Non-Toxic Yard Spray for Ticks & Fleas
If your backyard has gone from a fun place for you and your family to play in, to a safe harbor for fleas and ticks, it is time to fight back. Instead of using toxic commercial flea and tick sprays that are hazardous for your family and pets, use non-toxic sprays to get rid of fleas and ticks for good. Does this Spark an idea?
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Essentials Oils.
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You find essentials oils in many commercial products. Oils such as lavender or geranium repel ticks. For fleas, oils such as rosemary, peppermint or lemongrass are appropriate. Place one ounce of your chosen essential oil or a combination of oils in the bottle of a garden hose attachment. Spray the oils around your yard and garden to repel fleas. Alternatively, boil two sliced lemons with one gallon of water. Once the water cools, remove the lemons and spray the water in your yard. Lemon is also as an effective flea repellent.
Commercial Products
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Instead of making your own flea spray with essential oils, look for non-toxic sprays at your local pet store or garden supply store. These mixtures utilize the same essential oils you would use at home. Other essential oils to look for in the products include cedar oil or cinnamon oil. Another option for flea and tick treatment utilizes a laxative. The laxative effect is quick-acting, killing the fleas and ticks on contact. Although deadly to the fleas and ticks, these treatments are not dangerous for you and your pets.
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Nematodes
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A third option is nematodes, which are tiny parasitic worms. Nematodes feed on fleas and other garden pests, such as ants. Found at your local garden supply store, nematodes are sprayed with your garden hose around your yard. Since both nematodes and fleas need a cool place to survive, spray the nematodes in shady areas of your yard. A small application of nematodes will quickly multiply, ensuring the fleas are killed.
What to Avoid
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When choosing commercial treatments, there are ingredients to avoid if you want non-toxic applications. Organophosphate insecticides are the most common active ingredient when treating fleas and ticks. Although these insecticides are effective and fast acting, they are not safe around pets and children. These chemicals short out the signals from the brain to the nervous system of the fleas and ticks, killing them. However, in large doses, they can have similar effects on your loved ones.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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Comments
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I live opposite a pond and so I have ducks and frogs and toads on my lawn, in addition to the birds, squirrels, chipmonks, raccoons, possums and stray cats. Since it is expected to be a very bad year for fleas and ticks I need something non-toxic to other life forms and will only kill the fleas and ticks.
