Fleas can affect many pets, from small dogs to horses. If you prefer not to use poison-based flea control, or your pet has reacted badly to it in the past, you can try using eucalyptus as an alternative. Eucalyptus naturally drives away fleas, and can be used in a variety of ways as flea control, including in oil and leaf form.
-
Oil
-
Eucalyptus oil is a cheap essential oil that you can purchase in bulk at health stores. The smell of the oil will repel fleas. You can apply it to your pets in a few different ways.
One method of applying eucalyptus oil is to mix it with your pet's shampoo. Add only a few drops into the shampoo bottle, and stir or shake to mix it into the rest of the shampoo. Once the eucalyptus oil is added, you can use the shampoo as normal, washing it off after you are finished.
You can also use the eucalyptus oil to turn your pet's regular collar into a flea collar. This will work best if your pet wears a collar all the time and not only when outside. Any collar will work as long as it can absorb the oil. Add a few drops onto the collar, and then place the collar on your pet. Add more oil to the collar once each month.
These methods can be used after a flea infestation is already present, or as a preventative measure to help your pets avoid getting fleas. The oil can also be used around your home to keep fleas away. Mix a few drops of oil into a bottle of water and spray the water throughout your home. Make sure that the oil is diluted enough that the smell will not overwhelm you. Spray your home again once a month.
Leaves
-
Eucalyptus does not need to be in an essential oil form to repel fleas. The whole leaves contain the smell which gets rid of fleas, so you can use the plant itself instead of oil. This method won't allow you to apply eucalyptus directly to your pet, so if you want to do so you will have to use it in conjunction with oil.
You can plant eucalyptus plants around your yard to help keep fleas out of the area. Indoors, you can use clipped leaves and stems from eucalyptus plants. You can find eucalyptus trimmings at craft stores. Place bunches of the trimmings inside open containers throughout your home. Place the containers in every room, and in large rooms use two containers. If you would prefer to use trimmings in the yard too, instead of full eucalyptus plants, you can wrap the trimmings in a breathable fabric and hang them from trees.
-