Face It, Fleas are Hard to Fight

Fleas can be a problem for pet owners, but late summer and early fall often seem the worst.

There could be several reasons for this perception. Existing flea infestations (indoors or out) could just be growing and becoming more serious. For some regions, fleas may simply be worse in the fall than other seasons. Fall is usually brings milder temperatures and more rain, which tends to be great for fleas.

Whatever the reason, fleas are never great for you or your pets, but some of the remedies can seem downright scary. Before you open your wallet and use chemicals in your home, try a few of these do-it-yourself and natural remedies:

Dish soap may be one of the most widely recommended home remedies for fleas. But it should be noted that bathing a dog or cat with dish soap should be tried with caution. Even mild soaps can be irritating to some pets. Many contain strong chemicals, but they do have a relatively low impact on a household, although not on fleas.

Vacuum Fleas Away!

One of the first things you should probably consider is vacuuming! Pay special attention to where you’ve seen fleas, including in and under any furniture, including any dog or cat beds, etc. Be sure to empty the vacuum receptacle outside so they just don’t jump out and scurry away. This is a good step, since it will get eggs and young fleas, too.

Sprinkling a fine salt or baking soda into your furniture and carpet before vacuuming can help, too. If it doesn’t cause problems, leave this in place for a day or two as it will kill fleas and help make them easy to vacuum.

Magical Flea Trap

Another good trick involves creating your own magical flea trap using a shallow dish or saucer, filling it with water then stirring in a tablespoon of dish soap. Before going to bed, place the dish where you’ve seen fleas and leave it all night, when fleas are more active. Hopefully, you’ll have captured several bugs the next morning, dead from getting stuck in the gooey liquid. Repeat as needed.

You can create an effective flea spray by mixing a half-gallon of water, one gallon of vinegar, 16 ounces of lemon juice and eight ounces of witch hazel.

Keep Them Out First!

Avoiding fleas – as much as possible – can also help. Several plants can be grown outside or indoors that help include chrysanthemums, lavender, pennyroyal and spearmint.

It’s also possible to make an herbal flea power! Grind some of the herb with some rue, wormwood, fennel and peppermint into a powder. Then sprinkle the mixture anywhere you suspect fleas in your home. With any mix like this, you might first test small quantities around your family and pets to make sure nothing kicks off an allergic reaction.

Don’t Forget Vets and Stores

Increasingly, manufacturers are getting the message that harsh chemicals are not always popular, or the only way to do something. So, if you don’t want to bother with do-it-yourself solutions, you might talk to your vet or examine store shelves for flea solutions that avoid artificial solutions. They probably won’t save you much, if any in cost, but they could help with your home environment.

And good luck!