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Need Flea control

#1
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6/28/09 at 9:18am
  • Joined: June 2009
  • Post Count: 1
I need some ideas to get rid of fleas.  There has to be a non chemical way to rid my home of these pests.  I used Advantage on one of my older shih tzus and she had a terrible reaction from it.  PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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#2
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6/28/09 at 10:06am
  • Joined: June 2009
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One thing that works for me is to grow a plant called pennyroyal. it is in the mint family so it smells nice, it also grows easily. when you grow it, you can cut off the branches that get long and strip off the leaves and dry them. once they dry just rub them between your hands until it is a powder. you then take your doggy outside and massage this into his/her fur, works also on cats and places you already have fleas, such as bed or carpet. if you don't have a green thumb this stuff may be avaiable in some natural food stores. the plant is an herb and has a natural ingredient that the fleas hate, you also w3ould need to vacuum any fleas in your carpet right after treatment as they don't die.

IDreamofGreenie

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#3
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6/29/09 at 12:23pm
  • Joined: October 2007
  • Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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I'd recommend checking out the NRDC's Green Paws.  They're dedicated to spreading the word about pet products made with toxins and what some alternatives are.

Here's what their website says:
Quote:

Control fleas at home without hazardous chemicals:


Flea Comb

Regular combing of a pet can help reduce fleas and also helps monitor the success of a flea control program. Fleas caught in the comb should be drowned in soapy water.

Regular Bathing

Soapy baths are a great way to control fleas since any soap will get rid of fleas. Pet bedding should also be washed in hot water once a week. Fleas tend to accumulate in bedding, so care should be taken not to spread the flea eggs and larvae contained in it.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming picks up fleas and eggs from carpets, floors and crevices, and from under or on furniture. Immediately after vacuuming, bags should be thrown away to prevent fleas from escaping and re-infesting the area. Severe infestations may call for professional carpet cleaning with steam.

Maintain Outdoor Areas

Keeping grass and shrubbery clipped short in areas where your pet spends time will increase dryness and sunlight, which will help reduce the flea problem. Nematodes-available at garden supply stores-can be used as a non-chemical, biological aid to help control fleas in these areas.

Using herbal or natural products to treat fleas?


Not all essential oils used to treat pet pests are safe for pets or people. Herbal or natural products containing citrus, cinnamon, clove, d-limonene, geranium, tea tree, lavender, linalool, bay, eucalyptus, and rue oils should be used sparingly because they can cause allergic reactions in people -- and severe reactions in cats and dogs have been reported. Avoid the use of any flea or tick product containing pennyroyal oil. It can cause seizures, comas, and even death in animals. Herbal or natural products that contain cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary and thyme are likely safer. Learn more in our Guide to Safe Pets by looking under 'oils'.

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#4
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7/31/09 at 4:56am
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I don't use pennyroyal as an oil, but the herb crumbled up after drying is very effective and never bothered any of my cats and they do clean themselves

IDreamofGreenie

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#5
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8/15/09 at 9:39am
  • Joined: December 2008
  • Location: Southern England
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interesting stins. that rules out many of the obvious ones.

i thought of mugwort (artemesia vulgaris), which contanes thujone like sage and thyme, as the etymology suggests to me 'midge-wort' or 'mugge-wort' (mugge being german coll. for flies) so possibly insecticide, and it appears this is the case.

a bit of rooting bout produced this;

Medicinal plant treatments for fleas and ear problems of cats and dogs in British Columbia, Canada


"Research conducted in 2003/2004 documented and validated (in a non-experimental way) ethnoveterinary medicines used by small-scale, organic livestock farmers in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Interviews were conducted with 60 participants who were organic farmers or holistic medicinal/veterinary practitioners. A workshop was held with selected participants to discuss the plant-based treatments. This paper reports on the medicinal plants used for fleas in cats and dogs. Fleas and flies are treated with Artemisia vulgaris L. (Asteraceae), Citrus × limon (L.), Juniperus communis L. var. depressa Pursh. (Cupressaceae), Lavandula officinalis L. (Labiatae), Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), and Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don (Cupressaceae). All of the plants used have insecticidal activity." etc. sorry. its only the abstract i cant get the full article up for free, but it shows what some farmers are using.

i also thought of neem. there do seem to be commercial preparations using it, and it has a different active chemical to the western herbs.

and what about good old garlic in the diet?
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