Exterminate All Pests
It’s heart wrenching to see our pets suffer at the mercy of those tiny bitey pests known as fleas. It’s even worse when the problem gets so bad and the little buggers infiltrate our homes. They can jump further than any other pesky insect. That means that whenever we sit or relax in certain places on infected furniture we ourselves become the objects of annoying and itchy bug bites.
And that’s the bottom line, we hate fleas because they bite. Sure, our poor pets get the worst of it, but we get bit too. No one wants to endure the uncomfortable redness, swelling and itchiness. Well, we are entitled to protect our home, and our loved ones. So, what’s to be done about this victimization we share with our beloved pets? How about an assortment of home remedies to kill fleas? Read on, true believer…
Naturally Acidic Spray
Rid fleas from the home with this herbal solution. It’s made from products that are probably already in your home and nontoxic. It can be safely used around anyone, even children and pates. Make it by mixing 4 liters of vinegar, 2 liters of water and 500 ml of lemon juice with 250 ml of witch hazel in a spray bottle. Before using, vacuum your home and toss the vacuum bag outside away from the home (vacuuming often may be your best flea defense). Then wash your bedding and cushions that might have been infested. Afterward spray the contents around your home, getting carpets, pet bedding, window soils and finally the floors.
Lemon Spray
Lemon spray is used in a variety of home remedies. Heck, it’s even a method of treating wasp stings. Now, include flea repellant among its uses. You need to concoct a citrus spray that is best used on infected furniture. Slice a lemon thinly and add it to a pint of water. Heat to a boil and let the solution sit overnight before filling a spray bottle with it. Pull the trigger on your sofa, pets bedding, and chairs. Spray it on all areas you believe have been infested with the little annoyances.
Dish Soap
That’s right, plain old everyday dish soap mixed with water can create an effective flea trap, and its easy. All that needs to be done is to fill a plate (or bowl) with a mixture of warm water and dish soap. Put in in the room where the fleas hang out most often. It will serve to function like glue, its high viscosity trapping the fleas. Repeat this step every night as fleas typically come out in the late evening.
Baking Soda
As mentioned previously, vacuuming may be the most effective means to be rid of fleas. It sucks them out from the fibers of your carpets. Well, there’s a way to improve this method. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and along the furniture. Then, with a hard brush rub it into the fabric. Then run the vacuum over it fully throughout the home. Again, dispose of the bag in a bin outside of the home.
Salt
Similar to baking soda in how it repels adult fleas (as a dehydrating agent), salt is also a natural remedy when used in conjunction with vacuuming. Use salt that is (preferably) finely ground, and sprinkle it all over the carpet. But unlike baking soda, you must let the salt rest for two days before swinging the vacuum back in action.
Rosemary
Another organic solution is the popular herb known as rosemary. If you don’t have any, be sure to as it is one of the few kitchen must haves. It’s best treating light infestations, really, when used as a powder. Combine the rosemary with some rue, wormwood, fennel and peppermint and grind them together into a powder using a mortar. Apply it to your carpets in a sprinkling motion over all areas that you believe compromised.
Plants
You might even employ the use of flea repellent plants. There are specific plants that have certain oils, compounds, and chemicals which are unbearable to the little monsters. Simply plant pennyroyal, chrysanthemums, lavender or spearmint in flower pots around the home and watch as the fleas flee for dear life (pun intended).
There are other ways to attempt to stop the flea menace; many of them are of the common sense variety. Wash the blankets and carriers in which your pets commonly reside. Remove cushions from couches and chairs and vacuum thoroughly. The problem remains however that even if you are able to force fleas away, they may still leave eggs and larvae behind, and it becomes a problem waiting to repeat itself. At this point, if you’ve done all you can and the infestation persists, it’s time to call in the big guns in the form of a professional exterminator.
