Natural flea and tick control

How we got rid of fleas in 3 days using remedies based on plant extracts

On October 11, 2022, late in the evening I discovered a few fleas on both my Papillon dogs.

I realized that it was also a flea I had seen a few days before in Bella’s fur, but at the time I didn’t realize it was a flea – I just thought it was a tiny little bug. However, I did wonder how quickly it moved through her fur. I grabbed it, but immediately it disappeared from my fingers. In exactly the same way that I now (on October 11, 2022) saw the fleas moving quickly through the dogs’ fur and jumping out of my fingers.

I thought further back and could now see an explanation for why the dogs had been shaking their heads and suddenly scratching themselves in recent days – They had fleas! And I was aware that action had to be taken quickly to avoid multiplication and spread of the fleas.

Many years ago, when my dogs last had fleas and I dripped a traditional flea drug on their necks, I remember wondering about their behavior right after, as the dogs became hyper, quivering and running about. This lasted a few hours. We got rid of the fleas and I thought nothing more of it.

Later, I became aware of a warning from the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA) about the potential for neurological side effects in dogs and cats when treated with drugs that are in the isoxazoline class of Link.

Flea products containing isoxazoline work by entering the pet’s bloodstream, where it acts on the flea’s nervous system and kills it when it sucks on the pet’s blood.

Instead, I was interested in using natural remedies that were able to work without affecting the dog’s blood, and I found the following flea (and tick) remedies based on geraniol:

Dealer in Denmark Link.

Manufacturer in France Link.

– Biogance Fleas Away Shampoo (for adult dogs and puppies over 3 months).

Manufacturer’s information about Fleas Away Dog.

– Biospotix Flea Spray For Dogs (may only be used on puppies over 3 months old).

Manufacturer’s information on Biospotix Repellent Spray.

– Biospotix Indoor Spray (may only be sprayed on the surroundings and NOT on the dog or on plants)

Manufacturer’s information on Environmental Anti-Parasitic Spray.

It appears that geraniol is a natural and fragrant extract from plants, which not only works preventively, but also in case of a flea attack, and that geraniol repels fleas, ticks, ticks, flies, lice and mosquitoes. Geraniol dehydrates and suffocates (blocks the airways) of harmful insects.

The dealer states that skin-sensitive dogs, dogs with e.g. pollen allergies can in some cases react to geraniol, which is why it is recommended to test on a small area to ensure that the dog can tolerate the product. However, I chose to skip this part, as I have never previously observed such things with my dogs, and because, as mentioned, the remedies contain natural ingredients, which – in my opinion – would be better than chemically produced flea drugs.

And I personally have not experienced side effects from the remedies. We got rid of the fleas in just 3 days and my dogs’ fur became silky smooth and fragrant.

Dorthe Øfeldt

Denmark

A flea is a wingless insect that lives as a parasite. The adult flea lives by sucking blood from e.g. a dog or a cat.

The flea can jump on people, but it cannot live on human blood.

The female flea lays eggs in the dog’s or cat’s fur, and the eggs fall off into the environment.

When the eggs hatch, the flea larvae are released, which are light-sensitive and therefore seek darkness (fissures and cracks).

In the flea larva’s last of the 3 phases in total, it transforms into a pupa. The pupal stage lasts approx. 1-2 weeks, but can last up to 1 year, after which the adult flea emerges and jumps on e.g. a dog or a cat from whom it sucks blood.

Since flea eggs and larvae/pupae are in the surroundings, I have repeatedly vacuumed floors as well as carpets, couches and beds and washed bed linen, which has subsequently been sprayed with Biospotix Indoor Spray.

The dogs have only been allowed access to cleaned areas of the house after the dogs themselves have been treated for fleas, in an attempt to avoid any remaining, surviving fleas in the surroundings jumping on the dogs.

As the dogs (by virtue of their scent of geraniol) repel the fleas, the fleas no longer have any blood to live on and will eventually be exterminated from both the dogs and the house.

1. SHAVING/CUTTING THE FUR IN PLACES WHERE THE FUR IS PARTICULARLY THICK/LONG AND/OR FILTERED

Purpose: So that there are fewer places where the fleas can be and to facilitate subsequent combing of the fur.

Ditte Dot Com was shaved on the belly, in the groin, on the sides of the hips and the long hairs along the legs and on the rear end.

Bella’s fur on the paws was clipped, along the legs, under and on the sides of the belly and on the rear end.

2 BATH

In the shower cabin, the dog is washed with water and soap all over (NOT the head – avoid getting soap in the eyes and ears) in Biogance Fleas Away Shampoo For Dogs.

After this, the coat is thoroughly rinsed with water.

The fur is soaped in again and left to sit for 2 minutes, after which the fur is thoroughly rinsed with water.

The dog is lightly dried in a clean towel, after which the dog only has access to vacuumed floors as well as vacuumed carpet, couches, beds and washed bedding sprayed with Biospotix Indoor Spray.

3. COMBING THE FUR

Daily the fur is combed criss-cross while the dog stands on a clean white towel (on which fleas will be easily visible).

4. HOUSE CLEANING

(See below).

5. 48 HOURS AFTER THE BATH, THE FUR IS SPRAYED

The dog’s fur is sprayed with Biospotix Flea Spray For Dogs (NOT on the head – avoid getting the spray in the eyes and ears).

The spray is distributed by brushing through the fur in a criss-cross pattern (live fleas that may appear during combing are killed by clicking them).

After this, the dog only has access to vacuumed floors as well as vacuumed carpet, couchess, beds and washed bedding sprayed with Biospotix Indoor Spray.

At the outset, it must be said that I am well aware that I was REALLY thorough with cleaning the house. Some of my repeated house cleaning has probably not been necessary at all! But I was determined to WIN the battle over the fleas, and I wanted to win it FAST, which I did.

(The house is 117 square meters with tiled floors and lacquered wooden floors with rubber between the boards. There is only one carpet under the coffee table and a few blankets for the dogs).

A) CLEANING OF THE BEDROOM

  • Vacuuming of beds, mattresses and floor.
  • Wash duvets, pillows, bed linen and covers on top mattresses.
  • Beds, mattresses and bedding are subsequently sprayed with Biospotix Indoor Spray.

B) CLEANING OF OTHER ROOMS

  • Vacuuming of floors, couches, cushions and carpet under the coffee table.
  • Wash couch and cushion covers as well as the dogs’ blankets.
  • White sheets are laid over the couches (without couch covers).
  • Couches, carpet and dogs’ blankets are subsequently sprayed with Biospotix Indoor Spray.

(Fabric is washed at 60 degrees).

On October 11, 2022:
  • In the evening I discovered a few live fleas and flea excrement on both my Papillon dogs and realized that it was also a flea, I, approx. 5 days before, had seen running through Bella’s fur.

Course of flea control:

Day 1 (October 12, 2022):
  • The veterinarian shaved the part of Ditte Dot Com’s fur where the fur was long/thick and tangled in some places. While the shaving took place at the veterinarian, a flea jumped off Ditte. I cut Bella’s fur myself at home.
  • House cleaning (points A + B).
  • In the shower cabin, the dogs were doused with water and soaped in all over (NOT the head – avoid getting soap in the eyes and ears) in Biogance Fleas Away Shampoo For Dogs.
  • After this, the fur was rinsed thoroughly with water and I soaped the fur back in, let the soap sit for 2 minutes, then rinsed the fur thoroughly with water.

(While bathing Ditte Dot Com, a flea jumped off her. I saw no fleas when I bathed Bella).

  • The dogs were dried lightly in a clean towel, after which they were only allowed access to cleaned and sprayed areas.

(In the evening there was a flea in the bed. I saw it as a good sign that the fleas would no longer sit on the dogs due to the flea repellency of the shampoo).

Day 2 (October 13, 2022):
  • As it had now been 48 hours since the dogs were bathed in flea shampoo, I put the dogs on a clean white towel and sprayed their fur (NOT on the head – avoid getting the spray in the eyes and ears) with Biospotix Flea Spray For Dogs and brushed the fur through in a criss-cross pattern, so that the spray was spread.

(While I was combing Bella’s fur, I saw about 10 fleas. A few fleas were alive, some were half-dead – they were lying on their sides, kicking their legs every now and then – and some had fallen onto the towel and were dead. A few of the fleas, which were half-dead I put in a drop from the spray to see if the spray was able to kill the fleas, and after a few minutes the fleas were dead. The rest of the live fleas I killed by clicking them).

(I didn’t see any live fleas on Ditte Dot Com, but there were a few that fell off her, when I combed her, and layed dead on the towel).

  • Before the dogs had access to the couches again, I changed the sheets on the couches, which I sprayed with Biospotix Indoor Spray.
Day 3 (October 14, 2022) – From this day there were NO FLEAS:
  • The house’s floors were vacuumed and washed.
  • In the evening I combed the dogs’ fur while they were standing on a clean white towel and there were NO fleas (either alive or dead).
  • I sprayed the sheets on the couches one more time with Biospotix Indoor Spray.
Day 4 (October 15, 2022):
  • Now that another 48 hours had passed since the dogs were last sprayed with Biospotix Flea Spray For Dogs, I sprayed them again while they were standing on a clean white towel and there were NO fleas (either alive or dead).
  • Before the dogs had access to the beds and couches again, I repeated the cleaning under points A + B (duvets and pillows were not washed, but only shaken outside).
Day 5 (October 16, 2022):
  • The car (which the dogs had not been in since the fleas were found) was cleaned by vacuuming, washing surfaces and final spraying with Biospotix Indoor Spray.
  • In the evening I combed the dogs’ fur while they were standing on a clean white towel and there were NO fleas (either alive or dead).
Day 6 (October 17, 2022):
  • Now that another 48 hours had passed since the dogs were last sprayed with Biospotix Dog Flea Spray, I sprayed them again while they were standing on a clean white towel and there were NO fleas (either alive or dead).
  • Although it was probably not necessary, I repeated the cleaning under points A + B (duvets and pillows were not washed, but only shaken outside) before the dogs had access to these areas again.
Day 7 and 8 (October 18 and 19, 2022):
  • I combed the dogs’ fur while they were standing on a clean white towel and there were NO fleas (either alive or dead) – therefore I considered the battle against the fleas won!

Future prevention:

In addition to regular weekly house cleaning, I spray (vacuumed) beds, sofas, carpets, mats and dog rugs approximately once a month with Biospotix Indoor Spray.

In addition, once in a while I lightly spray the dogs with Biospotix Flea Spray For Dogs while I comb through their fur before we go for walks in e.g. overgrown areas with tall grass, and they now both wear (size small of) Biospotix Repellent Collars For Dogs, which last up to 4 months.

Dorthe Øfeldt

Denmark

  • About geraniol Link.
  • Geraniol – A review of a commercially important fragrance material Link.
  • Geraniol Profile – Active Ingredient Eligible for Minimum Risk Pesticide Use Link.
  • The use of essential oils in veterinary ectoparasite control – A review Link.
  • Efficacy of Illicium verum (star anise) and Pelargonium graveolens (rose geranium) essential oil on cat fleas.
    Insecticidal activity against both immature and adult flea stages were observed Link.
  • Repellency effect of essential oils of some native plants against human fleas. Based on findings the two essential oils: thyme and myrtle (rich in volatile terpenes, thymol, α–pinene, 1, 8 cineol, camphor, limonene, linalool, and geraniol), are preferable in terms of repellency effect against human flea Link.
  • Repelling properties on tick Link.
  • Geraniol has a preventive effect against Hyalomma ticks. Data give evidence that geraniol, natural product extracted from plants, could be an alternative to limit use of chemical acaricides, which efficacy is compromised by development of resistance Link.
  • Efficacy of geraniol, a natural product extracted from plants, as a tick repellent. Could be an alternative to limit use of chemical acaricides, which efficacy is compromised by development of resistance Link.
  • Resistance to conventional synthetic pesticides has been widely reported in ticks, parasitic mites and other pests of veterinary and medical significance. New and novel approaches to manage these pests are therefore needed to ensure efficient control programmes that can be implemented now and in the future. Recent research in this area has focused on the pesticidal potential of plant essential oils. These products are attractive as pesticide candidates on the grounds of low mammalian toxicity, short environmental persistence and complex chemistries (limiting the development of pest resistance against them). In the current work, three such components (terpenes) found in essential oils (eugenol, geraniol and citral) were tested against the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae. All provided 100 % mortality in toxicity tests when undiluted Link.
  • Sustained efficacy against mosquitoes and ticks Link.
  • Efficacious plant-based repellent that provides an extended duration of protection against mosquitoes Link.
  • Significant repellent activity of geraniol in both indoor and outdoor environments against mosquitoes Link.
  • The incidence of dengue, Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever and malaria cases has increased significantly in the world. To avoid mosquito bites, one of the best strategies is the use of repellents. Limonene, 1,8-cineole, geraniol, eugenol and vitronellal are the active compounds that mostly appear in the essential oils of plants with repellent activity. Future research must be conducted to the use of nanotechnology in the development of extended release systems containing essential oils with repellent activity produced from natural and biodegradable materials Link.
  • Larvicidal activity of the essential oil derived from the roots of the plant species Toddalia asiatica (orange climber) against the larvae of the mosquito Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger/forest day mosquito). The principal compounds in Toddalia asiatica essential oil were geraniol. The result indicated that the essential oil of Toddalia asiatica roots and the three isolated constituents have potential for use in control of Aedes albopictus larvae and could be useful in search of newer, safer, and more effective natural compounds as larvicides Link.
  • Reduction of mosquito biting pressure by geraniol Link.
  • Ability of essential oil candles to repel biting insects in high and low biting pressure environments Link.
  • Anisaldehyde and geraniol could be promising spatial repellents against Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger/forest day mosquito), including playing a major role in new repellent technology Link.
  • Biological activity of saturated diethers prepared from geraniol were studied on three mosquito species and the bug Dysdercus koenigii (red cotton stainer) – Exhibited oviposition deterrent and developmental inhibition activities Link.
  • Essential oils and pure compounds showed insecticidal activity against Stephanitis pyrioides (Azalea lace bug) and Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) Link.
  • Essential oils from aromatic plants as effective insecticides against mosquitoes, houseflies, and moths Link.
  • Both geraniol and the fatty acids show promise for horn fly control, especially in organic agriculture Link.
  • A geraniol candle was almost 5 times as effective as a citronella candle and about twice as effective as a linalool candle in protecting a person from being bitten indoors by sand flies Link.
  • Naturally occurring bioactive compounds from four repellent essential oils against Bemisia tabaci whiteflies Link.
  • Toxicity of geraniol solution to the poultry red mite Link.
  • The protection of grains from insect infestation is critical during storage. Insect repellent pellets (IRPs) are a potential technique to repel insects by hindering insect movement toward the grains. IRP contain active components (phenol, 2,4-di-tert-butyl-, citral, neral, geraniol, n-hexadecansyre). IRPs possessed antifungal properties and were able to repel the adults of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. These insects ultimately died from the fumes. The IRPs can be termed potent botanical insecticides and are an alternative to synthetic insecticides Link.
  • Zein nanoparticles loaded with the main constituents of the essential oil of citronella (geraniol and R-citronellal) – The nanotechnological formulation offers a new option for the effective use of botanical repellents in agriculture, reducing toxicity, protecting against premature degradation, and providing effective pest control Link.
  • Test and comparison of the efficacy of main ingredients of essential oils against Permethrin-resistant adult head lice – Citronellol and geraniol showed the highest knockdown and mortality effect on adult lice of both sexes and third-stage nymphs Link.
  • These formulations were effective against head lice with mortality ranging from 30 to 60 %, being the most effective emulsions those containing linalool, 1,8-cineole, α-terpineol, thymol, eugenol, geraniol and nonyl alcohol which lead to mortalities above 50 %. Systems which could be a new route for the green fabrication of biocompatible and biosustainable insecticide formulations Link.
  • Essential oils and their components in combating fungal pathogens of animal and human skin Link.
  • Neuroprotective effect of geraniol on neurological disorders Link.

The purpose of this website is to inform about own observations regarding medicinal mushrooms. How this knowledge is used is up to one’s self. The author of this website cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from information or suggestions from this website. The author of the website is not a dealer of medicinal mushrooms. The website is thus not a sales page, but only an information page.

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