also kills internal parasites, which is a bonus if your pets go outdoors (mine don’t). For outside, diatomaceous earth (PLEASE, make sure it is FOOD-GRADE quality, and not the toxic stuff they use in swimming pools!) works really well. I got mine on Amazon.
I’ve only had to deal with fleas when rescuing a cat and bringing it inside. Otherwise, my cats are indoor-only and we don’t need to use these products very often.
It’s pretty amazing that a tiny critter like the flea manages to adapt and become resistent to even highly toxic chemicals.
Fleas don’t like camomile. As a temporary help to keep fleas away, put a dry teabag of camomile in an old sock and put it in the sleeping places. Be aware: this only makes the fleas run.
Yes, unfortunately even indoor only cats can get fleas. If you walk through the yard, they can come in on your clothes! I have kept a bowl of water with a couple of drops of dish soap by my sofa, then I can just drop any fleas I find in it. (Soap breaks the surface tension of the water).
I’ve had success with a 1:1 ratio of Apple Cider Vinegar to Water mist. When my son and his girlfriend recently got an 8 week old kitten that was COVERED in fleas, I used it to aid in ridding him of them. Bathed him with mild soap and water and then rinsed with clear water followed by the ACV mix. I had to stroke down his fur to get some of the critters to let loose, but we managed to get a lot of them off of the poor baby that way. I let him cuddle with me in a warm towel after each application to minimize the stress of going through it.
Another suggestion I hadn’t heard, Kathy. Sounds like it worked really well for you.