How to Make Organic Citrus-Based Flea Spray

If you've ever had a flea infestation, you know it can be a miserable experience for everyone in the household, people and pets alike. But what can you do to get rid of fleas when all of those nasty flea-killing chemicals on the market can make you feel even worse than the fleas do? Never fear-help is here in the form of the humble orange. The oils from citrus (especially orange) peels contain a powerful chemical called linalool that is toxic to fleas, but not to pets or humans. It turns out that the thick white layer inside the citrus peel is actually a protective layer, and when insects try to burrow through it to attack the fruit the linalool literally dissolves their exoskeletons. Yuck. But all is fair when it comes to fighting fleas, and this citrus-spray is the cheapest, safest method of effective flea control you're likely to find anywhere.

Things You'll Need

  • Orange peels
  • Other citrus peels (lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, etc.)
  • Water
  • Large saucepan
  • Blender
  • Strainer
  • Large bowl
  • Spray bottle(s)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Peel the oranges and other citrus fruits and save the fruit to eat. If you'd rather just save the juice, you may juice the fruits and use the peels, pulp and all. If you don't even want the juice, you can add that to the mix as well. The more citrus essence, the better.

    • 2

      Throw all of the peels, along with any pulp or juice, into a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn the heat down and let simmer for an hour or so.

    • 3

      Turn the heat off. Let the mixture cool in the pan, but do not drain it as you'll be saving and using all of the water.

    • 4

      Put the boiled peels into the blender in small batches with some of the water they've been boiled in. When they are all blended up into a thick pulp, pour the mess into a strainer and strain it over a large bowl.

    • 5

      Collect every bit of strained citrus juice and mix it with all of the reserved water. If the mixture doesn't have a strong citrus scent, you may want to boil it again until it has reduced a bit.

    • 6

      Strain the liquid one more time to catch any residual solids. You may discard any remaining pulp, but pour all of the liquid into a spray bottle. If you have more liquid than sprayer bottles to put it in, refrigerate the leftover mix for later use. It is not toxic, but won't taste very good, so you might want to label it so no one tries to drink it.

    • 7

      Spray the citrus liquid on all flea-infested carpet and bedding. You may also spray it on pets and rub it into their fur.