18 Clever DIY Flea Killer Recipes (2024)

I’ve discovered some fantastic and budget-friendly ways to naturally combat fleas at home and on pets.

• Mix dish soap and warm water to create a simple flea trap.
• Sprinkle baking soda on carpets, scrub it in, then vacuum thoroughly.
• Dust finely ground salt over your carpets to dehydrate and kill fleas.
• Apply food-grade diatomaceous earth on carpeted areas and vacuum after 48 hours.
• Combine garlic and water for a safe, outdoor flea-repelling spray.

To create the dish soap flea trap, I fill a bowl with warm water and add a generous squirt of dish soap. I place this bowl in the areas of my home where fleas are most active, typically overnight when fleas are out and about. The soap acts as a glue, trapping the fleas when they jump in.

For the baking soda remedy, I sprinkle an even layer across my carpets and rugs. I then scrub it deep into the fibers with a brush. Vacuuming this up later not only helps to pick up the fleas but also pulls the eggs from the carpet, effectively nipping the infestation in the bud.

When I use salt, I opt for finely ground table salt, spreading it lightly yet evenly over all my carpeted surfaces. I leave it to sit for a minimum of 24 hours to ensure that the fleas are dehydrated. Then, it’s vacuum time, and I make sure to dispose of the vacuum bag outside immediately.

If I’m dealing with a more severe flea problem, food-grade diatomaceous earth is my go-to. I dust it carefully, wearing a mask to avoid inhaling it and leave it to settle for a couple of days. Afterward, I vacuum as usual, again disposing of the vacuum bag outside.

Finally, the garlic water spray is simple to make. I chop up several heads of garlic and let them steep in hot water that’s just about to boil. After about 12 hours, I strain the mixture and use it to lightly spray the yard. This helps keep fleas from setting up camp on my property.

As pet owners, there is nothing more upsetting than watching your fur babies deal with the itching and biting of fleas. My dog loves to take long walks around the lake, and sometimes, she’ll run off into the tall grass. Sure enough, later that night, we find fleas crawling through her fur despite being current on her medicine.

Flea combs can be a hassle, so why not look into some home remedies for a natural flea killer? Having a couple of anti-flea home remedies ready to go is never a bad idea.

With these natural flea killer recipes, tips, and tricks in this article, you are sure to find something that speaks to you and helps not only your fur baby but the overall health of your home. Having these tips will help alleviate not only stress but also help reduce your chances of an infestation.

How I Kill Fleas at My Home

Try these DIY remedies for ridding your home and pets of fleas. You can also use this flea killer to keep your dog smelling good no matter what messes they get into.

My Dish Soap Flea Trap

For a low maintenance trap approach to kill fleas, you can mix some warm water with dish soap into a bowl or on a plate. The soapy water attracts insects, and due to the high viscosity of the mixture, they get stuck.

It is suggested to leave out bowls of soapy water overnight because fleas are mostly nocturnal. Dish soap can also be used as a homemade flea shampoo for dogs, too.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is a cleaning cure-all, so there’s no surprise it is also a natural flea repellent. Sprinkle the baking soda on carpet and rugs in your home.

Using a scrubbing brush, scrub the baking soda into the carpet. Then, thoroughly vacuum the carpet. After vacuuming, be sure to dispose of your vacuum bag outside to make sure you get rid of fleas.

Salt

Another option for simple flea treatment is to dust finely ground salt throughout the carpeted areas of your home. Salt will dehydrate the adult fleas, making it an easy and inexpensive natural flea killer.

Leave the salt in the carpet for at least 24 hours, and then vacuum thoroughly. Dispose of your vacuum bag outside.

My Natural Flea Home Remedies with Diatomaceous Earth

If you want something stronger than baking soda or salt, consider diatomaceous earth (DE). When you buy DE, make sure you buy the food grade version. Additionally, because it is a very fine powder, manufacturers suggest wearing a face mask while applying DE.

DE works to dehydrate the fleas quicker than salt would and quickly kills fleas and their eggs. Just dust the carpeted areas of your home with DE and let sit for 48 hours.

After that time, thoroughly vacuum and dispose of the vacuum bag outside. This solution may also be effective as a natural termite killer. Sprinkle the DE in areas where termites seem to lurk, like woodpiles.

My Homemade Flea Spray

You don’t necessarily need to be a pet parent to find yourself with a flea infestation. Fleas are parasites and are attracted to anything they can bite and feed on. To make sure your family doesn’t have to put up with flea bites, you can make a large batch of homemade flea spray for dogs.

Mix the ingredients in a resealable container and fill a spray bottle with the spray. Spray your entire home with this flea remedy. The mixture is safe on all surfaces.

Be sure to vacuum before spraying. Because of the witch hazel, this solution is not suggested for use around pets, so let it dry before allowing your pets back in the area.

My Lemon Homemade Flea Spray

If you want an even more natural remedy, don’t worry, there’s a comfortable all natural flea repellent for cats and dogs. It also repels other pests, too. Use this spray to get rid of mosquitoes and carpenter bees.

Depending on how much spray you want, you’ll want to use more or fewer lemons. In a pot, cover the fruits with water and let boil. After boiling, turn off the heat and let the lemons steep overnight for a natural flea remedy.

Because this mixture is just lemons and water, you can use this natural flea and tick spray directly on your pets to repel fleas and ticks – be sure to avoid the eyes! And never use citrus essential oils in place of lemons, essential oils can harm your pets.

Rosemary

Another route to go is with flea powder. While rosemary, the critical ingredient only repels fleas, it is still a useful tool.

Grind the spices into a powder. Sprinkling that powder around window sills and over the carpet can help with flea control. While none of these ingredients are necessarily harmful to pets, they can cause upset stomachs.

Brewer’s Yeast

Brewer’s yeast has often been considered a supplement that can help keep your pets healthy. Adding just a small amount (one teaspoon for every 30 pounds) to your dog’s food once a day can help keep them healthy. In addition to the added vitamins and nutrients, brewer’s yeast helps repel fleas.

Apple Cider Vinegar – A Natural Flea Repellent for My Cats and Dogs, Too!

Of course, the panacea that is apple cider vinegar can help with flea prevention. This natural flea repellent works by helping balance your pet’s pH levels.

You can either spray a little bit of apple cider vinegar on your pet in problem spots, such as behind the ears or add a little bit of apple cider vinegar to your pet’s drinking water. However, if you plan to add apple cider vinegar to water, consult with your veterinarian first.

Neem Oil

Neem oil is the concentration of neem, a tree local to India and parts of Southeast Asia, and makes for a natural flea treatment. While there are plenty of uses for neem oil, you can also use neem oil to repel fleas. However, it is important to dilute it.

Veterinarians suggest diluting neem oil with another oil, such as olive oil, at a 1:10 ratio – one part neem oil to ten parts olive oil. You then want to place the diluted solution behind your pet’s ears (..).

Cleaning Up

If you think you have a flea infestation, there are a few cleaning tricks you can use around your home to help combat this and get a deeper clean.

Vacuum and empty the trash daily. These simple extra steps will help control fleas (..).

Laundry

When you find yourself with a flea infestation on dogs or cats, one of the first things you want to do is the laundry. Take all of your bedding and all of your pet bedding, but be sure to wash your pet bedding separately from your bedding. You will want to use hot water when cleaning the items and run them through the dryer.

My Carpet Care Routine

When you find yourself at the beginning of a flea problem, another good trick is to steam clean your carpets. The fleas can’t handle the heat, and you will also be cleaning the carpet to the base, meaning they will have nowhere to go.

They like to hide where the carpet meets the wall, so be sure to use the hose of a vacuum to attack those areas. Additionally, it is ideal not to have rugs over carpet, as this will give fleas even more space to hide.

I Mow the Yard

It sounds a little too easy, but merely mowing the yard can help a great deal. Having short grass reduces the area where fleas can hide, thus helping drive them out of your yard. Also, make sure that any flowerbed edges are sharply defined, as the blending of landscaping and grass can create more spots for them to hide.

Garlic Water – My Natural Flea Killer

When fighting against your flea problem, do not neglect the outside of your home. There is a simple spray you can make to help repel fleas.

Heat the water until it almost boils. In a separate container, place the chopped garlic. Then, pour the hot water over the garlic and let it steep for 12 hours. Strain out the garlic. Once you have your spray, you can lightly spray your yard and get rid of fleas.

Beneficial Nematodes

For a little extra help in your fight to repel fleasin the yard, consider adding some beneficial nematodes. These tiny organisms can help overall soil health.

Not only that, but they eat ants, termites, and fleas, making them the perfect natural flea killer! You can order nematodes from gardening sites and stores. Keep in mind; you can only use nematodes when the soil is warm.

My Flea-Repelling Plants

As you find yourself wanting to either liven up your yard or home with some plant life, it’s nice to know that some plants will help repel fleas and are worth considering.

You can also look into plants that repel flies and other bugs.

Ultrasonic Collar Tags

One final method that may help combat a flea problem is using a flea collar. While many traditional flea collars can cause allergic reactions for your pet, there is a type of ultrasonic collar tag that will not have that adverse effect.

These collar tags emit an ultrasonic frequency that humans and pets cannot hear, but upsets and, as a result, repels fleas. It’s as simple as buying the tag, placing it on your pet’s collar, and turning it on, making it one of the more comfortable flea control products out there.

Hopefully, you got a few great ideas out of this article! With these flea prevention tips ready at hand, you should have no problem helping your fur babies or combating a potential infestation. Not having the constant stress of dealing with fleas will make your home that much more peaceful and relaxing as well as make your pets more comfortable.

My Recipe for Natural Flea Killer

Natural Flea Killer

Yield: 60 1/4 ounces

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Eliminate fleas with simple ingredients.

Materials

• 4 1/4 ounces witch hazel
• 8 ounces lemon juice
• 32 ounces vinegar
• 1 pint water

Tools

• Sprayer
• Measuring cup

Instructions

1. Add the liquid ingredients to the spray bottle.
2. Shake so everything combines.
3. Spray all interior surfaces.
4. Repeat every three days or so for at least two weeks.

Notes

The wet spray is harmful to pets. Allow it to dry before allowing animals back in the area.

If you enjoyed the article, please share it with so that others can lead flea-free lives as well. Just because fleas are hard to see doesn’t mean that they are easy to ignore!