Fleas and ticks often enter your home on your pets or even people, and they can quickly lead to an infestation. These rapidly reproducing pests make a home in your carpets, rugs, and upholstery.
Small, itchy flea bites are bothersome and even dangerous. Ticks feast on your blood by burying into your skin. Itching, swelling and blisters form later. Use these simple ways to keep fleas and ticks out of your home.
Why Flea and Tick Prevention Is Important for Both Pets and People
Both fleas and ticks are known to spread serious diseases, such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhus, Cat Scratch disease, tapeworms ,and others. A single flea lays up to 50 eggs each day, and these eggs hatch in a couple of days or less.
Ticks, on the other hand, produce up to 8,000 eggs at once, and these eggs hatch in a few weeks. Even when you think all of the parasites are gone, new eggs can hatch. Then, the cycle continues. This is why flea and tick infestations are notoriously difficult to get rid of.
Preventing a bothersome and dangerous infestation is much simpler than battling an active infestation. While it might seem like an impossible task, a few simple steps can make a world of difference.
Simple, Natural Ways to Keep Fleas and Ticks Away
At the first sign of fleas and ticks, you might be inclined to reach for the strongest can of chemical-based pesticide. Such products, however, can be hazardous to pets, kids, and even adults. What are some simple, natural ways to keep fleas and ticks away?
1. Keep Your Home Clean and Clutter-Free
Fleas and ticks have a relatively short lifespan, but infestations persist because the eggs are difficult to see with the naked eye. Some pesticides only kill live pests and are ineffective against eggs.
Keeping your home clean and clutter-free is essential for tackling fleas, ticks, and their eggs. Frequently vacuum all carpets, rugs, and upholstery. Pay special attention to the crannies near baseboards. Periodically, use hot steam to clean the floors and upholstery. Regularly washing bedding and pet blankets in hot water is also essential.
2. Maintain Your Yard and Outdoor Spaces
Fleas and ticks thrive in dry, warm climates. They are often found in grassy and wooded areas when the weather conditions are ideal. You can dramatically minimize fleas and ticks near your home by maintaining your yard and mowing the grass regularly. In addition, keep bushes and trees trimmed.
Remove fallen leaves and use mulch cedar in garden beds. Watering your lawn regularly also plays a role in making your yard inhospitable to fleas and ticks.
3. Use Natural Repellents and DIY Sprays
Numerous natural, safe ingredients and products deliver reliable results. Diatomaceous earth, for example, dehydrates and kills these pests. This is safe for use inside and outside your home. However, your pets shouldn’t inhale it.
A DIY pet shampoo will kill the fleas and ticks living on your dog. Combine a cup of baby shampoo, a cup of white vinegar and a quart of water to make the shampoo. Wash your pets with it at least once a month for the best results.
After bathing your pet, apply a lemon wash to the fur. To make this wash, boil six cups of water, a tablespoon of salt, and four lemon slices for a few minutes. Allow the water to cool and sit for at least a day before using it on your pet. Continue applying the lemon wash daily.
An alternative to the lemon wash is essential oils. Daily, spritz diluted essential oils on your dog’s fur to repel parasites. Oils that are effective and safe include lemongrass, lavender, rosemary, cedar, citronella, eucalyptus, and rosemary.
4. Groom and Check Your Pets Regularly
Using the homemade flea and tick shampoo and spraying your pet daily with a lemon wash or essential oil spritz are critical. In addition, brush and comb your pet daily to address any new eggs that have hatched.
A lice comb is an effective way to remove tiny eggs. While brushing and combing your pet, carefully inspect the fur and skin for pests and tiny eggs. Even when the infestation is gone, continue this important process to prevent future infestations.
Dealing with fleas and ticks in your home is time-consuming and stressful. While you might be focused on this urgent problem while tackling all of your normal responsibilities, you don’t have to clean your house yourself.
Tidyhere cleaning services free up valuable time while leaving you with a cleaner living space. More than that, thorough cleaning is an important step in tackling an active infestation and preventing future problems. Learn more about Tidyhere’s customizable services today.
