INTRODUCTION

Fleas are a major nuisance when they take over the house or apartment. Fleas do not discriminate --- your blood is just as tasty to the female who wants to lay eggs. They are also a health hazard to your pet. Animals will become anemic if the flea infestation is allowed to continue.

Many people are opposed to flea collars because it is literally putting poison on your precious cat or dog and, every time you or the children pet the dog, you wonder if the poison has been transferred. Others cannot use sprays due to asthma or allergies. However, it is possible to control fleas naturally as part of a green lifestyle. And it's cheap.

THE METHOD

Use a vacuum cleaner that has attachments and good suction. Regardless of whether you have a bagged or bagless model, put a mothball in it to prevent the fleas from hopping on out each time that you turn off the vacuum cleaner as you go from room to room. If you have a bagless vacuum, use a large zipper bag to empty it so that no fleas are loose in the trash can.

Fleas lay their eggs in dark areas such as beneath the cushions on the sofa, in the lower layers of the carpeting, in the cracks on wood floors, in the crack between the baseboards and the floor, and inside a torn lining on the underside of a sofa or chair. Here is a step-by-step guide on flea control naturally.

Start with the furniture. Remove all covers and pillows and put them directly in the washing machine. If you do not have a washing machine, then put the furniture throws in a trash bag and seal it tightly until you can go to the laundromat.

Vacuum each piece of furniture thoroughly including the crevices under the cushions. As you finish each piece, pull it away from the baseboards so you can vacuum both the baseboards and the carpeting (or wood floors). Then tilt the furniture over onto the just vacuumed carpet and vacuum the underside of the chairs.

Liberally sprinkle plain (not iodized) salt along the baseboards and on the carpeting that will be under the chairs. Do not salt the rest of the carpeting. Do not salt hardwood floors. Instead, mop them with a mint oil solution. Any mint will do but fleas especially detest peppermint. Salt and peppermint oil are a cheap way to control fleas naturally.

Put the furniture back in place and then vacuum the rest of the room. After vacuuming, salt the carpet and leave it on for 5 days. As people and pets walk on the carpeting, the salt will work its way down to the base of the fibers where the fleas lay their eggs.

Follow this procedure for every room in the house. If there are fleas in the bedroom, wash all bedding including the bed skirt. Use the hottest water that the fabric will tolerate. Vacuum the box spring as well as the mattress.

Toss all throw rugs in the washing machine or hand wash if they are handmade. If possible, put the rugs in the dryer for the heat to kill the eggs. If you line dry the rugs, then when they are dry, vacuum the rugs as they hang on the line. This will prevent any flea eggs from falling into the grass as you walk across the yard.

Wash your pets with the appropriate flea shampoo to kill the adult fleas. Shampoo does not permeate the eggs so a flea comb will be necessary. Although using a flea comb can be tedious, do not skip this step. There could be hundreds of eggs on your dog or cat. Get rid of them before they transform into little biting monsters. When finished, wash the pet's bath towel and bedding.

Every time that you change the dog's water, add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Most dogs love the taste of it but fleas will stay away. This will help to keep the water dish clean.

FOLLOW-UP

Repeat the above procedure after 5 days including washing your pets. Natural flea control involves breaking the breeding cycle. Five days is not enough time for the fleas which you missed to mature and lay more eggs. Also, it will catch any new fleas which have been brought into the house.

After the second application, if there is no longer an infestation in the house, wash the dog once a week but try to vacuum daily during flea season.

Here are some other articles which may be of interest to you.  The article on Christmas tree care has a few tips for pets.