How to get rid of fleas using folk remedies in an apartment or house

When in the summer you feel the sensation of insects crawling on your legs below the knee, it is better not to dismiss it as a hallucination, but to take a closer look. If black dots are noticed, it means fleas have jumped onto your legs. This insect does not jump higher than 50 cm. But fleas on the legs mean the appearance of a whole population of parasites in the house. Sometimes allergies, asthma, or other health problems make it impossible to use special medications to kill parasites. In this case, you can use folk remedies against fleas.

The effectiveness of traditional methods of fighting fleas

Some of the traditional folk remedies for fleas have come down to us since the Middle Ages. The most common of them are fresh herbs and a decoction of repellent herbs.

To repel parasites use:

sagebrush;
tansy;
mint;
various types of citrus fruits;
tobacco;
pine needles or pine sawdust;
garlic.

Fresh grass is scattered under the threshold and on the floor. Herbal decoctions are used to coat thresholds and joints between walls and floors. Tobacco is used in the form of a decoction. Citrus peels are placed in “strategically important” places. Sawdust is often used instead of pine needles. Pet owners stuff their pet mattresses with pine shavings.

Herbs for insects

The effectiveness of these folk methods is very low. The products “work” exactly until they dry. The smell of pine sawdust disappears in a couple of days, after which fleas will happily set up their “kindergarten” in them. It is unlikely that you will be able to get rid of fleas on your own using folk remedies in the form of herbs and sawdust.

On a note!
Herbs “work” only upon contact. 20 centimeters to the side - and the flea is no longer afraid of anything.

In a private home, repellent herbs for domestic fleas will be more effective, since plants can be planted around the perimeter of the home.

Review
Back in the 80s, when there was nothing on sale at all, and we had not even heard of anti-flea products, we were advised how to get rid of fleas using folk remedies. They recommended wormwood and tobacco decoction from the cheapest Vatra and Prima cigarettes. 10 packs per liter of water and wash our dog with this. The test showed that tobacco decoction for fleas is equivalent to pure water. While they are wet, they move poorly, but when they dry out, they still jump. They picked wormwood and laid it out for the dog. As a result, the wormwood spread throughout the apartment, but the fleas did not even notice it. The fleas on the dog continued to live comfortably. None of the folk remedies helped.
Irina, Sevastopol

Whiteness from fleas

In the fight against bloodsuckers, we often trust folk remedies rather than modern insecticidal preparations. As practice shows, it is completely in vain. Even the most aggressive means (turpentine, chlorine or flea whitening) cannot ensure the complete destruction of dangerous parasites. It is not surprising that experts classify them as preventive measures, and without fail supplement them with more radical drugs.

Whiteness against fleas helps as a preventive measure

In this case, it is necessary to ensure global disinfection of all premises. In fact, whiteness against fleas helps, but in tandem with other drugs - dichlorvos, turpentine, etc. Experts emphasize that anti-flea measures are carried out in several stages:

All pets are thoroughly treated with flea medications. They are presented in a wide range in pharmacies. Otherwise, any measures will be ineffective and ineffective.
After this, general cleaning is carried out. Will whiteness help against fleas in this case? – Naturally, especially if you supplement the product with dichlorvos and other flame retardants. Particular attention must be paid to walls, floors, gaps, corners and crevices.

Experts state that it is optimal to use preventive measures against parasites. It is mandatory to ventilate the premises, and then apply whiteness or flea dust, ensuring maximum tightness of the interior space. After 5-6 hours, wet cleaning is repeated.

Garlic

It stands apart from other herbs. Like other plants, garlic does not help remove fleas from the house, but it truly saves you from their bites. Just use it inside, and not as a talisman around the perimeter of your home. Fleas will still jump on the legs, since when searching for victims they are guided by infrared radiation. But they will stop biting. When garlic is consumed regularly, a person's smell changes. Fleas don't like garlic. And not only fleas, mosquitoes don’t bite either.

There are tips to mix crushed garlic with brewer's yeast and rub the mixture into the carpets. In this case, it is not the mixture that works, but subsequent thorough cleaning with a vacuum cleaner that sucks up insects, larvae and eggs.

How to treat carpet for fleas

Some housewives solve this problem with a vacuum cleaner. This is an effective but very long process. You need to vacuum every day for 14 days. It is impossible to get rid of a large number of parasites in one go, so they may choose other hidden places. Therefore, it is best to use aerosol or powder preparations.

Popular aerosols

Control Home. Within 5-10 minutes, up to 98% of adult insects and larvae die. The active substance has a paralyzing effect on all types of blood-sucking insects. The product is used economically, the effect lasts up to 1 month.
Executioner. Dilute it with water according to the attached instructions. Spray with a spray bottle and remove with a washing vacuum cleaner.
Raid. One bottle is enough to treat 50 square meters. meters. The aerosol can be purchased unscented or with aromatic additives.

Even if the instructions indicate that the product is safe, you should not neglect precautions. For people with allergies and bronchial asthma, it is better to refrain from this method of treatment and seek professional help or ask someone you know.

Contact powder preparations

The most effective are considered to be: “Ranosan”, “Super Fas”, “Phenaxin”, dust. Scatter in various hard-to-reach places, but so that pets and small children cannot reach them. Their advantage lies in the immediate effect; not only adults die, but also larvae. In addition, there is no need to carry out repeated disinfection, according to the manufacturer. But it is better to do this after a few days to be completely sure that the parasites are destroyed.

Not every housewife is in a hurry to use aggressive chemicals, so they give preference to proven folk remedies.

Tansy and wormwood

Place these plants all over the floor, if possible. An infusion is prepared from dried herbs; you can buy it at any pharmacy or dry it yourself.

To prepare a natural remedy, you need:

Pour 3 dessert spoons of wormwood and 2 tsp into a liter jar. tansy. Add literally a few eucalyptus (mint) leaves to soften the bitter smell.
Pour a glass of boiled water.
Cover with a lid and leave for 12 hours.

Strain the infusion through several layers of gauze. Pour into a spray bottle and treat the room. Corners, baseboards, and carpeting deserve special attention.

Cold, steam and sun

If pests are present in winter, open windows and doors for 3 hours. Method of control in the summer: hang all carpets and rugs in the sun. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, all fleas and larvae will die. Additionally, disinfect the entire apartment: furniture, floors, baseboards, etc. And the last method is to use a steam cleaner. Use a steam jet to treat carpets and rugs.

Sodium bicarbonate

Mix baking soda in equal proportions with salt. Sprinkle carpets and rugs with this mixture. If fleas are present on sofas and armchairs, you can also use it, it will not harm them in any way. After 12 hours, vacuum all surfaces where this mixture was applied. During this time, it is advisable to leave home so that no one goes to the treatment areas. It is advisable to spend the weekend, send household members on a visit or to the country, and do the disinfection yourself.

Tar soap

Another old folk method of fighting ectoparasites. Tar soap is good for washing animals. To clean the apartment, you need to make a strong soap solution and not only wash the floors, but also polish the floor coverings.

On a note!
Disadvantage: the persistent smell is “not for everyone” if the solution is not washed off. The smell of tar repels parasites, but if the soap is washed off, its effect stops.

Freezing out parasites

Freezing out fleas
Exposing fleas to temperature is also an ancient and ineffective folk method, to which fleas adapted with the onset of the ice period. The disappearance of insects from a room is not related to ventilation, but to the time of year. In summer, parasites do not react to ventilation in any way, except that they use an open window to enter the house if the apartment is on the ground floor. In autumn they disappear not because of the cold, but because they go into hibernation.

On a note!
In winter, fleas sleep even in regions where the average winter temperature is +10-15°C.

What are fleas afraid of at home?

It is known that fleas are afraid of strong smells. It terrifies their nervous system, causing paralysis of individual parts. Because of this, fleas cannot move and then die. When the concentration of insecticide is strong, death occurs very quickly, within a few tens of seconds. If an insect hears an odor that is unacceptable to it, it does not jump onto the victim from which it comes. When the floors in an apartment are treated with bleach, dust, vinegar, or a strong-smelling detergent, blood-sucking insects try to retreat from such a room.

Are fleas afraid of water?

Fleas are not afraid of ordinary water (without a special smell). They are afraid of water, which leads to suffocation. When the owner washes his pet with water in a basin, even without using a special shampoo, the bloodsucking animals die in the water. And treating rooms with water (frequently washing floors, spraying corners with water) will not lead to successful results. Water flavored with an unpleasant odor for fleas will repel or paralyze parasites.

Are earth fleas afraid of frost?

Earth fleas react sharply to changes in environmental temperature, especially towards cold. At low temperatures (from -10 degrees), females stop laying eggs, and new fleas do not emerge from the cocoons. Cold with a temperature of -15 degrees. becomes critical for the “flea horde.” Insects try to leave such premises. In cold weather, females are not able to lay eggs; the cocoons lie undeveloped. That’s why many owners “freeze out” barns and chicken coops, leaving them to air out in frosty weather.

Are fleas afraid of tar soap?

Tar soap with a special smell is not liked by bloodsuckers in any form. Floors washed with it repel parasites. True, people don’t really like this smell either. A dog or cat washed with tar soap will remain for some time without parasites, their larvae, and eggs. In this case, you need to wash the bedding where the pet sleeps with water and tar soap or bleach. To completely get rid of parasites, the procedure of bathing with a strong-smelling cosmetic product must be repeated.

Folk remedies from the times of scientific and technological progress

Folk remedies for fighting parasites
With the development of scientific and technical progress and trade relations, when salt became cheaper and baking soda and bleach appeared in everyday use, these remedies began to be used in treating homes against fleas.

As a folk remedy, salt and soda for fleas are used in a mixture (1:1), which is thoroughly rubbed onto all fleecy surfaces in the house. The mixture is left for 10 hours, after which the carpets are thoroughly cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. Theoretically, crystals of soda and salt injure insects, which die as a result. But today's salt and soda are in the form of balls and are called refined. Only ground rock or sea salt has sharp edges. Theoretically, soda can damage the chitin of parasites, and salt can “take away” moisture from their bodies. But you shouldn’t seriously count on getting rid of fleas with this remedy. Temporarily, the number of annoying insects will decrease as they are sucked up by the vacuum cleaner.
Another product that can be used to treat an apartment is Belizna bleach. The product is made with the addition of chlorine and corrodes organic matter in concentrated form. For a flea to die from Whiteness, the insect must fall into a puddle of undiluted product. Whiteness diluted in water for washing floors will not cause any harm to jumping parasites. But chlorine fumes are harmful to humans, as they affect the respiratory tract. The floors will have to be washed very carefully with your hands or sprayed with white from a spray bottle. Both are best done while wearing a respirator.

On a note!
Chlorine evaporates very quickly.

Review
Now, if one of the folk remedies doesn’t help, it’s bleach. It is good if you need to disinfect a room, but you need to get rid of apartment fleas in other ways. Among folk remedies, I tried mint, chamomile, tansy and fresh orange peels. These folk herbal remedies are good, but only while they are fresh. Then you need to change. But Whiteness doesn’t work at all.
Elena, Gomel

When used correctly, a vacuum cleaner is a very reliable folk remedy for fleas in an apartment. This product does not cause allergies or any other side effects. They not only vacuum the floor coverings, but also very carefully go through possible flea hiding places in sofas, armchairs, and beds. Such shelters are:

joints between the seat and armrests;
the joint between the back and the seat;
folds of the top covering, if any.

What smell are fleas afraid of in animals?

Science and production do not stand still, inventing new drugs to combat parasitic insects. Fleas in cats at home are afraid of the following:

collars;
special drops applied to the withers;
sprays sprayed onto a cat's or dog's coat;
shampoos for cats, dogs;
powders, powders, tablets.

These drugs are made on the basis of various inclusions:

Dichlorvos, Karbofos, DDT, Chlorophos;
Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are low-toxic insecticides for warm-blooded animals of natural or synthetic origin, but unacceptable for blood-sucking animals;
Fipronil and Imidocloprid are the newest drugs that are harmless to humans and animals and cannot be tolerated by parasites.

Phenothrin, Permethrin, Cypermethrin, Etofenprox, Deltamethrin are low-toxic insecticides. They are included in Raptor, FAS products, Klopomor, Medilis-Tsiper, individual anti-parasite collars, Bars drops, Tsipam, Sentry, and various sprays.

Fipronil and Imidocloprid are considered harmless to mammals, but deadly to parasites. Such substances are included in drops and sprays Frontline, Hartz, Bolfo, Advantage, Biafar, Barrier, Hartz collars, Mr. shampoos. Kiss, Rolf Club.

What grass are fleas afraid of?

A “flea invasion” can be scared away with the help of herbs, plants, fruits, and products. Blood-sucking insects are afraid of the smell:

tansy herbs;
wormwood;
mint;
eucalyptus;
geraniums;
carnations;
chamomile;
lavender;
thyme or other herb.

These herbs can be placed under the carpet on the floor, placed in corners, hung around the room, placed in bouquets, or made into ikebana. When considering what smell fleas do not like, it should be remembered that parasites do not like the smell of essential oils, bay leaves, citrus fruits, juniper, pine, spruce, and walnut leaves.

The main causes of parasites

Domestic fleas are more likely to appear in apartments in summer and autumn. Often many such bloodsuckers inhabit private houses and apartments, which are located on the first floors of apartment buildings.

Where do bed or other fleas in an apartment come from?

More often, such parasites enter the home from the following places:

neighboring apartments;
entrance;
basement

Also, similar insects are carried by pets or rats.

Fleas often infest on the lower floors because there is a damp basement next to them. However, these parasites also inhabit upper living spaces if there is high humidity in the toilet or bathroom.

Thus, dampness is considered a favorable condition for the fertilization and reproduction of various fleas.

Also, such bloodsuckers populate the home due to the fact that pets carry them indoors on their skin. For example, dogs become infected with them while walking with their owner on the street or in another place.

When such blood-sucking insects are discovered on the body of their pet, a person immediately begins to disinfect it. The owner applies specific creams, shampoos, sprays to the cat or dog’s body, or gives him tablets that are purchased at a pet store or pharmacy.

However, when destroying fleas on the body of a dog or cat, the tenant does not get rid of them in his entire home. Therefore, after sanitizing the animal, it is necessary to disinfect your entire apartment or private house as quickly as possible.

Treatment of non-residential premises

This applies to basements, garages and other non-residential places. Fleas also appear here, which most likely come from rodents. So spray poison that will kill rats and mice.

Fleas that live in basements are called earth fleas. They live in rooms with high humidity and settle 1.5 m above the floor. They enter residential premises through ventilation or hoods. Basements or garages are easier to treat than residential ones and therefore the treatment will not last long. Dried bouquets of wormwood and tansy should be placed in the corners; their pungent smell will repel fleas. Wild animals usually lie down in the bushes of these plants and the fleas jump off on their own.

You can also treat the surfaces with a solution of kerosene or turpentine. To do this, mix them with water and detergent, and then treat the entire surface of the room: walls, floors, shelves, etc. But this is only suitable for non-residential premises, since the unpleasant odor remains for a long time.

Water and sun

Are fleas afraid of water? More likely no than yes. They try to avoid it, but they do not drown or die in it. Thus, giving your pet plenty of water will not kill the parasites. Fleas, finding themselves immersed in water, suffer from a lack of air and quickly get out to a dry place, but after getting hungry after a while, they climb onto the animal again.

These insects also do not like excessive heat and direct sunlight. On hot days, it is recommended to place pillows, blankets, and mattresses in the sun so that fleas leave the textiles.