PUT OUT THE
"UNWELCOME" MAT
FOR PETS’ PESTS
Summer is here. Time for everyone to go outside — including family dogs and cats. Joining them in the great outdoors are fleas, ticks, and other annoying pests. There are dozens of commercial insect repellents on the market, but many of their ingredients are harmful to people and the environment.
FLEE, FLEAS!
It’s not easy to get rid of fleas. You must kill them, their eggs, and their larvae throughout your home and yard, as well as on your pet. This may require multiple treatments over several months — and some pretty toxic substances. Here are some alternatives:
- Natural insect repellents come in all forms — sprays, dusts, shampoos, soaps, collars, bed liners, and food supplements — each with its own application.
- Citrus oil, often in the form of the extract d-limonene, is one common ingredient of natural pesticides. It can kill fleas on contact. Another is pyrethrin, derived from chrysanthemums, which paralyzes fleas’ nervous systems. Still others include borax and salt, which dehydrate fleas; and soaps, which cause the fleas to suffocate or drown.
- Garlic and nutritional yeast can be added as a supplement to your pet’s food. It produces a body odor that repels pests (but usually isn’t noticeable to humans). A daily teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a pet’s food or water is another natural remedy.
CLEAN, INSIDE AND OUT
You also should look beyond your pet to ensure your home and yard aren’t attracting fleas:
- Vacuum rugs and furniture regularly, even daily, during warm months.
- Tuck cedar blocks or herbal sachets between the cushions of upholstered furniture. Some herbal powders can be sprinkled in bedding areas to repel fleas and ticks.
- Use cedar-filled bedding for animals, available at most pet supply stores. Bed covers should be laundered as frequently as possible— at least weekly — during flea season.
- In the yard, try spreading beneficial nematodes —tiny worms that infect and kill flea larvae. They can eliminate more than 90% of larvae in 24 hours following the first application.
Written by: Earth Share. Earth Share
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