The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Borax
Posted by Ivory Coasst (Loco, Ca) on 12/21/2009
BORAXO OR BORAX LAUNDRY SOAP
CAN YOU PLEASE CLARIFY DO YOU USE 20 MULE TEAM BORAXO HAND SOAP FOR FLEAS OR DO USE THE 20 MULE TEAM BORAX LAUNDRY SOAP FOR FLEAS AND SCABBIES?
SOME SAY TO USE BORAXO (WHICH IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN USING). OTHERS SAY NO USE THE LAUNDRY SOAP.
ALSO, PLEASE, CLARIFY CAN THIS BE USED ON CARPET AND ON CATS?
THANKS!
Lemons
Posted by Robyn (Hampton, Tn) on 12/21/2009
★★★★★
Homemade Flea Repellent
You can make an effective flea repellent from lemon by cutting it into quarters and immersing it in boiling water. This is then steeped overnight to get you the repellent. By spraying this all over your pet, especially behind the ears and generally around the head, and also at the base of the tail and the 'armpits', you can rid it of fleas.
I am wondering if Grapefruit boiled in pieces in water and then steeped overnight would do the same thing...probably would.
Also as a note...dawn baths, baby shampoo and peroxide mixed together baths, and dove baths afterward are great for killing fleas, and the dove washing makes the skin feel better if it is dry.
Robyn
Brewer's Yeast
Posted by Holly (Martinsville, In) on 12/04/2009
How much brewer's yeast do you take, and internally, right? Thanks
Neem Seed Oil
Posted by Magnet (Canton, Ohio, 44707) on 12/02/2009
Hi Sue, What is Neem Seed Oil and where do you find it? Is it an essential oil ?I thought cats had a difficult time with oils and some can cause toxicity. I don't know for sure, only what I read on the net. Magnet
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Dewan (Waxahachie, Tx , Usa) on 11/28/2009
In response to doglover in NC, NATURAL diatomaceous earth does not emit a poisonous vapor. All it contains is ground up diatoms (fossils). It is about 86% silicon, so you don't want to breathe the dust (like any other dust). However it can be very drying, and may cause dry skin. It is included in some dog foods at about 2% by volume. Swimming pool DE is another story, it IS toxic. Do NOT use it anywhere except in the pool filters.
Brewers Yeast, Garlic
Posted by Debbie (Climax, Ga) on 11/25/2009
★★★★★
I give my dogs brewers yeast and garlic tablets.1 tablet for every 5 lbs.They love them,eat like treats.I have mini dachshunds from 3 months old to 2 years old. No fleas or worms. Garlic kills the worms and brewers yeast is good for the skin.
Cedarwood Oil
Posted by Fireball92 (Carbondale, Il, USA) on 11/08/2009
★★★★★
You really ought to try cedar oil... Especially- there is a company that uses a special blend that is deadly to ALL exoskeleton type insects (and their eggs and larvae). I had a terrible 2-year infestation. Tried every home-grown remedy and commercial remedy on my dogs and in my home... Spent $100'S of dollars but the darn things were indestructible! After another day on the net, I decided to try a cedar oil based product (so safe I apply it to the SKIN of my 2 yr-old granddaughter as a repellant for fleas and mosquitos) One treatment of my home and dog the hopping, biting critters were magically gone. The stuff is fabulous I think when comes to fleas and bedbugs - IT IS INFALLIBLE! - Dr. John
Dish Soap
Posted by Rossi (Alameda, Ca) on 11/07/2009
Lavender oil or any essential oil should NEVER be used on cats. Their bodies cannot metabolize essential oils and they cause liver damage. It's proved fatal to some cats. More information:
http://www.thelavendercat.com/
Side Effects From Frontline
Posted by Glenessary9 (Salt Lake City, Utah) on 10/24/2009
Pine tar will eventionally give your pet kidney failure. It's better to wash the animal in ___ [dish soap] , and then use regular table salt or salt water on carpets, furniture and, floors. to keep the fleas out of the house.
Brewer's Yeast
Posted by Izzy3 (Sebastian, Florida) on 10/16/2009
★★★★★
Thank You so much for having this site !! I am having success in only less than a full day using Brewers Yeast against these invisible biting bugs , which I believe to be Sticktight Fleas, I have suffered with them for a year now. I am so thankful to be able to pass along what I consider VERY valuble information. I always knew somehow , the remedy would be something simple and common, Brewers Yeast has been used for decades ( maybe longer ) on all kinds of animals for fleas and moskitoes bothering people. I felt results within 15 minutes of taking it, you will feel them getting active in your flesh!! I slept last night , straight through for the first time in at least 8 months. Don't give up the Borax & DE in carpets though, it is also valuble in this battle, I will continue using 20 MT Borax in my laundry for some time. My prayers are with you all.
Dish Soap and Lamp Method
Posted by Joni (Lorimor, Ia) on 10/15/2009
★★★★★
I tried the candle in a pan of soapy water to kill fleas and It really works!!! Every night I catch about 20 of the little devils. I am going to attempt to bath my cats with ACV. This should be interesting!! Thanks for the suggestions.
Garlic
Posted by Ben (Southern Pines, Nc) on 10/14/2009
★★★★★
Garlic Oil: I give my 130lb shepherd/dane 3 tablets 2 times a day and when I ran out the fleas where horrible, he had sores and all. started back on the regimene and within 3 days a drastic improvement
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Lisa (Blakeslee, Pa,) on 10/11/2009
Diatomaceous earth works by slicing apart the vector, being it fleas,...what have you. It's not for indoor use, and if it works in this way, can you imagine how healthy it is to breathe it in. By all means, try neem oil, if you are looking for something natural and safe.
Garlic
Posted by Db (San Francisco, Ca) on 10/06/2009
Hi, I came across your site while searching for safe & natural flea bath options for our cats. I noticed your garlic food supplement suggestion and thought it would be good to pass this info along to you and your readers:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/garlic.html
The suggestion of garlic on the dog's food jumped out at me because our boy cat loves to nibble on house plants and we've had to spend some time learning about what plants are toxic to cats; Bulbs and many other plant parts from members of the Lily family (of which garlic is a member) are especially bad for cats. -I did not know that garlic was also toxic to dogs but apparently it is as well (I do know that cats don't have some of the toxin processing apparatus that other mammals have, so they tend to have the broadest risk of plant poisoning.)
Thanks!
Garlic
Posted by Marge (Land O Lakes, Fl, usa) on 09/30/2009
how long before you saw an improvement with the fleas?
Freezing the Bedding
Posted by Jiminiecricket (Houghton Lake, Mi) on 09/29/2009
Has anyone heard of freezing the bedding of cat (or dog) and other small items your pet uses to kill fleas? I read this somewhere online.
Amethyst
Posted by Xara (Belmont, California) on 09/27/2009
★★★★★
Thank you so much for this remedy! I have 5 cat's, so buying the stuff that you squeeze on the back of their neck can get VERY expensive, not to mention the fact that they HATE it. Last monday morning I was noticing they were all getting pretty itchy again, so I decided to check out the pet section here, and boy am I glad I did! Instaed of spending my usual $100.00, I stopped at a new age bookstore and picked up 4 chunks of amethyst for well under $10.00. By thursday evening they were all itch free,....it's amazing! Not sure how or why it works, but it does!
Dish Soap
Posted by Marilyn (Oswego, IL) on 09/16/2009
★★★★★
___ ___dish washing liquid will rid your pet of fleas. There are even some vets who recommend this treatment. Just dont get into eyes. It really works.
Borax
Posted by Werknut (Cincinnati, Oh) on 09/16/2009
★★★★★
Borax is a miracle cure for getting rid of fleas and from keeping flea eggs from hatching. You buy it in the grocery store in the laundry aisle. Just sprinkle it on your carpeting and then vacuum it up. The residue will stay in the carpet and will kill fleas and keep flea eggs from hatching. It is more effective than any bug spray or expensive flea spray from the vet. And it's cheap! One box will last a long time. It's non-toxic to pets and it will leave your house smelling fresh. I used it when I lived in Florida, where fleas are plentiful and they are so hardy, they seem to be bionic. I swear by Borax, and everyone I've ever recommended it to has had the same marvelous results I had.
Diatomaceous Earth
Posted by Erna (Venice, Ca) on 09/10/2009
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
This is a warning about Diatomaceous earth: it was extremely effective on the fleas when I used it in my carpeted apartment, however it had dire health consequences for me. I used it on my apartment, vacuumed it up and then left for several days to go out of town. I hoped this would dispel the dust in the air, but it was still there, and breathing DE after a couple of days brought on a severe first-time asthma attack. I eventually just had to move out of that apartment due to the sensitivity it created in me, and I have had an asthma condition ever since. I found out later that DE consists of billions of fossilized remains of prehistoric algae that under the microscope look like little razor blades. This is the effect that it had on my lungs.
Dish Soap
Posted by Carol (Big Spring, Tx) on 09/08/2009
★★★★★
After finding and reading your web site I found the dish soap worked but I hesitate to use it too often. The night light under a pan of soapy water worked for inside the house. The flea comb has been wonderful. He likes the attention and will readily let me comb him.(Male Cat) Now I dip the comb in 7 dust He hated the dust before but he doesn't mind the comb dipped in it. I pick the fleas off the comb and put them into soapy water. They drown. The OVER THE COUNTER flea applications on the back of the neck did not work.
Dish Soap
Posted by Casper (Port Crane, Ny) on 09/03/2009
★★★★★
Any dishwashing liquid will kill fleas. The ones containing lemon will work even faster. Fleas have an oily surface to them that keeps them alive. Mess that up with a little soap and they suffocate. You can always kill a few fleas taking your four legged friends for a swim. FLEAS CAN'T SWIM AND WILL ONLY DROWN IF IMMERSED IN WATER! I have black labs that swim most every day and fleas are never a problem.
Brewer's Yeast
Posted by London (Sandusky, Ohio) on 09/02/2009
Hey, get the big jar, and sprinkle and coat it on their dry food like cinnamon toast. Mix it well, make sure all the dry food is covered. IT WORKS!!! All summer long, NO fleas, amazing. The only thing that works honestly.
Dish Soap and Lamp Method
Posted by Karen (Philadelphia, Pa) on 08/23/2009
★★★★★
I'm using the ACV on my cat and my dog and so far it seems to be working. However, to treat the infestation in my house I found an easy economical fix. First place 2 drops of dish detergent in a bowl of water then sit the bowl on the floor under a lamp overnight.Each morning I awoke to a bowl full of dead fleas. I continued the process until I no longer saw any fleas. Apparently, the warmth of the light attracts the fleas to the bowl and the solution kills the fleas instantly.Of course you need to remove your pet from the room you are treating to insure their safety.
Brewer's Yeast
Posted by Ann (Castle Rock, Co) on 08/17/2009
We are getting ready to move to Washington state and I wanted to try and get a head start of protecting my dogs from fleas. I have a begale and 2 mini-dashunds and was wondering how much brewers yeast they should get? I bought tablets, but not sure if they should get the whole tablet (if so how often) or if it should get crushed up (and still how often) I already give they fish oil tablets 2x a week to help w/the dry skin that happens here. Also I'm seeing that my little ones don't care for the garlic powder on their food, will it be just as effective if it is cooked (say in biscuits)? Thanks for all the great advice on here! Glad I found this site!!!!
