Fleas are blood-sucking parasites that can infest a yard, a home, a pet and you. Fleas tend to come from other animals but can also be prevalent in your garden. Fleas can breed quickly and have a short life span so they appear to be infinite in their population. Fleas can transfer illness and can make you and your dog sick. They are also capable of jumping massive distances. The flea can live on hard surfaces and can lay eggs just about anywhere. The larva, when hatched will eat bio-matter from the floor like dead skin in carpets. They will go through instar transformations to become an adult flea and be able to mate and drink blood. Dealing with them can be very difficult if you don’t know where to start. If you have pets you will need to take fleas very seriously. Collars, injections or flea baths for your pets are required and you need to wash all cloth, especially cloth your pets rest on, and vacuum every day, vigorously. Only then will you be able to prevent fleas but once you have them it will not end with vacuuming.
You can call a professional but they will be using dangerous commercial-grade pesticides that may harm your pets as well. So stick to safe home remedies.
To prevent fleas on your dog you will need to bathe them frequently using citrus Castile Soap and a final rinse with watered-down vinegar. This will help prevent fleas. Keep your dog’s coat clean and brush it regularly with a flea comb to check and make sure they do not have fleas. Make sure to wash your dog’s bedding and anything else your dog sleeps on or sits on. This is a good reason to keep the dog off the couch. Vacuum the house every day and if this is not enough then you can start making use of home remedies.
If the issue is coming from outside in your garden or on your lawn there are things you can do to stop it. There is a small worm-like eukaryotic organism that is called Nematodes. These small creatures are, at least some species, very good for your lawn and garden as they eat almost all forms of garden pests from aphids to ants and beyond. They will also eat fleas which can be a boon in this sort of situation. The nematodes can be purchased from a garden center and they are relatively cheap. You should also make sure to cut your lawn very short and get rid of any detritus in your yard.
Plants like lemon balm, rosemary, sage, basil and catnip all chase away fleas. Surround your home and fill the inside with these plants and fleas will have a great deal of trouble living in your home. You can also make use of some ancient silica dust called Diatomaceous Earth. This material is food safe and not dangerous to humans or pets unless inhaled in large quantities which can damage the lungs. You can sprinkle it all around the house and on the dog’s bed and it will kill the fleas as well as any other pest in your home. It does this because on a microscopic level the particles are razor sharp and slices open the waxy coating that keeps moisture in the insect. This causes them to leak and desiccate. This type of wound cannot heal so one cut from silica dust will kill an insect, guaranteed. This is one of the most popular and effective pest control products and can be used indoors and outdoors.
