Do Any Home Remedies For Fleas In The Home Actually Work?

by StopDogItching

Are there any home remedies for fleas in house that work? What do you do when you find your home is infested with fleas? These tiny, biting parasites are so annoying, and it seems like reproduce every time you blink your eyes. Is there anything beside flea sprays and flea bombs that work to kill all the fleas?

Borax for Fleas

One of the oldest home remedy for fleas is borax. This is a name brand for a laundry detergent enhancer and can be found in the laundry aisle of just about any super-market or grocery store. It is essentially borate powder, which is naturally abrasive to fleas (and cockroaches, silverfish, etc). When the flea, or other insect, comes in contact with the borate powder, it scratches their exoskeleton. This causes the insect to dehydrate and die. Borax takes some time to kill the fleas, unlike flea bombs and sprays which immediately kills them (but unfortunately also leaves a toxic pesticide residue as well). Refer to the post Does Borax for Fleas Work for detailed information on borax for fleas. And remember to keep all pets and children away from the treated area until the borax has been vacuumed up.

Salt for Fleas

Another common home remedy for fleas in your house is salt. Salt kills fleas essentially the same way borax does, but is not considered as effective. Other concerns with salt is if it is enticing for your pet to lick the salt. Too much salt is not good for your pet. Many home remedies even combine the salt with the borax, but not really sure why? Try salt if you can’t get to any borax, but don’t expect amazing results. And make sure to keep all pets away from the treated area until the salt is vacuumed up.

Diatomaceous Earth for Fleas

Diatomaceous earth, DE, is another great home remedy for killing fleas and can be used in the yard, in your home, and even on your dog. You need to make sure you get human-grade or nursery-grade DE, and not use DE for pools (as the DE for pools is heated first and this changes the structure some making it potentially more harmful if inhaled).

DE is a fine powder made from fossilized algae and it works based on the same principles as borax – it cuts through their exterior and dehydrates them. The benefit to using DE though, is that you can use it inside and outside the home, as well as on your dog. Precautions need to be taken when spreading the DE. You do not want to inhale too much dust, or let your dog inhale it. Also, be careful when putting in your dog to avoid the eye area, as it will cause discomfort.