Q&A for How to Get Rid of Fleas Naturally

Diatomaceous earth dehydrates and cuts through flea exoskeletons to kill them on contact.

Yes! You can put it on your upholstered furniture, your bed skirt, and anywhere else there may be fleas. If you keep diatomaceous earth down and consistently vacuum and wash everything for about two weeks, you should be able to get rid of the fleas yourself. However, if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, you might need something stronger, like an insecticide.

Yes, but I would buy an essential oil that is specifically formulated as an insecticide. Don't buy a bottle of peppermint oil and sprinkle it on your rug. A blend of essential oils designed to be an insecticide will be more effective. But do not put any essential oils on your dog. Essential oils can be toxic to animals. Essential oils are for applications on your baseboards and your carpet, not anything that's alive.

I read on another site that mixing 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water will help rid your dog of fleas. I also read that putting 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per quart of water in your dog's drinking water will help (for large dogs). For small dogs or cats, the amount was reduced drastically. It was suggested that if the animal won't drink the water, cut the amount of apple cider vinegar to the point they will drink it and work your way up.

Try coconut oil. It's a natural antiseptic, smells good and doesn't hurt your animals if they lick at it later.

Yes of course. It's the juice/essence of the lemon that gets rid of fleas. Any citrus works, really, the fruit itself or citrus juice.

Yes. Dawn strips oil from hair and skin. Remember, dish soap is made for cutting grease. Most soaps are capable of drying out the skin if used excessively or not rinsed off well.

You can desensitize your dog so he likes baths. Put some peanut butter on the side of your bathtub and let your dog just stand there and lick it off. Start again, this time turn the water on. Once he seems calm (no more panting, lip-licking, moving head, shaking etc.), start again with the peanut butter, and slowly start wetting your dog. You may not be able to do this in one go, depending on your dog's stress levels, but this is a really good way to ease him/her into liking baths.

Fleas are attracted to light. Make soapy water and shine a light on it. The fleas will jump in and die.

Yes, the red spots are very likely a reaction to the fleas or a reaction to her scratching because of the fleas. Try the methods in this article for getting rid of them.

Yes. I use Dawn Simply Clean. Pour mildly warm water into a bathtub, wet a wash cloth with Dawn Simply Clean and warm water to a sudsy mix, squeeze out excess water and gently go from the head down to the neck, then go from the tip of the tail to the middle half. Thicken the Dawn and water into a lather and get in between the toes and work up to the belly and then to the back, then scrub all over, lathering the soap and water. Let stand 5 minutes to ensure that the fleas are all dead. Thoroughly rinse clean. Towel off, and check for fleas. Comb or pick them off. Bathe once a week until gone.

Do not bathe your dogs in Listerine, it will burn their skin. Use dish soap.

Citrus is citrus, but the lemon is bitter and more likely not to be licked off by the animal, whereas the orange is sweeter, so it might prove attractive for licking.

Laminated floors do not have the ability to house fleas. Simply wash the floors. The fleas are probably living in drapes, rugs, stuffed toys or piles of clothing instead.

I have always used cold water, a bit of dish soap (stir to work up soap suds) and a small night lite or flash light with fresh batteries. Don't forget to vacuum every day. Place cut up pieces of a flea collar in the vacuum bag or container. It will help kill the fleas you sweep up.

Fleas can attach themselves to your pants or shoes when you leave the house and come into contact with them elsewhere.

Put on a pair of bright white socks. If, after a little while (and after walking across your carpet a few times), you see little black specks on them, you have a flea problem.

You can try it. Some people don't find the Adams products very effective at completely ridding their pets of fleas. Dawn dish is a cheaper alternative that's pretty effective.

Any Dawn dish soap is good to use when bathing your dog, you don't need much. It does kill the fleas and cleans your pet, making them look and smell good.

Cats that are introduced to warm water at an early age tend to not mind water as much. Let them play in warm shallow water with floating toys and reassure them with petting that it's okay. Certain breeds are known for generally liking water as well, such as the Turkish Van and most Siamese related breeds.

No you can not. Garlic, onions, and leeks are all poisonous to both cats and dogs.

Lemon juice isn't recommended for pets. Try something that doesn't sting or hurt the pet, like lavender oils, mint oils, neem oil, etc.

I am in the same situation. I dip the comb into soapy water, then wipe it off with a paper towel before combing my cat again. When the towel is full or fleas start jumping off, I put the towel in a Ziploc bag to trap the fleas. Repeat this daily if your cat feels up to it.

Follow the tips in this wikiHow to get rid of fleas on your cat.

Use a flea comb throughout her body. Sometimes fleas will go to the tail and the neck when you are bathing the animal. Focus on areas such as behind the ears, the base of the tail, the neck, and under the cat's legs.

I also put a drop or two of lavender essential oil on my dog's collar. Smells great and keeps the bugs off of him.

Yes, when I used this method, I found it very helpful. It will take some time, but it works.

Yes, you can. Hot or cold will work. But it would be much better to use something flat like a plate or baking sheet to hold it.

The flea traps described in this wikiHow will also work on wood floors. Just use a bowl of soapy water with a light over it on your floor.

First, it will scratch itself constantly. It may seem distressed. If your cat has any white or light colored hair, part the hair (especially around the neck area), and you will probably see them. Brush the cat with a fine toothed brush, and you will probably see them.