What natural remedies are there?

Diatomaceous earth, which is made up of the remains of ancient marine organisms, is effective on fleas, but it has some major drawbacks.  It works by penetrating the exoskeleton of the larvae and dehydrating it, and as such, it must be worked into every square inch of your pet, and application must be repeated frequently. The powder is irritating to the lungs, eyes, and nose of both animal and owner.  If it is taken into the lungs, it can cause a form of pneumonia, and use of diatomaceous earth on animals with inflamed skin or hot spots can severely irritate the skin.   It works by mechanical means, so the flea must come into contact with the substance.  It is difficult to work diatomaceous earth into carpeting and bedding, and the powder residue is stirred up whenever the fibers are disturbed.  However, it is a natural alternative.

Pyrethrins, found in the chrysanthemum family, knock out fleas by paralyzing them with a neurotoxin found in the extract.  They are biodegradable and break down upon exposure to sunlight, but they must be used with a synergist ( a substance which impedes the flea from resisting the toxic effects), but synergists also impede the animal from resisting the toxins!

So what can be done about fleas?

We suggest a multi-step plan.  First, prevent fleas from attacking your pet -- and you -- by using Parsley Hollow Insect Repellent.  

You can try incorporating garlic into your dog's diet. Your cat probably will turn up her nose, but dogs don't mind it. I find the easiest way is to place four whole garlic cloves in a cup and a half of olive oil with a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar. That's all there is to it. Simply shake the mixture and add a tablespoon to 2 cups of dry food. You will have to adjust the amount to your dog's size and how s/he reacts to the oil, bowel-wise. Most dogs take to it without a problem, but dogs with a delicate stomach might have loose stools for a few days while adjusting. Olive oil is GOOD for your dog, as is apple cider vinegar, and the garlic, which is expirated through the skin pores, is repugnant to insects. But to you, your dog won't smell, or if at all, like a nice bowl of pasta! If you find the cloves inconvenient, add a half teaspoon of garlic powder to the oil, again adjusting for your dog's weight.

But, if there is a heavy infestation, bathe the animal with Parsley Hollow shampoo.  Spray the animal’s head with Insect Repellent and put cotton in the ears to prevent the fleas from hopping to the head, and work the shampoo down to the skin.  Pay particular attention to the back, the base of the tail, and the belly.  Rinse very thoroughly.   Your dog will enjoy the attention, but your cat -- and you -- won’t like it much.  Follow up with a fine-tooth combing of the animal.  Keep close a bowl of water with a few drops of Parsley Hollow shampoo and dunk the loose fur along with any flea escapees into the bowl so they drown.  Next, spray the animal with Parsley Hollow Insect Repellent. If you can bathe the animal outside, it is better for fleeing fleas to jump on the ground rather than in your house.  Definitely do the combing outside.  Comb the animal in this way every day.  If you still see lots of fleas, repeat the shampooing.

Wash the animal’s bedding.  If you can’t wash it, then you must discard it. Rinse twice.  Vacuum meticulously!  Carpet, floorboards, furniture!  Discard the used vacuum bag in a garbage bag, and take it outside.

Finally, sprinkle diatomaceous earth on your yard if fleas are present.  You don’t need to go crazy -- you just want it to reach to the soil.  You should repeat this step every few weeks.  If your house is really bad, work some of it into the carpet, but don’t be heavy-handed.  Walking on the carpet stirs up the particles and can cause reactions as mentioned above.

All this takes a little time and effort -- but so does the use of poisons, which also need repeated frequently to knock out the miserable pests.