15 Best Home Remedies for Fleas & How to Use Them

Fleas Cause Anemia. They drink a lot of your pet’s blood leading to this blood condition. Anemia happens when the number of red blood cell count drops to a dangerous low. The cat will be lazy and sleepy because of Anemia. (2)

Fleas cause allergic reaction. It is common in both cats and dogs. The saliva irritates the skin. The allergy can cause rashes and red bumps. Too much scratching of there raw areas may lead to infection. (3)

How fleas get on your pet depends on where it has been. Mixing with animals can be a source of fleas. Insects are easy to get outside. Even a human could bring home fleas that have attached itself to clothing. When on your pet, fleas reproduce very fast.

Flea bites on humans are not uncommon. They prefer your pet’s fur. When a flea has been scratched off, it could get on a human and bite. They are attracted to blood. People sometimes react badly to these bites. Intense scratching could even lead to a skin infection.

If your pets carry fleas be sure your home has been contaminated already. Fleas lay eggs in the animal’s fur but when they scratch their bodies the eggs may fall all around the house including your carpet and bed. Keep your home dry and address the infestation for fewer fleas.

Fleas eggs are white and oval shaped. They are very tiny. The number of eggs could range from two to dozens. One female could give birth to thousand eggs in a lifetime. The eggs take two weeks to hatch. Some species hatch in two days. (3) Eggs will fall from the pet’s fur when the animal sleeps. You can collect them by brushing the coat. Larva comes out of eggs.

Larva comes out of eggs and feeds on organic substance. Some of its food matter include dead insects, feces, egg shells, and vegetable matter. They are blind creatures. They stay away from sunlight. Dark places like cracks are where they feel comfortable. Larva could be under the carpet, on the bed, or the sofa.

A pupa is a cocoon form before adulthood. Larvae pupate by weaving a shell around them. They stay in this cocoon for four days. When the conditions are harsh, they might take longer to come out. You might find pupa In the carpet or sofa.

Adults are the pupa. Right after appearing it starts to look for blood. When it has fed, it is ready to reproduce. A female flea can lay five thousand eggs in her life. Adult fleas usually live for three months. Without food from the host, it will die in a few days. With sufficient food supply and perfect humidity, adults will live up to a year. (3)

Effects of bites are typically skin irritation. A person or pet could be allergic to the saliva of fleas and form a rash. Drastic itching could even lead to skin infection. Animals that are the host of fleas can become anemic because of blood loss.

Signs of Fleas Infestation

Dogs with fleas show excess itching. Sometimes you might see it biting on its coat.
Fleas are very tiny creatures. They are like moving dark spots that travel very quickly through the fur.
When there are fleas in your dog’s coat, there will be flea droppings falling out of its fur.
You will also find flea eggs in the fur. The eggs are little white grains.
A mixture of droppings and eggs should be there where the dog regularly sleeps.
The excessive scratching and biting could lead to scabs and hotspots.
Cats show the same kind of scratching and biting as dogs.
They will also groom more than usual. To find out for sure that your cat has fleas, comb its hair. You should be able to spot a few.
You could also find dark droppings or white eggs. Check around the base of the tail and belly. There should be eggs and droppings where your cat sleeps. (4)

15 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Fleas

There several few ways to deal with fleas. Natural home remedies are better for home use if children are living with you.

The following is a list of home remedies for fleas that you can use at home. These are well-established methods that will solve the problem.

1. Dish Soap

You can use a dish soap trap to get rid of fleas. It is a smart way that kills fleas without the use of any poisons.

What You’ll Need:

Trays or plates
Water
Dish soap
A candle

Recommended Directions:

Place plates near your carpet and your pet’s bed. Pour water mixed with dish soap into them.

Now place a lit candle in the middle of the plate. Fleas are attracted to the fire.

They will come close to the light, get trapped in the soap water and suffocate. (5)

2. Herbal Spray

A herbal spray is much better than toxic aerosols. It is safer to use and easy to make. You should get good results after repeated use.

What You’ll Need:

A gallon of vinegar
Half a gallon of water
Sixteen ounces of lemon juice
Eight ounces of witch hazel
Spraying bottle

Recommended Directions:

Before you use the herbal spray, vacuum your home. Wash whatever is not vacuumable. Now mix the ingredients and pour it into the spraying bottle. Spray all around your house.

The herbal spray is not a spray for your pet; it is for your home. The fleas that live in your home should go away after repeated use.

3. Salt

is a natural remedy for fleas. Insects do not like salt at all. The salt remedy is a good pick because the ingredient is readily available. (6)

What You’ll Need:

Salt

Recommended Directions:

Sprinkle salt around your house. Make sure that you sprinkle in the corners, the rug, the floor, near your pets bed and other places your pet spends time. Let the salt rest for two days then clean it all up. Salt does not kill larva.

4. Rosemary Based Spray or Oil

What You’ll need:

Rosemary powder or oil
Peppermint
Fennel
Rue
Wormwood

Recommended Directions:

Rosemary is effective against fleas. You should apply the powder or oil form of rosemary on your pet’s body. The remedy repels insects. Regular usage of rosemary leads to flea free fur.

You can also create a blended powder consisting of different ingredients to scatter around the house.

You should mix the Rosemary powder with peppermint, fennel, rue, and wormwood. Grind the content into a powder. Scatter in suspected areas. It won’t kill the fleas, but it will keep them away.

5. Rosemary and Lemongrass Spray

Rosemary stars in a few home remedies for fleas. This one lemongrass and rosemary spray is a holistic flea remedy. The preparation of the spray is elementary.

What You’ll Need:

Lemon
Rosemary leaves
One liter of water
Geranium oil
A spray bottle
Large bowl

Recommended Directions:

You have to slice the lemon into thin slices. Take six slices of lemon and add it to a large bowl. Next, cut up some rosemary leaves. A hand full will do. Put the rosemary leaves into the pot.

You have boil a liter of water. Pour the water into the bowl. You should now add four drops of geranium oil. It is now time to let the mixture rest for the night.

Strain all the hard bits from the mixture in the morning. Pour the strained mixture into the spraying bottle. Spray throughout the house remembering the critical areas. (7)

6. Citronella Oil

Citronella oil is a good flea repellent that is all natural. Mixing it with other oils create a reliable remedy for fleas. Repeated use will give you good results.

What You’ll Need:

Citronella oil
Tea tree oil
Lemongrass oil
Geranium oil
water

Recommended Directions:

You need twenty drops of citronella oil and ten drops of tea tree oil. Add ten drops of lemongrass and also five drops of geranium oil. Add all these ingredients into hot water. Mix well. Now use this solution to clean your house.

Spray it and use it to mop the floors. It is one of the best home remedies for fleas because of its natural components and effectivity. (8)

7. Horse Apple

Horse apple is known as Osage Oranges. It is a remedy that lasts for a long time. Apple horse is effective against other insects too.

What You’ll Need:

Horse apples

Recommended Directions:

Using horse apple is the easiest of all the home remedies for fleas. All you have to do is cut the horse apples in half. Now place the horse apple halves in different places of the house.

Leave them in places that your pet visits typically. The remedy is very long lasting. It should last for three months if the house is cool.

8. Cedar Oil

Using cedar oil is a holistic method of getting rid of fleas. Applying the oil on your pet keeps the insects away from its fur coat.

What You’ll Need:

Cedar oil
A piece of cloth

Recommended Directions:

Take ten drops of cedar oil and then mix it with three teaspoons of regular water. Mix the content thoroughly then soak a piece of cloth or the collar of the animal. The fabric is meant to stay on your pet’s neck for it to be effective.

You can also apply some of the liquid on your pet’s fur yourself. This remedy is not unhealthy at all. You can even use it on kittens. Take the collar or cloth off your pet’s neck after a week then change it with a fresh one. (9)

9. Lavender Oil

Lavender oil works just like cedar oil. This home remedy is kitten friendly too. Weekly application will help your pet with its flea problem

What You’ll Need:

Lavender oil
A piece of cloth

Recommended Directions:

Take five to ten drops of lavender oil. It will take three tablespoons of water. Mix well then apply it to the pet’s collar or on a piece of cloth like a handkerchief and tie it around your pet’s neck.

Keep it on for a week then replace it with a newly soaked piece of cloth or collar. Regular usage should lead to the fleas going away. (10)

10. Apple Cider Vinegar

is an ingredient found in many home remedies. It can be used to get rid of fleas too. Apple cider vinegar is perfect for a dogs fur coat. Apple cider vinegar is easy to find. If you can’t get it in stores, you can make it at home.

The process of making it is to leave cut up apples in a jar for many weeks. It will first turn into alcohol then into apple cider vinegar.

What You’ll Need:

Apple cider vinegar
Water

Recommended Directions:

Stir a few spoons of apple cider vinegar with water. Give this water to your pet to drink in its water bowl. Replace it after the pet has finished all of it. You can also spray the potion on your pet’s fur. (11)

11. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a completely natural home remedy that works. It is one of the safest home remedies for fleas that you will find. You can use it as a bath, or you can apply it to your cat’s fur.

What You’ll Need:

Lemon
water

Recommended Directions:

Cut up a lemon and then put it into a pot of boiling water. Once you have added the lemon, turn the stove off. Let the water cool for the night.

Morning bells mean its ready for usage. You can bathe your pet in the lemon water. An alternative is to use a comb or sponge to apply it to your pet’s fur. This home remedy will lead to a flea evacuation. (12)

12. Vinegar Spray

A homemade vinegar spray is a way to go in the fight against fleas. Spraying leads to direct contact, so it is very efficient.

What You’ll Need:

White Vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Water
Lavender or cedar oil
Spray bottle

Recommended Directions:

To make your vinegar spray, you need to pour a cup of it into a quart of water. Apply three drops of lavender. If you don’t have lavender, you can use cedar oil instead. Mix the ingredients then pour it into a spraying bottle. Spray the fur of the pet.

You might want to use a comb while spraying. Using a comb will get the potion down to the roots of fur. When you are spraying, make sure that you are not spraying on the face or the genitals.

13. Pennyroyal Herb

Pennyroyal herb is an excellent remedy for fleas. Unfortunately, it is also harmful to humans when ingested. Don’t allow your children to play with it. The dry herb is potent if placed in places your pet repeatedly visits.

What You’ll Need:

Pennyroyal herb
bags

Recommended Directions:

Pennyroyal herbs can grow in your garden. Take the grass and crush it up. Put the leaves into small packs. Place them in places around your house. Make sure that the leaves that you have placed around the house are out of reach from children.

Remember that pennyroyal herbs are poisonous to humans. Places that are high up and out of reach are ideal for placing the herb bags.

Add drops of pennyroyal onto the collar of your pet. It will keep fleas away. There is a chance that your pet is allergic to pennyroyal herbs. If this is the case, your pet will be very irritated. You might even see rashes.

Take off the potion soaked collar if your pet is allergic. (13)

14. Baking Soda

The use of baking soda to combat fleas is a convenient home remedy for fleas. Baking soda kills fleas and cockroaches too. Repeated usage will get rid of your flea problem.

What You’ll Need:

Baking soda

Recommended Directions:

Sprinkle the baking soda all around your house. Lay some down in your kitchen and other places where your dog spends its time. Don’t miss the carpet and other furniture. Keep it in place for a few days then clean up. You will find dead fleas all around the house.

15. Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is one of the home remedies for fleas that nontoxic to humans. It is the remains of fossilized algae. This natural process gets rid of fleas as good as toxic methods.

What You’ll Need:

Diatomaceous earth

Recommended Directions:

Diatomaceous earth is a powder. Sprinkle it around your house. Apply the powder in places where your dog regularly visits. After a few that clean your entire home. The remedy has worked for many so it should work for your pet too. (14)

16. Cleaning

Finally the last home remedy is the most obvious. Clean your house on a regular basis. Clean the floors, your rugs and all the furniture that your pet gets on. Clean houses are not ideal for fleas, so this is a perfect home remedy.

What You’ll Need:

Cleaning tools

Recommended Directions:

Clean everything that you can find. The floors and furniture in the house should always be spiffy. Regularly clean the pet’s bed too. Use brooms to sweep and soap and water to wipe and wash. (15)

Precautions

When you are using a bath remedy on your pet, make sure that the animal does not drink the water. You should also refrain from getting water inside your pet’s ears.

If you are using spraying remedy, avoid the face and genitals of the creature.

If your pet is allergic to a remedy, spot using it immediately. Some signs of allergies are rashes and intense itching. if your pet scratches and bites and allergic place too much then it could lead to infection

When your pet has an allergic reaction that is not getting cured for a long time, then it is time to see a professional. Go to the vet for help.

Some home remedies are not suitable for kittens or puppies. If you are dealing with a baby animal, use all natural resources like lemon juice.

If the ingredient in home remedies for fleas are poisonous, then you should keep them out of the reach of humans children

Give your animal a bath on a regular basis to prevent flea settlements.

Humans can be allergic to flea bites too. Do not scratch too much if a flea bites because it may lead to a skin infection. (16)

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What are useful home remedies for fleas on cats?

Answer: if you have a cat, use a simple vinegar spray, you could also rub salt into its fur. Lemon juice baths are good too.

Question: Are there home remedies for fleas in the yard?

Answer: Pennyroyal herb is something that you can grow in your yard to keep it free from fleas. Keep it out of your children reach because it can be poisonous for humans.

Question: Are there home remedies for fleas on puppies under 12 weeks?

Answer: If you are dealing with a puppy or a kitten then you should use Cedar oil or lavender oil. These are natural and harmless home remedies for fleas. You can feel safe using these on puppies under the age of twelve weeks

Question: Does apple cider vinegar for fleas work?

Answer: Yes, apple cider vinegar work. You can apply it on your pet’s fur using a spraying bottle or a sponge.

Question: What is an effective natural flea killer?

Answer: Soap water or lemon juice are natural flea killers.

Question: How to get fleas off my dog?

Answer: For dogs, apple cider vinegar is good. Spray it on the fur coat or apply it using a sponge.

Question: What is the best way to get rid of fleas in your house?

Answer: A lot of times, the most straightforward remedy is the best. Cleaning your house and bathing your pet on a regular basis is something you have to do. You should pick the treatment that is best for you and your pet.

Remedies like sprinkling salt or baking soda around the house get rid of fleas around the home. Baths and sprays are better for getting rid of fleas in your pet.

Question: Is there a good home remedy bath for fleas?

Answer: You can give your pet a bath using lemon juice. The lemon juice home remedy is safe for young animals too.

Bottom Line

A flea infestation is not healthy for you or your pet. You have to do something about it. With the help of this article, you know many home remedies for fleas.

You should pick the remedy that is perfect for you. While deciding what treatment to use, you should consider the age of your pet, whether there are children in the house, if you or your pet has allergies and the cost of home remedies.

You can go with baths or sprays or sprinkle anti-flea remedies around your house. If you have the time, then try out more than a few treatments for a month each to find out which treatment works for your pet the best.

Above all maintain cleanliness. Clean your home and your pet on a regular basis to keep the fleas away.