To make a lemon flea spray, you simmer sliced lemons in water overnight, strain the liquid, and then add apple cider vinegar or witch hazel to create a repellent spray for your home or pet's coat (avoid use on cats). The citric acid in lemons deters fleas, but always patch-test on pets and consult your vet, as lemon essential oils can be toxic to cats, notes PetMD and Rentokil UK.
Instructions: Slice a lemon and add it to a pot of boiling water. Let it steep overnight. Strain the liquid and use it as a rinse for your pet (consult your vet first) or as a spray for your home.
#2: Lemon Juice: Next time you're bathing your pet, dilute half a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice into two cups of water and add it to their shampoo. Lemons are known to repel and kill fleas!
**Here's how to make it:** 1. Slice one lemon. 2. Add the lemon slices to a pint of water. 3. Bring the mixture to a boil. 4. Let the citrus solution sit overnight to infuse. 5. Pour the cooled solution into a spray bottle. 6. Spray your pup's coat, ensuring the citrus solution gets to work!
To kill 100% of fleas, you need a multi-pronged approach: treat your pet with vet-approved products, thoroughly vacuum and wash all bedding, use effective indoor sprays with an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to stop the life cycle, and consider professional pest control if the infestation is severe, as consistency in cleaning and treating for several weeks is key to breaking the cycle.
Natural Remedy: Diatomaceous Earth
This talc-like powder is made from silica, the same stuff that makes up sand. You can sprinkle it on carpets, bedding, and furniture. Let it sit for several hours, then vacuum it up. It kills fleas by drying them out.
Here are nine scents that people love and fleas hate:
Keeping fleas out of the home and yard
Apply Diatomaceous Earth
Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth on carpets and furniture to kill fleas that you've found in areas of your home. “It's a natural powder that contains fossilized algae, and it's harmless to humans and pets but deadly for fleas,” Baldwin explains.
Use Capstar for immediate adult flea kill on your pet.
Lemon: While lemon juice can deter fleas, it's not recommended for use on or near cats. Lemons contain essential oils and psoralens that are toxic.
Apply a concentrated IGR insecticidal spray.
These types of products are designed to kill the eggs and the “youngins” of fleas and other pest insects, for this matter.
Bring two cups of water to a boil, slice a lemon and put it in the pot with the water. Cover, and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 6-8 hours. Then put the liquid in a spray bottle.
To get rid of fleas in the house quickly, treat your pets with a fast-acting tablet like Capstar or a flea bath to kill adult fleas, then provide a long-term flea preventive. Vacuum daily, wash bedding in hot water, and use flea sprays or powders on carpets, furniture, and the yard.
However, even PetMD reports that it's still not the most effective solution for addressing fleas on a pet for two reasons: It will not repel or prevent an infestation. As far as Dawn dish soap for fleas in the yard, the idea is to mix the soap with water and fill a sprayer.
Going to show you how to make the easiest DIY room spray using three simple ingredients. First, distilled water, witch hazel, and then essential oils of your choosing. I'm using tea tree, lemon vervana, and lavender.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 2 cups of hot water; add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray as you would an air freshener. Place a few slices of a citrus fruit, cloves, or cinnamon in a pot with enough water to simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours.
All of this adds up to a fragrant barrier that repels mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and other bugs when you rub it on your skin. As a bonus, Vicks VapoRub can also reduce inflammation if a bug does bite you.
Natural Flea Remedies for Dogs
Vacuum every day to remove eggs, larvae and adults; this is the best method for initial control of a flea infestation. Be sure to vacuum the following areas: carpets, cushioned furniture, cracks and crevices on floors, along baseboards and the basement.