Did you know that a flea could jump 100 times its own height? Did you also know that just one female flea will produce 20,000 eggs in a period of only three months? Lastly, did you know that it can take anywhere from three to six weeks for flea eggs to hatch? Not to mention to get rid of these pesky things can be harmful to one's health if chemical treatments are used.
Two of the most common and most harmful pesticides are found in flea products. Both are nerve-paralyzing agents capable of causing convulsions, nausea and respiratory arrest in animals as well as in the insects they're intended to destroy. Consequently, there are many cases of pesticide-related poisonings each year, many involving not only pets, but also children who handle pesticide-treated animals.
Getting rid of fleas is a two-step process -- treat the pet and then treat the house. The combination works, but both steps are necessary.
Use an herbal shampoo that contains a combination of any of pine cedar, bergamot, rosemary, lavender, eucalyptus, citronella, juniper or geranium. Before you wet down your pet here's a handy trick to ensure that you are successful in killing all of those nasty fleas. Know going into this process that as soon as you wet the animal down, those fleas are going to run for higher and dryer ground; this means they will flea (no pun intended) to the head area. You should never douse your pet's head with water and certainly not soap, so in order to prevent the fleas from escaping make sure that you first pour a thick layer of the shampoo all around the head and neck area; as close to the top of the head and underneath the chin area as you can get. Pour small amounts of water with your hand onto the soapy area and spend some time building up a thick, soapy barrier that will kill the fleas that attempt to pass through it. Proceed by wetting down and lathering up the rest of the animal's body while frequently returning to massage and re-lather the neck area. Fleas are very difficult to kill and it is better for your pet if you can handle the problem with one good bath rather than several of them, so be sure to leave the shampoo on for at least 15 minutes or more while continuing to massage the soap deep into the animal's fur. Rinse the animal thoroughly and dry it off well, especially during cold weather.
For the house infestation of fleas, here's a great way to get rid of the problem. Mix together 1 1/2 pounds of diatomaceous earth, 1 1/2 pounds of natural borax and 1 cup of salt. (Make sure DE is food grade.) The diatomaceous earth works because it contains very tiny particles that have sharp spines, which puncture the exoskeleton of the flea, killing it (dries out their exoskeleton) The borax and salt work by absorbing the moisture of the flea and make all of those cracks and small areas that they might find to live in your home much more undesirable. You can use the mixture by sprinkling it throughout your home onto carpets and into those harder to reach areas. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of days and then vacuum it up. Although these powders are not poisonous it's never a good idea for you or your pet to breathe it continually for days so if it's possible to go elsewhere while it sits then that's definitely an option you should use. Alternatively, if you prefer not to douse the house with the mixture, you can always pour it into your vacuum cleaner bag and vacuum everything thoroughly so that any of the sucked up fleas will die inside the bag. Keep in mind that this solution will not kill the un-hatched flea eggs and therefore the process may need to be repeated several times depending on the severity of your problem.
Combining these two methods should rid pets of fleas and protect against new infestations. To ensure that dogs and outdoor cats remain free of fleas, apply DE to the yard with a fertilizer spreader. This must be done on a dry day where there is no threat of rain for several days afterwards. DE will not only destroy fleas, but will also kill ticks. To treat bushes for pests, place DE powder in a kitchen strainer and sprinkle throughout foliage. Repeat every few weeks during flea season.
And of course before you do anything for your animals and home, do some research to understand what it is you are using, why, and if it could possibly be harmful to you, your children, or your pets.
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