This first tip was told me by the owner of a single natural pet store.
Recommended before going on a trip so you don’t return to a flea-infested home.
1) Wash your dog with a natural flea soap. Leave the soap on the dog for ten to fifteen minutes. This will help suffocate the fleas. When the time is up, water the dog’s fur well to drown the fleas. (You can also wash your dog with normal liquid soap.)
2) After drying your dog, wash the collar thoroughly with soap and water. When worn, the collar is heated underneath it, which helps the eggs to hatch.
3) Now take the dog outside. Sprinkle baking soda on ALL rugs the dog has access to (unless you or a family member has allergies, ask your doctor if you can). Keep children out of these areas. Don’t be stingy with the baking soda. Sweep the baking soda onto the carpet with a broom. Leave on for six hours. If you do this in the summer and your kids are home, take them on a field trip. While you’re away, the fleas will suffocate on the baking soda. Vacuum the carpet after the allotted time. In the summer months I do this routine once a month. I find it does not affect fleas. If you don’t want to use baking soda, vacuum all areas where the dog walks and sleeps frequently. To limit fleas on the carpet, keep the dog on hardwood or tile floors.
4) Frequently wash dog bedding, soft dog toys, area rugs, and human bedding if the dog sleeps on the beds.
Wash the dog every two weeks unless the dog has dry skin problems.
A vet once told me that if fleas don’t have live humans or animals to feed on, they will die after seven days. Here’s a tip from this same vet: For houses with central heating: In early summer, turn up the heat. Leave the house (no adults, children or animals are allowed in the greenhouse). This will make the flea eggs hatch. Come home at night, turn off the fire, and vacuum up the fleas and their eggs. (NEVER leave the house with a space heater on!)
Last note: From the natural pet store I got both brewer’s yeast and brewer’s yeast plus garlic to give to my dogs to kill fleas naturally. They both worked just like that, and one of my dog’s tummy didn’t like the yeast. Although a chlorinated pool is not very natural, my Lab had fewer fleas playing in the pool. Also note that if you give your dog the type of flea medicine that you apply it to on his back and your dog swims A LOT, my vet says he will wash off after so long of swimming. So keep that in mind.
Tell a friend about these natural ways to control the flea population in your home and on your dog.