If you have lots of fleas in your yard that seem to be making their way onto your pets and into your house, you might be interested in finding out how to get rid of them at "ground zero." You also may want to know the best natural, homemade flea killers so that you don't have to worry about dangerous chemical on your lawn.
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Outside
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One natural flea repellent is the herb called Pennyroyal."If you plant it in your yard, you can eliminate your flea problem. Another option is to sprinkle some 20 Mule Team Borax Soap on the grass wherever you have a flea infestation. Cedar wood chips also act as a barrier to keep fleas away from dog houses, bedding and other areas where you pet might be outside. In addition, eucalyptus leaves, which can be purchased at health food stores, large craft stores or online, work well for deterring fleas. You might also consider using nematodes, microscopic worms that eat flea larvae.
When you or your family members venture outside, spray Avon Skin So Soft Bath Oil Spray on your legs and feet to keep the fleas away and to deter them from biting you.
Baths
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To discourage fleas, bathe your pets in a mixture of warm water and Dawn Lemon Scented Liquid Soap. After the bath, use a flea comb on your pet. If you don't have time to bathe your dog right away when you first notice the flea problem, you can rub certain essential oils like lemongrass, lavender and citronella on your pet. Besides helping to keep the fleas away, these oils also help soothe your dog's skin.
Just be aware that essential oils should not be used on cats because they aren't able to effectively metabolize these herbal preparations. As cats have such thin, delicate skin, they absorb essential oils into their bloodstream very quickly and can easily get a toxic dose.
Diet
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If your cat or dog is prone to fleas, it might mean that they are not as healthy as they should be. Just as some people are more likely to being bitten by mosquitoes, some animals are more likely to have fleas. Usually it is those with weak immune systems that have the greatest problems, so you want to make sure your pets are as healthy as possible, and that starts by making sure that they are getting all the nutrition they need. Because many commercial pet foods contain questionable additives and preservatives, you will want to consider feeding your animals a high-quality, natural diet.
Also you should be aware that fleas really don't like the taste of garlic or yeast, so you can mix these into your dog's food to help make his blood taste bad to fleas. Cat owners should not feed their pets raw garlic, onions, shallots or chives because these can cause damage to feline red blood cells. However, you can feed a teaspoon of brewer's yeast to your cat every day to deter fleas. If you have a big dog, you'll want 1 tbls. of brewers yeast along with garlic mixed into his food daily. Just be aware that some dogs are sensitive and may develop a skin allergy. Besides garlic and yeast, putting 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar in your pet's drinking water can help strengthen the immune system. Also, B1 (thiamine) can be an effective supplement for your pet, but check with your veterinarian to determine how much B1 would be appropriate based on your animal's size.
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