3 Essential Oils that Repel Fleas and Ticks
Our four legged friends are family members too, and giving them the attention and care that they need is important for ensuring they’re happy and healthy. Of course, it’s sometimes more difficult than it can seem and one thing that can be challenging is preventing fleas and ticks.
It’s incredibly important to do, however. Fleas and ticks can hitch a ride into your home on your dog or cat and instantly become a major problem. Fleas bite and cause itching sores that can lead to additional health issues, while ticks can carry Lyme disease and other potentially fatal diseases.
Fleas in particular can be a major problem in that once they enter the home, they can spread quickly and become incredibly difficult to repel. Eggs are laid in carpet, clothing, and any other fabric in the home and a few fleas on a dog can easily become a major infestation. Luckily, there are numerous options out there that can help you repel fleas and improve the health of your pet and the protection level of your home. And essential oils can be one of the keys to doing just that.
The Benefits of Natural Flea and Tick Prevention
Using natural treatments to combat fleas is not only effective, but offers you numerous benefits. It’s true that it can be a bit more involved than setting off one of those ‘bug bombs’ in each room of your home, but when you consider the advantages it becomes clear that it’s a better choice:
- You don’t have to fill the home with dangerous poisons and chemicals – poisons that can harm you, your family, and your pets.
- Natural treatment and essential oils are more affordable than those harsh chemical poisons, so you save money and improve the safety of the process.
- Instead of being left with lingering chemical odors, your essential oils leave behind pleasant aromas that can also bring aromatherapy benefits with them. From relaxation to lower stress, you can enjoy these benefits while fighting ticks and fleas.
- Tick and flea collars can mean that your pet is literally wearing poison around their necks. Using essential oils is a better choice.
In short, repelling fleas and ticks with the help of some essential oils and a bit of effort is something that makes sense and that should be your first choice when you’re trying to do this.
The Natural Treatment Process
So how do you go about fighting fleas and ticks naturally? Prevention is always a better solution, and using the essential oil treatments listed below is a good first start. Regularly bathing your pets with real soap is also important and can help prevent flea and tick outbreaks before they occur. It’s also a good idea to vacuum the home daily to remove ticks.
If you notice that fleas are already a problem, all of the above steps are important as well. Regular bathing, vacuuming, and use of essential oils will be instrumental in keeping them away. Along with this, wash your bedding and your dog’s bedding as well to help ensure that none of the fleas are present there.
3 Essential Oils For Flea and Tick Repellent
Using essential oils to fight against fleas is an effective alternative to expensive chemicals, pills, collars, and sprays. Of course, not all essential oils are effective. Here are the three best choices for preventing problems.
- Lavender – This natural essential oil has powerful insect repellent properties that makes it a good choice for use in the home. However, pets don’t tolerate it as well as some other oils so it’s best used in a spray bottle applied to areas of the home, or used moderately on your pets.
- Lemongrass – Easily one of the best choices for flea prevention, lemongrass is also effective against ticks. It’s a great choice for use in any method possible for fighting pests.
- Citronella – It’s no secret that citronella is effective against mosquitoes, but it’s also a great essential oil to use when you’re trying to fight against fleas and ticks.
How to use Essential Oils to Stop Fleas and Ticks
Combine these treatments with the right essential oils and you have a solution to fleas and ticks that you and your pets can both love.
- Mix 15 drops of an essential oil with 1 tablespoon of a carrier oil and then add to a cotton collar. This lets you make your own natural flea and tick collar. Just be sure to dilute the oil with a carrier oil first.
- Add 15 to 20 drops to a spray bottle of water and shake well. This creates a spray that is perfect for use on pets as well as on the home.
- Add 2 drops of the essential oil to shampoo that you’ll be using to bathe your pets.
What is the Best Way to Prevent Fleas and Ticks?
The best way to stop fleas and ticks is to use a Nebulizing Diffuser® and prevent them before they become a problem. A nebulizer is strong and powerful releasing pure essential oils creating an unwelcome environment for fleas and ticks.
I used Lemon Eucalyptus as I did not have any Lemongrass, along with the Lavendar and Citronella In her water spray for the ticks and fleas
Do you feel the oils are safe on dogs that are nursing?
I moved. New, humid climate for my dog. Fleas now a problem. I REFUSE to poison him w/ vet approved pesticides. Made a cotton, used the appropriate oil w/mixer and he is flea free and very happy. Ty so so much for this!!!!
Am not happy with the above article. I spent 10 years selling ESS oils and am barely happy to be using neat tea tree in my lower clothes draws and in corner of bed. Plan to either use kitchen towel or cotton wool for the oil as a repellant. Citronella would be more effective but its toxicity to cats rules it out. Do not use a disperser that you put pure oils in as they go into the air, onto your pets coat and when your cat grooms itself into your cat. The collar idea isn’t the best as by placing strong scents onto it means that your cat may get distressed as it will not be able to escape from the smell
When using essential oils with pets #1. get good quality oils, ie not from a big box store. #2 dilute, dilute, dilute. #3 start low and slow. Never put undiluted essential oils on your pets, and never on the pads of their paws. Do your research on the best brands of oils to buy. They may say 100% pure on the bottle, but the FDA says it only needs to be 5% to put that label on.
DANGER!!!!!!!!!! BAD ADVICE in the comments —-NEVER EVER USE TEA TREE OIL AROUND ANY non-human animal! IT’S DEADLY and no known cure! Most essential oils should be avoided around cats & birds as there is definite toxicity to them and for many oils, unknown safety as studies are mainly done for/on humans and dogs if any animals. NEVER use any essential oil on or around your animal without consulting a VET! That being said for HUMANS only u can apply lavender without diluting and tea tree all others have 2 be diluted. Again, if u have animals NEVER use Tea Tree around them!
Lemon grass oil is great for humans and knats!
I did something terrible I put straight peppermint oil on my fur baby to ward off feas and ticks. I didn’t know about putting a different oil to mix with the oil. He kept running around and I realized that it was too much for him, so I bathe him to wash off the oil and washed him with oatmeal. How much harm did I do??? I feel sick about this I don’t want him to get sick. Please advise. Thank you
I just read a story on Facebook about a dog that got really sick on tree tea oil used in a defuser. Might be best to skip that one around your dog.
Lynne kelly cooper, thanks for your post. Ive heard the same thing about cats not being able to tolerate most any essential oils. Just because its natural, doesnt mean safe or non toxic by any means.
My Vet says that essential oils that are sold online don’t work. the frontline pipettes and similar are what the vets say work.
My baby girl is just that, my baby girl. You tell the Vet you don’t want to feed your dog a systemic POISON to toxify their blood to control the pests. The Vet acts like your abusing your animal. And if they get side effects their just “sensitive” NO they have been POISONED. Knowledge of the facts and a true love of your best friend will bring you to the natural and safest route to protect your pet and i believe extent their lives.
Tea tree oil is also very good I ha made my own spray with citronella, tea tree, lavender, peppermint, and lemon grass. I mix about 5 drops of each in a bout a few drops of carrier oil like pure naturals light carrier oil and about 1/2 cup of water mix well and put into a spray bottle. I spray my dogs before they go out and also put this solution on their collars. I have been doing this for years. No problems. All natural. And my fur friends smell really nice.
What is the ratio of lemongrass oil and water for flea control and how often do you apply
FLEAS! are horrible~! I really appreciate ALL of the comments on fleas and natural oils for getting rid of them.I can not tolerate harsh chemicals. The mere scent of them causes me breathing difficulties.It can not be good for animal,either.Natural remedies are the best.
Beware! There are NO essential oils that are safe for cats!. Even diffusing can kill a cat and has. Their livers cannot metabolize essential oils like dogs and humans. Many oils are also not tolerated by dogs as mentioned in the article. 15 drops on a collar is far too much! 1-2 drops is safer. Do your homework. Find out from an animal aromatherapist what oils dogs can handle and use dilutions recommended by them. I highly recommend “Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals” by Kristen Leigh Bell or find a reputable website.
Wow, this is really great! My sister would be very interested in this article!
This is perfect! My poor cat has suffered enough from these unending fleas!
Thank you for this helpful and interesting article! Very good information that I’ll be putting to use.
Love this article. It is just what I was looking for to pass on to a friend that is fighting a flee problem!
It seems great! I could use one.
This is so useful for our fur-babies! Can’t wait to own one 🙂
I’ve made my own tick and mosquito sprays and they work beautifully. When it comes to the pets, I would use essential oils any day over the poisonous alternatives. Thanks for a great article.
Looks interesting, I will try it!
Good to know as I have loved ones who have had lymes disease. Scary stuff.
These are great ideas! I need to share with my sister- they live in the middle of nowhere and have a problem with fleas and ticks!
Thanks for giving us another great way to use essential oils!
Great info. Thank you
Nie wiedziałam, że trawa cytrynowa ma takie właściwości. Pomocne wiadomości. Ale z olejkami i kotami trzeba uważać z tego co mi wiadomo.
Thank you for this article! Love it
That’s great news for those who have furbabies. I love the 3 oils mentioned. They really have a wide range of uses.
How interesting! I had no idea there were essentials oils that could do this!
Natural is always the way to go! Our precious pets are just as sensitive to environmental palutants and or skin irritants as our charished little ones can be, so any time I can do something to keep their care natural it is always my fist choice!
I’m always worried about flea meds we use. Will have to give this a try.
Good to know. I have two cats, and this is a much better option than chemicals.
Wow I had no idea you can use it on pets and fleas Thank you for the info will be trying it iut.
I have cats. Would these oils be safe to use on them or dogs only?