Home Remedy for How to Kill Fleas & Ticks

Fleas and ticks both present a problem for pet owners, because they like to feed on cats, dogs and other small animals. There are two avenues to pursue for killing fleas and ticks, using commercially available flea preventative products, or relying on home remedies. The home remedy approach is generally the most natural, because most commercially available products contain chemicals and pesticides that can be harmful to the animal.

Things You'll Need

  • Dish soap
  • Salt
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Instructions

    • 1

      Implement a plan. Flea and tick control is not a single step process, so you need to devise a plan to tackle the entire problem rather than just a piece of the puzzle. The plan should disrupt as many aspects of the flea and tick life cycle as possible, by killing both adults and the eggs.

    • 2

      Bathe the animals in the house. Use a mild dish soap and warm water, which will drown and kill the fleas and will also help to eliminate any ticks that might be on the body. Mild dish soap is skin-safe for dogs and cats and not nearly as harsh as commercially available flea shampoos.

    • 3

      Apply salt to carpets, upholstered furniture and pet bedding. Fleas prefer soft surfaces, and will lay eggs in carpeting and upholstery. Table salt, when applied to the flea eggs, causes them to dry up, which will kill the fleas before they can hatch. Allow the salt to stay on these surfaces for at least 24 hours.

    • 4

      Clean flooring and bedding. Vacuum off any areas where the pet frequents such as upholstered furniture, carpeting and pet beds after applying the table salt. This will vacuum up the dead fleas and flea eggs. Dispose of the vacuum bag immediately, because there may be live fleas inside. Seal it in another bag and put it outside so that the fleas cannot escape and cause further problems.

    • 5

      Consider other remedies. Topical flea and tick preventatives are chemical-based, but can play a large role in preventing a flea and tick issue from becoming more serious. You can utilize home remedies without requiring these products, but it is worth considering these commercially available products as part of your step-by-step flea and tick prevention plan.