Natural Flea Prevention & Treatments for Dogs and Cats

Fleas are a common problem with a wide range of accessible solutions. What interventions are available for flea control? This article will discuss your natural options. For chemical alternatives, including topical and oral flea control treatments, check out this article.

Fleas are sneaky, but they can be controlled. Ensuring that flea eggs, larvae and pupae don't have a chance to mature is critical.
There are a wide range of options available to you, and whether you take the natural route, chemical route or a combination of both to flea prevention is up to you.

Natural Flea Prevention

Vacuum Frequently

Vacuuming is a highly effective control method since it can effectively rid your home of a vast majority of the fleas waiting to hatch and develop. Regularly vacuum around the baseboards and corners of rooms and in hard to reach spaces, and clean high-traffic areas daily or every other day.
Be sure not to neglect your sofa cushions and the areas under your sofa and bed.

During the warmer months, it's critical to stay on top of your flea control efforts, since this is when flea populations can grow more quickly.

Wash Bedding Often

Similarly to vacuuming, washing your bedding and blankets your pet has access to will destroy eggs and larvae before they have a chance to mature and infest your pet. If you are currently experiencing a flea problem at home, it'll serve you to wash your bedding as often as possible - daily, if you're able. Don't let bedding go unwashed for more than a few days to prevent hatching, and roll blankets and bedding tightly to prevent tracking eggs through your home.

Use a Borate Compound

There are a wide range of borate compounds that are capable of treating fleas and other insects, including boron sodium oxide and sodium borate. You've likely heard of the latter, commonly referred to simply as the brand name 'Borax'; perhaps you even use it in your home now.
Borax is the borate compound and is great for cleaning, freshening and insect control, and can be used on clothing, carpet, tile and more. When used for cleaning, Borax works its magic by being able to convert water molecules to hydrogen peroxide, which increases soap and water's cleaning power.

In addition to their cleaning power, Borax and other borates can also double as pest control agents. This is due to its high sodium content and sharp crystalline structure, which causes extreme drying and damage to an insect's exoskeleton.
We recommend using Fleabuster RX for natural flea control. Fleabuster RX is a borate compound designed specifically with your pets' safety in mind. The powder has been ground into fine particles that penetrate carpet fibers easily, attaching to the flea larvae as they wiggle by. Fleabuster RX is is pH neutral, so it remains remains undetectable to insects even as they come into contact with it. This ensures that fleas and other pests don't shy away from it.

It's important that you don't confuse borate compounds with boric acid, when treating areas your pets have access to. Although borates and boric acid are related and can achieve similar results, boric acid is not safe for animals, adults or children.

Use Dawn Soap

Dawn isn't a permanent solution and it should never be used regularly because it is extremely drying, however, if your pet currently has fleas it's a workable temporary option while you establish a regular treatment routine that combines regular cleaning with the use of Fleabuster RX.
How does it work?
Fleas are water repellent, so a regular bath won't affect them. However, Dawn dish soap contains surfactants, ingredients that lower the surface tension between two liquids. This is what makes Dawn so effective at cutting through grease, and when you apply Dawn to the waxy outer layer of a flea, you can cut through it. Bathing your pet with Dawn will kill the fleas he has on in, but remember that this isn't an appropriate standalone flea treatment.

Don't wash your pet with Dawn more than once
Dawn removes all natural oils and will leave your pet's skin dry and possibly irritated. Follow up any Dawn baths with a gentle conditioner and add skin balm to pads, nose or all over.

My pet is itchy, but how will I confirm whether or not he currently has fleas?
Check out this article here for more information.