Natural Methods to Control Fleas and Ticks
If you have pets, you have probably experienced a flea and tick problem at some point. Some animals get heavily infested with fleas and ticks but most have at least a bite or two in their lives. The most common products to control fleas and ticks are flea collars and other products that contain pesticides. The question is how safe are these for our animals?
The popular flea and tick treatments usually have an active ingredient called organophosphate, which attacks the flea’s and tick’s nervous systems. Carbamate is another chemical used to control fleas and ticks and it also affects the nervous system of the fleas and ticks. The problem with these products is they can be dangerous to our and our pets’ nervous system.
Often, people don’t take this into consideration when choosing a product to control fleas and ticks. They may believe that these products are the best and most effective treatments available. There are more natural options available to control fleas and ticks. Here are some ideas:
- Make vacuuming a priority all year round and even more so when fleas and ticks are most prevalent. You can remove a lot of fleas by vacuuming. It is important to use a clean bag on a regular basis, though.
- Make sure your pet gets baths on a regular basis with soap and water and use a flea treatment made from natural ingredients. One natural flea treatment you can make uses 2 pints of boiling water and 2 tablespoons of rosemary. After adding the rosemary, remove the mixture from the heat and leave for about 20 minutes to steep. When it is cool, strain the liquid and put in a spray bottle for easy application. Make sure your pet is not wet anymore before he goes out of the house.
- Keep your pet’s blanket and cushions clean so fleas and ticks can’t survive on them.
- Keep your grass short to deter fleas and ticks from moving into your yard.
- Keep mice out of your house because they can bring fleas and ticks with them. Things like wood piles near the house, leaf and brush piles and trash in open containers without a lid encourage the mice to move into your home.
- Comb your pet’s fur with a flea and tick comb on a regular basis to make sure you get any pests out before they can multiply. A lint roller can work if you are short on time.
- If there are fleas in your home, get a flea trap set up right away. This is usually a bulb to draw the fleas in and a paper that they get stuck to.
- Nematodes in the yard can be a good way to keep fleas and ticks out of the grassy areas.
No one likes fleas and ticks; they can be really bad for your pets. We need to be careful that we don’t do more harm to our best friend by trying to control fleas and ticks using products containing dangerous chemicals. It is better to prevent fleas and ticks from causing problems than to try control fleas and ticks after the fact.
