Fighting fleas in a residential area is associated with many difficulties. The use of chemical insecticides is limited to the presence of people in the home, especially small children and pregnant women.
However, there are safer methods of getting rid of insects in the house, for example, using essential oils.
Fleas in a house or apartment are a big nuisance for its owner
How do essential oils work for fleas?
Essential oils are not only a means of aromatizing rooms, but also an effective natural insecticide. As you know, insects cannot tolerate some strong odors, especially those caused by the presence of volatile substances. But it is important to understand that essential oils do not kill fleas or destroy their eggs, but simply repel insects from the place where they are used.
Essential oils are great for controlling fleas indoors. Essential oils should not be used to control animal fleas. After all, pets can lick oil from their fur and get seriously poisoned.
Aromas of essential oils that are not tolerated by blood-sucking insects:
- Anise
- Lemongrass
- Peppermint
- Japanese mint
- Verginian cedar
- Pine
- Kayaput
- Vetiveria
- Sagebrush
- Eucalyptus
- Tea tree
- Thyme
- Tansy
Important! Many sources advise that tea tree oil should be used with extreme caution. It is believed that an excess of this oil can cause poisoning (vomiting, weakness, nausea).
Review:
I have always treated upholstered furniture in the country with wormwood essential oil. Not only are there no fleas in the house, but also the ants and moths are gone. The product really works!
Svetlana, Chelyabinsk
Essential oil of wormwood for fleas in the apartment
Additional therapeutic effect
Repellent essential oils have disinfecting and regenerating effects, emit a delicate aroma and refresh for several hours, and also have the following additional properties.
- Citronella
- normalizes blood circulation, eliminates inflammation on the skin, gives a refreshing and invigorating effect. - Lavender
- accelerates wound healing, is used to treat skin abscesses, ulcers, joint diseases, has antimicrobial and antiviral effects, soothes and normalizes the process of falling asleep. - Schizandra
- increases the efficiency of the body's metabolic processes, stimulates lymphatic drainage and blood circulation. - Cloves
– has a general strengthening effect, promotes rapid healing of wounds, and has a tonic effect on the body. - Eucalyptus
– has a disinfectant effect, eliminates muscle weakness, produces a hypotonic effect, and is used to treat colds. - Chrysanthemum
– has a general strengthening and antimicrobial effect, gives a calming effect. - Tea tree
- has a pronounced antifungal, antiviral and antimicrobial effect, promotes cleansing and healing of wounds, is used to treat skin abscesses, and stimulates the immune system. - Neem
– has antifungal, antiparasitic, antitumor effects.
Fighting itching and pain from bites
You can treat the bite areas with tea tree oil. In this case, you can use both the oil in its pure form and dilute them in base oils - olive, peach, jojoba, macadamia, wheat germ.
Important! Essential oils are extremely contraindicated for cats. The sense of smell of these animals is very sensitive and strong odors of essential oils can destroy the receptors that perceive the smell. Essential oils based on citrus fruits - lemon, lemongrass, orange, lemongrass - are especially harmful to cats.
Review:
We live on the first floor and the problem of fleas is well known to all our neighbors, but not to us. Mom always used this recipe for curtains. But we treated not only curtains, but also shoe mats and ventilation holes. Fleas always avoid our apartment.
Lydia, Krasnoyarsk
Essential oils can be used in mixture with carrier oils
Aroma lamp is another way to use essential oils
Processing methods
The most popular is wormwood. This disinfectant plant is good at killing parasites in the house. Before processing, you need to buy wormwood oil, and then pour it into plates and place it around the room. The aroma emitted will repel and drive away fleas. If you cannot purchase such a substance, you can prepare it at home.
To do this, you need to pick wormwood (or buy it at the market), chop it with a knife, and then pour it with olive oil. After this, you should put the container on medium heat and heat it, but bringing it to a boil is strictly prohibited. Then you need to remove the drug from the stove, pour it into a jar, close it tightly and put it in a dark place for 9-11 days. It is best to store this homemade oil in the refrigerator or on the balcony.
In addition, you can prepare mixtures of different oils:
- lavender and mint;
- clove and eucalyptus;
- geranium and lemon;
- tea tree and mint.
You need to take 5 liters of water and add 25 drops of each substance, and then thoroughly wash the floor, furniture and shelves with the solution. Treatment with such means allows you to get rid of fleas in the house without significant material costs.
One way to scent a room against blood-sucking insects is to treat curtains. It is known that essential oils are not soluble in water, but can be dissolved in alcohol. Therefore, to treat curtains, you need to dilute 15-20 drops of oil in 50 ml of vodka or alcohol and dissolve it all in 1 liter of clean water. The resulting mixture is poured into a spray bottle and applied to the curtains. Carpets can also be treated using the same method.
- Dissolve 1/3 teaspoon of tar soap in 250 ml of water, add tea tree oil, cloves, juniper, grapefruit and thyme. Esters are added 2 drops each. Shake the solution well before use.
- Mix tea tree and thyme oil, 2 drops each, citronella and lavender, 3 drops each. This product helps not only against ticks in dogs, but also against fleas. The mixture is added to oil or water (50 ml).
- Lavender and thyme - 1 drop each, eucalyptus - 2 drops. Essential oils are dripped into vodka (1 teaspoon). The total amount depends on the size of the dog. This product is used once a week.
The most important thing is that when treating a pet, two rules are followed:
- You should be comfortable using the prepared emulsion.
- The product should not come into contact with the mucous membranes of the animal (and yours too).
Application by hand
But before application, the active substance must be added to the base oily base. It can be any vegetable oil, but it is better to take almond oil. It contains sulfur, which also has some acaricidal effect. For 2 tablespoons of base oil, take 10-15 drops of the essential mixture.
There is another way and, in my opinion, it is more convenient and rational. The composition is prepared from water (1 glass) and a teaspoon of essential oils. The emulsion is poured into a spray bottle. It is advisable that it be fresh every time.
Before a walk, this liquid is shaken and sprinkled over the animal’s fur. Just remember to lift the hair to thoroughly treat the entire cover. And also the wool needs to be combed so that the product is evenly distributed.
Collar processing
There is another method that is more often used to protect against fleas. The essential oil or mixture is applied to the dog's collar. Periodically you need to drip again, as the esters quickly evaporate. Using this method, you cannot remove existing fleas, but you can scare off the “new ones.”
You can use any shampoo. But I can tell you that the experienced veterinarian who sees our dog gave us advice to wash the dog with human shampoo, and not with the one they sell in the pet store - like this...
Although you can still take tar shampoo - it also has a preventive effect against subcutaneous mites. Tar, by the way, can also be bought in a regular cosmetics store, and not in a zoo.
Removing a tick
If treatment against exoparasites was carried out at the wrong time and the tick still burrowed into the dog’s skin, then there is a way to remove it using essential oil. A few drops of oil ether are applied to the embedded parasite. Tea tree, lavender or thyme are suitable for this purpose. The tick is pulled out with a gentle movement, turning counterclockwise.
There are different ways to protect your dog from ticks and fleas. If essential oils are suitable for your pet and you, then this method should not be discounted.
How to make the fight against fleas in the house more effective?
The fight against fleas in the house should be comprehensive. In addition to using essential oils, do not forget about cleaning the room. It is necessary to thoroughly wash and clean all carpets (including pet rugs) and vacuum the apartment. Be sure to remove the bag of garbage from the vacuum cleaner and place it in a sealed plastic bag and place it in a trash container, this is necessary to prevent fleas from running away and returning to the house.
Pets - cats and dogs - are also carriers of fleas. Therefore, if you decide to fight fleas, wash your pets with a mild anti-parasitic shampoo.
The favorite habitat of fleas is fleecy materials - carpets, including wall carpets, linens, pet bedding, shoe mats. Therefore, these household items must be processed first. One of the names of indoor fleas - basement flea - fully justifies itself. Fleas often move into a house from the basement, especially in apartment buildings. If you use essential oils for fleas in an apartment, eliminate the root cause of their appearance and treat the basement.
Thorough cleaning of the premises will make the fight against fleas more effective.
Are any precautions necessary when working with essential oils?
Although essential oils are natural products that do not contain harmful chemical compounds, working with them requires compliance with certain measures. Namely:
- Essential oils are used strictly in small quantities. Excess of this drug can cause vomiting, nausea, and general weakness;
- Do not inhale essential oils in their pure form. As a rule, such oils are highly concentrated and can damage the nasal mucosa. Use essential oils in very small doses;
- Despite their safety and environmental friendliness, any essential oils can cause individual intolerance, manifested in an allergic reaction. Intolerance may be due to both the influence of the smell itself and the accompanying substances that make up the oil. Allergies can occur in both humans and pets. Therefore, carefully monitor your health and carefully observe the reaction of your pet;
- It is advisable not to use essential oils indoors in the presence of pregnant women and small children, because their reaction to this drug may be unpredictable.
