What Oils Kill Fleas

Flea control for pets is important as a flea problem is often irritating to both the pet and the pet owner. Several methods are used for flea control, including natural and chemical options. For the pet owner wanting to use a natural flea control, oils will effectively eliminate and repel fleas. Before using any essential oils, research the oil and side effects as some essential oils may be harmful for certain pets.

  1. Olive Oil

    • Natural olive oil is useful for flea control as the oil is said to eliminate the fleas by killing them. To utilize the oil, apply to the pet starting from the face and working backwards. This application method will avoid the risk of any fleas moving towards the face, an area of difficulty when manually removing fleas. After the pet is soaked in olive oil, take a safe and natural pet shampoo and bathe the pet as many times as necessary to wash the oil from the pet's coat or fur. Olive oil basically drowns fleas, so the fleas should just wash down the drain while the pet is bathed.

    Essential Oil Shampoo

    • For a pet with fleas, a bath with an essential oil shampoo is beneficial for flea control. To mix the essential oil flea control shampoo, take 12 oz. of water and 1 tbsp. of castile soap, and mix with 2 drops each of the following essential oils: peppermint, lavender, rosemary and eucalyptus. Fill a tub of water until the water reaches just below neck height on the pet. Take the essential oil flea shampoo, apply it around the neck of the pet and place the pet into the bath. Once the pet is in the water, fleas might crawl up the neck of the pet because the fleas do not like water. Keep the fleas from crawling on the facial area of the pet. This bath may be given to a pet once a week until the flea problem is eliminated.

    Essential Oil Collar

    • An effective way to eliminate fleas is to make an essential oil flea repellent collar. When utilizing essential oils, always choose oils which are 100 percent pure. Essential oils are very concentrated and should always be diluted with a base or carrier oil, such as sweet almond or olive oils. To make an essential oil flea repellent collar, mix together 7 to 8 drops of peppermint, 3 to 4 drops of both lemon and clary sage and 1 to 2 drops of citronella. Dilute the mixture with 1/2 oz. of the preferred base oil. Take a bandanna or cloth pet collar, and dip it into the essential oil mixture for a flea repellent collar. Source: