The following flea remedies are clever and proven and they are all made at home! Check them out and have them handy before your pup comes into contact with the dreaded fleas!

Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a non-toxic powder made up of fossilized organisms called diatoms that break apart flea eggs and dry them out before they can grow into adult fleas.
Spread diatomaceous earth outside in your yard wherever your dog spends most of her time.
If you have carpets in your house spread the powder all over and vacuum after 48 hours. Do this once a month during flea season.

You can purchase DE at most holistic dog supply stores, health stores and garden centers. Make sure you’re buying food grade DE which is safe for humans and animals. Don’t buy pool grade DE which is heat treatedn and turns the silicon dioxide that’s in DE into crystalline silica, which can be toxic to humans and animals. Pool grade DE should only ever be used for filtration purposes.

Garlic
Fleas don’t like garlic, so it’s a natural flea repellent that’s safe to use in the yard and with your pets. Here’s a recipe you can make to spray in your yard when flea populations are reaching epic proportions.

Garlic For Your Dog

You can also use small amounts of garlic as an internal flea preventative.
Now you might be screaming, “No, I’ll hurt my dog!”
Yes, garlic can be harmful if you use really huge amounts (equivalent to 75 cloves of garlic for a 70 lb dog) but garlic is safe to use if you use fresh garlic and feed the right amount … and it has many health benefits for your dog.
Always use organic fresh whole clove garlic and avoid garlic supplements.
You can safely give your pet ¼ clove of garlic per ten pounds (use regular sized garlic, not jumbo).
If your pet weighs less than ten pounds, cut a ¼ clove of garlic in half and give ⅛ of a clove.
No matter how big your dog is, I prefer not to give more than two cloves of garlic per day. So if you have a hundred pound dog, still give her only two cloves of garlic.
Start feeding garlic one month prior to the start of flea season and you should find the fleas stay away.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Fleas don’t like a dog that is pH balanced.
Raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar (ACV) creates a more acidic environment outside and balanced alkalinity on the inside, making it a must-have for flea season success.
Feed your dog ½ teaspoon of ACV per day per 25 lbs. ACV contains important nutrients, vitamins, minerals, vital acids and potassium.
Tip: Test your dog’s urine with pH strips before adding ACV to their food or water. Dogs should have a pH between 6.2 and 6.5.

Apple Cider Vinegar Flea Spray Recipe
Your dog’s skin and coat should be slightly acidic for fleas to find him inhospitable. You can easily achieve this by spraying your dog each week with the following solution.
What you need:
4 oz warm water
6 oz ACV, unfiltered and preferably organic
¼ tsp of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
How to make it:
Mix the ingredients in a small spray bottle and spray your dog’s coat and underbelly weekly, avoiding the eyes or any open wounds.

Essential Oils
Unless you’re willing to mix your essential oils with a carrier oil (a vegetable oil used to dilute essential oils), don’t use them.

Many people, blogs and companies advocate water-suspended essential oils for fleas. This practice is dangerous.
Water can’t safely disperse essential oils. If your essential oils do mix with water, they’ve been diluted with a solvent and you shouldn’t use them.

Chemistry is chemistry and anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed.

Here a few flea repelling essential oils:
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Palmarosa
• Cedar (atlantica)
• Eucalyptus (radiata)
• Clary sage
• Peppermint

Don’t use essential oils of wintergreen, pennyroyal and clove … they can be toxic for your dog. You’ll also want to avoid any products that use these oils.

Everyday Flea Repellent

Here’s my favorite everyday flea spray that’s lightly scented and very effective if you use it consistently.

Mist your dog under the belly, tail and legs with this spray before she goes outside.
What you need:
1 organic lemon
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of garden sage (Salvia officinalis)
1 quart of filtered water
How to make it:
• Slice the lemon into thin rounds
• Place the lemon, rosemary and sage in a large stainless steel or glass bowl
• Make a tea by adding a quart of almost boiling water
• Cover and let steep overnight
• In the morning strain the liquid into a spray bottle
• Refrigerate (lasts 1 to 2 weeks)

One nice thing about making your own flea remedy is you have the choice of putting the ingredients you want inside! In other words, if a certain chemical or product is something you do not want on your dog or in your house you have the choice of keeping it, removing it, or adjusting the components of the flea cure!

For more information go to Dogs Naturally Magazine. Making your pup comfortable does not necessarily mean you have to be uncomfortable while taking care of the flea problem!