If your pets have ever had fleas before, you know what a huge pain they can be. I recently made the unfortunate discovery that we have a flea problem. Since then, I have been in battle mode, unleashing a full-out offensive attack on the large flea population that decided to take up residence on our feline companions (and perhaps our entire home). Let me tell you – it hasn’t been easy or pretty, waging war on who knows how many fleas… tens, hundreds, thousands?!?! There’s no way to know, but I like to think that I single-handedly brought about the demise of MILLIONS of fleas!!! *cue evil laugh
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t millions, and maybe I didn’t do it single-handedly… I did employ the use of several helpful flea-fighting tricks and tools. As a fan of homeopathic and all-natural remedies, I wanted to fight these fleas without the use of topical flea treatments and bug bombs. While it might have been easier and less time consuming to do so, I did not want to subject my cats to those toxins. Instead, I used all-natural, homemade flea treatments. Let me share with you my top 8 all-natural flea-killing tools!
1. Flea Baths
This could perhaps be the most unpleasant step in the War on Fleas; however it is definitely not one you want to skip. I don’t know about bathing your cats, but bathing mine is at least a two person job! You may want to grab a buddy before embarking on this task too…
I recommend using Dawn dish soap for flea baths. It is inexpensive, safe for pets, and effective at killing fleas. When giving a flea bath, it is very important that you start with the pet’s head and neck, as that is where the fleas will run to when the scrubbing starts. Make sure that you cover every inch of your pet with the shampoo, including their paws and between their toes. Scrub the shampoo in really well too, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before rinsing. Repeat as necessary, though keep in mind that the dish soap can strip your pet’s fur of the natural oils and can dry out their skin, so you don’t want to give them baths too often. After the bath is over and your pet’s fur has dried, comb through their fur to remove any left over dead (or live) fleas.
I was blown away by the number of fleas I found during the baths. When the cats’ fur was wet, I could more easily see all the fleas on them, which gave me insight as to how bad the infestation really was. I noticed that the majority of the fleas were under their chins, on their necks, behind their ears, and on their bellies.
2. Diatomaceous Earth (DE)
While killing the fleas on your pet is all well and good, you’ve got to do something to treat your home as well. Those pesky critters lay eggs all over the place, not just on your pet. Diatomaceous earth is an effective all-natural product you can use to treat both your home and your pet. It is a fine, dusty powder that can be sprinkled on anything that needs to be treated – your carpet, your furniture, your pet, etc.
WARNING: Be sure that you get FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth. There are several different kinds, but the food grade kind is what you need, as it is safe for consumption in the case that your pet ingests it.
I went to Tractor Supply and got a big bag of DE for next to nothing. I used a sifter to sprinkle it around everywhere – the carpet, the couches, kitchen table and chairs, even on the cats. This makes for a very dirty looking home, as DE looks like, well, dirt. Also, because it is so fine and powdery, it can be kicked up into the air very easily.
*I highly suggest wearing a mask while distributing DE around your home to prevent inhalation. Your pets should be put up in a different room while you are distributing it as well so that they don’t develop any respiratory issues from inhaling the fine powder.
Before I vacuumed the DE up, I let it sit overnight. You can leave it down for as long as you’d like and it will continue to work, as long as it doesn’t get wet (water renders DE ineffective). I’d recommend leaving it down along the floorboards and by the doors for as long as a week even. If you put DE on your pet, you can rub it into their fur. I’d leave it in for at least a few days, but you actually don’t have to wash it out at all. I just left it on my cats indefinitely, and it eventually worked its way out or got groomed out.
Two things to keep in mind — 1) DE only kills adult fleas, so you may need to repeat the application process, and 2) a little bit of DE goes a long way…
3. Vacuum Cleaner
Your vacuum cleaner will be your best friend during this terrible battle! It’s important that you vacuum at least once every day. It is also important that you empty your vacuum or change the bag after each time you vacuum. The vacuum bags should be immediately removed from inside your home, not just thrown in the trash can. Unfortunately vibrations trigger flea eggs to hatch, so, while vacuuming is an effective tool for sucking up fleas and their eggs, if you don’t empty your vacuum afterwards, you will end up with a vacuum full of fleas that will just escape right back out into your home.
To help control this problem, you can cut up a flea collar and put it in your vacuum cleaner beforehand. I got a couple of them from PetSmart. I definitely don’t recommend using them as they are intended, as they can make your pet sick, but putting them inside your vacuum cleaner will help to kill the fleas and eggs as they get sucked up. The diatomaceous earth that gets sucked up into your vacuum will also help kill them. However, even though I put flea collars in my vacuum and had DE, I still threw out my vacuum bags immediately after vacuuming. I didn’t want to take any chances!
4. Flea Traps
Did you know that you can make your own flea traps? I was surprised when I read about these, and even more surprised when it actually worked! All you need is a shallow dish, a lamp, dish soap, and water. I visited my local Ace Hardware to find a clamp lamp (so that I could clip it on to anything and move it around easily from room to room) and a light bulb. I then went to Kroger and bought a couple of those cheap disposable aluminum baking trays.
To set it up, put some soapy water in the tray, clamp the lamp so that it points right at the tray, leave it in a room overnight, and you’ve got a flea trap! The idea is that the heat from the lamp attracts the fleas, then they fall into the water and drown. The soap creates a layer on top the water that makes it impossible for the fleas to escape. You have to be sure that the lamp is the only light/heat source in the room though.
This trap is really easy to make, it’s portable, and it works! I have put it out every night since I discovered the flea infestation, and I have caught several fleas (and some other random bugs) each time – as many as 20 at a time. It is suggested that you continue to put out the trap every night for a few weeks, even after you stop seeing fleas in the trap. Fleas lay eggs, which will hatch at some point – you want to make sure you catch those suckers too! I recommend moving the flea trap around to different rooms as well.
5. Washer & Dryer
I can’t tell you how many loads of laundry I did over the course of the war. I threw everything in the wash – blankets, sheets, clothes, pet beds that are washable. EVERYTHING! After a load finished, I would put it in our guest bedroom closet, as this room is closed off to the cats, so I knew that the clean laundry would be safe there from re-infestation. I’d recommend running the wash with hot water as well, as long as you aren’t worried about anything shrinking or bleeding.
6. Vinegar + a Flea Comb
It’s no secret that most bugs hate vinegar, fleas included. You can actually mix equal parts water with equal parts white vinegar, put it in a spray bottle (make sure you don’t use a spray bottle that used to contain bleach or any other kind of chemical – you don’t want to harm your pet!), and spray your pets with it. I tried this, but it didn’t go so well. Sophie pretty much just laid there and let me soak her, but Delilah and Sampson HATED it. That’s to be expected – cats are notorious for hating water. I decided to regroup and come up with a different approach.
I got out the flea comb, filled a glass with soapy water and another glass with water and vinegar. I held down one cat at a time, dipped the comb in the vinegar, ran the comb through the cat’s fur a couple of times, quickly dipped the comb in the soapy water before any fleas escaped off the comb, and repeated. I killed a lot of fleas this way! I repeated this step twice a day, every day, even after I stopped finding fleas. I wanted to be sure that they hadn’t returned.
7. Flea Spray
While you can use the vinegar and water combination mentioned above as a flea spray to treat your home, I recommend another homemade, all-natural flea spray recipe. It doesn’t smell as strongly as the water/vinegar combo, it is highly effective, and it is cheaper and healthier than store bought flea sprays!
Mix the following ingredients:
- 1 gallon of water
- 1/2 gallon of apple cider vinegar
- 16 oz. lemon juice
- 8 oz. witch hazel (can be found in the Walmart or CVS pharmacy section)
The recipe can be halved, quartered, etc. to suit your needs.
Put in a spray bottle and spray on your carpets, couches, other furniture, and anywhere your pet goes or lays. You can apply it as often as you need to. I suggest doing it at least once or twice a day for the first few days, then maybe just once every few days.
8. Capstar
This is where my all-natural approach wavered. I struggled with the decision about whether or not to use this product. It’s a pill, and it’s definitely not all-natural. You give one Capstar pill to your pet, and it works for up to 24 hours, killing any fleas on your pet.
I did a lot of reading online about this product before I gave it to the kitties because I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t giving them something that could make them seriously ill or even kill them. I’ve heard so many horror stories about other flea products out there. I only found one negative side effect online – one lady said that it made her cats pant a lot. Since a Capstar only works for up to 24 hours, I took some comfort in knowing that the chemicals in it aren’t as strong as in other flea medications. In the end, I decided to give each of my kitties a Capstar pill as a final nail in the fleas’ coffin.
Because I used so many different tools and products in my War on Fleas, it’s hard to say which one(s) worked the best. Maybe it wasn’t necessary for me to use so many different methods, but I believe that they all did their part in killing the fleas. Who knows? What I do know is that having a flea infestation isn’t any fun, and I wanted to be certain that I got rid of them all the first go around. And I never want to have to do it again. I can say, though, that the kitties and I came out of this war VICTORIOUS!!!
If you’re in the middle of your own war on fleas, good luck to you! I hope that my tips and tricks may be helpful to you!
What methods have you found work best for fighting fleas? Please share below!
Boot's Daddy says
Thank you very much. This is such a big help with my war that we are having with our lil kittie. We have now idea where they came from but there is one thing when know we do not want them here in our home.
Francesca Azuremare says
Great article thank you except for Dawn
Dawn is actually highly toxic -if you research it you will be amazed. One woman’s grandson received a chemical burn on his eye from Dawn. Others were also burned & many developed respiratory problems! They don’t list ingredients in the bottle but a 2010 lawsuit dictated they had to make ingredient list available if asked so you can download a pdf on P & G’s site. Scary.
I use Pire Castillo soap or Mrs. Meyers on my kitty.
Kitty Cat Chronicles says
Thanks for reading and commenting, Boot’s Daddy! I’m glad that my suggestions were helpful! I understand your plight completely, as I have no idea where the fleas came from in our home either. One more suggestion that I discovered after I wrote this and have yet to add it to the post – mix 1 gallon vinegar (apple cider vinegar), 1/2 gallon water, 16 oz. lemon juice, and 8 oz. witch hazel (found in Walmart or CVS pharmacy section). Put in a spray bottle and spray on your carpets, couches, other furniture, anywhere your pet goes or lays. I would try this instead of the Natural Chemistry flea spray I originally suggested in the post. After using that Natural Chemistry spray a couple of times, I realized that it gave me a headache and a sore throat – I imagine it made my cats feel sick as well. The water/vinegar/lemon juice/witch hazel spray is definitely all natural and works really well. Good luck to you!
Melissa says
Several years back I had a serious flea problem with my previous cat Tara. I went online and found the flea trap idea and could not believe it could work. IT DID!!! Practically saved me from burning my house down and starting over LOL
Linda Palladino says
On Sept. 1st my very unclean neighbors moved away with their three dogs and the fleas moved in my house. I have a cat who brought the fleas home (unintentionally, of course). I tried all the natural remedies including diatomaceous earth, boric acid, salt, and baking soda — warning — don’t inhale and be aware these powders can clog a vacuum and ruin the motor (yes, it happened to me). I wash the sheets every day and the cat’s bedding every day in hot water and use the dryer on high. I used all natural sprays and natural citrus flea repellent. After a month of this with no success I broke down and bought chemicals and bombed the house. In desperation in paid an exterminator. They have sprayed inside and outside four times in four weeks and I still have fleas. The fleas are very, very tiny, almost microscopic and they are eating me alive. I’ve only captured one on some boxing tape and used a 10x magnifying glass but it was definitely a flea (bed bugs bite in a row and leave a mark like a mosquito bite — I researched that, too). My poor cat has been bathed several times. Advantage doesn’t work. Comfortis doesn’t work. I shampooed the furniture and vacuum every day, sometimes twice a day. It hasn’t worked. I cut my hair short to keep them out of my hair and they are still there crawling around on my head and biting the back of my neck (plus, I look terrible in short hair and I hate it). I made a baking soda paste and kept it on my hair for 10 minutes then washed it and soaked my hair in vinegar and put on a shower cap for 10 minutes and it didn’t work. The fleas crawl all over me and bite me but it’s more like a pinch. Although it hurts there’s no sign that I’ve been bitten (no sores or blood). The only way I can sleep is to take melatonin, which leaves me groggy. I live in Idaho and the temps. outside are in the teens, which (I read) should kill the fleas outside. I am desperate and open to any and all suggestions. If I haven’t tried it, I will.
Norma says
Dear linda try to get some roach stick traps put under couch chairs ect also use a mix of vineger,witch hazel,lemon juice spray it everywhere and put the sticky traps everywhere possible so not pet can get it stuck to them it should relive a lot of them also u must put a flea treatment outside r they will just keep coming me &my husband buys sulfer it smells a little but it will help get rid of them ask ur green house place for it put it down then put water the ground i hope this info helps im at war right now with the fleas also so GOOD LUCK KEEP FIGHTING THEM AND MAY GOD BLESS
Teresa Taylor says
I have 5 cats 2 of them are indoor and outdoor, and I live in Louisiana. I do not spray my house of chemicals. But I will use 1 flea pill for all 5 of my cats. The trick is to crush 1 pill for all 5 cats, mix it in 1 can of wet catfood. It will last all summer. I use a Ultrasonic Pest Repeller. And all you have to do is plug it in an outlet. It’s not a overnight wonder, it does take about 2 to 4 weeks to work. Best part is, it don’t only work on fleas it works on spiders, sugar ants, termites and many other bugs even some flying pests. I will say it’s the best thing I have ever bought. You can find them on the internet for around $10. I have had the same plug for about 6yrs now. Good Luck I hope this helps you or someone else with flea problems
Linda Palladino says
By the way, the flea traps didn’t work (a frisbee is a good saucer), cedar bedding for animals doesn’t work (but it does smell good). I haven’t tried banana peels. I’ll let you know if it works. I read that tea tree oil is poisonous for cats (not that the chemicals aren’t) but I am going to try to get by a natural oils place one day this week. It’s almost Dec. now and this misery has gone for three months. It’s the worst, most miserable I’ve ever been in my entire life — ever.
Golden Daily Scoop says
Great info! Our kitty had a case of the fleas a few years ago, if it ever happens again I’m definitely going to try the flea trap idea! Thanks for sharing!
Sneha says
Glad to have stumbled on your website. I’m in the middle of a flea infestation with my one year old cat. My vet recommended Boric acid powder to be applied on my cat’s fur and then use a flea comb. (This is after I repeatedly bugged him for a natural, non-commercial, chemical-free solution) Again, I don’t know how safe is Boric powder.
About AVC that you mentioned.. Can I give bathe my cat with it?
Kat Lyn says
I have to say there wasn’t very much positive on any online site for caring for a cat with any parasite and seems we got both ..bedbugs in upstairs apartment while downstairs my cat has fleas and they believe she left them there too .. they did after all house her for a month while I left town. Haven’t found a solution but to surrender my best friend cause I ran out of patience my anxiety is high and my depression is low.Have given many attempts and failed ,still found no solution. This is just a sad day like many when I see them living on her and she’s an extreme groomer and I am her best friend.
Gabi Kalish says
Definitely going to try a lot of these! I am in a family of four, plus two cats, and our flea problem is terrible. I have faced the worst, as i have over 50 flea bites on me, and have tried Hartz flea shampoo, sprays, and collars. I have to rub myself down with tea tree oil, and witch hazel almost every day. Have washed my bedding almost every day in an effort to get rid of these pests.
Kim Young says
I’m at my whits end I can’t rid my poor cats of the fleas and ones even lost a lot of fur I feel so helpless and I keep finding fleas on me, the kids and hubby im seriously crying thinking about getting rid of my precious cats I don’t know what to do I’ve done everything capstar, bombs, sprays, collars, powder, baths, etc
Emily says
I’m so sorry to hear you are having such a hard time with fleas! They can be so hard to get rid of. If you haven’t tried food grade diatomaceous earth yet, I’d highly recommend it. You can rub it all into your cat’s coat every few days, and you can also sprinkle it in your rugs, carpeting, furniture, etc. Also, have you talked to your vet? They may have a topical or oral flea treatment that they’d recommend for really bad cases.
Phil Roberts says
Thanks for sharing those tips! Natural flea preventing measures are definitely better than strong chemical flea medication. My cat had to face it once and it was just terrible. But the vet said there was no choice… After that I started using only natural means.
Jelena T Clemente says
Try diatomaceous earth but keep it for several weeks, without vacuum cleaning disperse over every inch of floor with rose daster (DO NOT INHALE and DO NOT LET YOUR PETS INHALE) during that time, Now to starve the fleas and disallow them to mount on you , I use a home made fragrance from lemon essence and lavender essence mix and we spray that all day long, over limbs – it is not toxical. . Flea actually dies after not feeding blood for 4 days.
Trudith says
uiuiFleas are bane to our existence, my poor kitty Zanzibar is 17, and she is suffering from them. I have to declare War on them again and again. Now I have found new courage. I have given her canned Salmon and fold Brewer’s Yeast into it, with a little water, mix and serve. She gobbles it down. The Brewer’s Yeast builds her immune system. Fleas hate it. I also have found an Organic spray from the PETCO Store. VET’S BEST Flea and Tick Home Spray. Plant Based. It seems to be working. No Fleas lately!
I also sprinkle BORAX Powder on the floor, after I pulverize it a little, I put it in a Shaker container and sprinkle it. Leave it for awhile and VACUUM. Vacuum, Vacuum is important. I also use a natuaral Bug Spray I found at Wal-Mart. “Swamp Gator which I spray on myself, around my ankles and calves. That too works!
Great information, Thank You and your contributors.