Flea and Tick Control
Dried herbs and essential oils can be very effective in shielding your animal from fleas and ticks. I have seen a full-blown tick drop off of a dog onto the floor when a single drop of undiluted tea tree oil was applied directly. Cleaning pet bedding with pure essential oils helps repel vermin.
Pet Powder
2 drops juniper oil
2 drops lavender oil
1/2 cup arrowroot (or cornstarch, clay, baking soda, or equal part blend of these)
Combine the arrowroot and essential oils, crushing the clumps of oil between your fingers to evenly distribute them. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the pure essential oils to avoid any contact with the eyes or delicate mucous membranes. Sprinkle on pet as a preventive powder.
You can make an herbal bug-repellent pillow for a cat or dog by adding equal amounts of lavender flowers, cedarwood chips and pennyroyal herb (not oil) to the stuffing of a pillow or small homemade pet bed mattress. If you're substituting pure essential oils for the dried herbs, use only 5 drops total per pillow or mattress and, again, avoid pennyroyal oil. I know it is listed in many pet recipes, but I feel it is much too strong to be used directly on an animal. Also avoid using irritating citrus oils. While they are an ingredient in many flea repellents, they are used highly diluted. I once witnessed a small kitten go into convulsions after an unsuspecting owner applied orange oil to its fur. I would not suggest using pure essential oils with young puppies or kittens. I tend to use homeopathy with my cats and they very seldom have the need for pure essential oils.
Pure essential oils may, however, be added in small amounts to a pet's bathwater, approximately 8 drops of essential oil to two gallons of water. Eucalyptus, lavender, juniper, cedarwood, peppermint, or tea tree work well.
***Caution: Always consult a veterinarian before attempting to treat a pet's potentially serious condition on your own.***
From The Essential Oils Book by Colleen K. Dodt (©1996 by Colleen K. Dodt; published by Storey Publishing).
Dog Flea Oil (can be used for Cats)
2 1/2 c Warm Water
2 dr EO Of Lavender
2 dr EO Of Cedarwood
[Note: Source unknown]
Mix the essential oils around well to disperse them in the water. Take your dog brush and soak the bristles in this solution.
Then brush the dog through. Alternatively, soak a piece of cloth in the solution and rub it over the coat. Make sure you avoid the face and delicate sections of the underneath area. Rover will appreciate this believe me. Continue until the whole coat is covered.
The best method is to wash your pet's bedding regularly putting a couple of drops of pure lavender oil in the water and to use it in a aerosol spray on your carpets and rugs. If your cats are anything like mine keeping them off the human beds is a problem as well fortunately I use lavender oil on your bedding anyway. If nothing else your animals will smell as sweet as they look.
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Herbal Flea Powder and Doggie Deodorizer
1 Extra Large Box Of Baking Soda
2 lb Cornstarch
2 c Dried Pennyroyal
2 c Dried Lavender Buds
1 c Dried Rosemary
20 Drops EO Of Citronella
20 Drops EO Of Lemon
30 Drops EO Of Pennyroyal
20 Drops EO Of Rosemary Or Lavender
Blend the herbs to a fine powder. Drop the EOs over the powdered herbs.
Then mix all ingredients and leave the scents mingle a few days.
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I had a flea infestation throughout my apartment, my body (and my lover's body) a couple of years ago. What seemed to work was that I washed all bedding and put a clean washrag with several drops of pennyroyal oil in the dryer with the items (if you don't have or use a dryer, you could put it in the last rinse). Then I added pennyroyal oil to my hair conditioner, and occasionally sprayed our bedding with a mixture of alcohol and pennyroyal oil. We were kind of minty, but it eventually worked. I also seem to remember putting sachets of pennyroyal and whatever other herbs I had that I heard fleas don't like in my closet and other places, but I don't have a written recipe for that. (Cassidy, HC list)
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Carpet Freshener
3 c Lavender Buds
2 c Rosemary Leaves
2 c Baking Soda
3 c Lavender Buds
2 c Rosemary Leaves
2 c Baking Soda
[Note: Recipe By : Making Glorious Gifts from Your Garden/Marie Browning]
Mix and use.
NOTES : When the carpet smells musty, sprinkle it with this blend. Leave for a few hours, then vacuum up. The herbs add fragrance and deodorize the carpet, deterring moths, fleas, and pet smells.
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Household and Decorative Applications
Catnip's scent is said to repel rats and mice and a popular use was to plant it around valuable crops to deter these vermin. A strong infusion can be sprayed onto foliage as a general insect repellent. Freshly picked catnip leaves can be rubbed into your pet's coat to drive fleas away. It is often found planted near the vegetable garden where it is used to repel cabbage pests, aphids, cucumber beetles and ants.
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Flea and Tick Control
[Note: From The Essential Oils Book by Colleen K. Dodt]
Dried herbs and essential oils can be very effective in shielding your animal from fleas and ticks. I have seen a full-blown tick drop off of a dog onto the floor when a single drop of undiluted tea tree oil was applied directly. Cleaning pet bedding with pure essential oils helps repel vermin.
Pet Powder
2 drops juniper oil
2 drops lavender oil
1/2 cup arrowroot (or cornstarch, clay, baking soda, or equal part blend of these)
Combine the arrowroot and essential oils, crushing the clumps of oil between your fingers to evenly distribute them. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the pure essential oils to avoid any contact with the eyes or delicate mucous membranes. Sprinkle on pet as a preventive powder.
You can make an herbal bug-repellent pillow for a cat or dog by adding equal amounts of lavender flowers, cedarwood chips and pennyroyal herb (not oil) to the stuffing of a pillow or small homemade pet bed mattress. If you're substituting pure essential oils for the dried herbs, use only 5 drops total per pillow or mattress and, again, avoid pennyroyal oil. I know it is listed in many pet recipes, but I feel it is much too strong to be used directly on an animal. Also avoid using irritating citrus oils. While they are an ingredient in many flea repellents, they are used highly diluted. I once witnessed a small kitten go into convulsions after an unsuspecting owner applied orange oil to its fur. I would not suggest using pure essential oils with young puppies or kittens. I tend to use homeopathy with my cats and they very seldom have the need for pure essential oils.
Pure essential oils may, however, be added in small amounts to a pet's bathwater, approximately 8 drops of essential oil to two gallons of water. Eucalyptus, lavender, juniper, cedarwood, peppermint, or tea tree work well.
***Caution: Always consult a veterinarian before attempting to treat a pet's potentially serious condition on your own.***
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- Fleas: Try putting a drop of lemon oil or oil of rosemary on your pet's collar for flea control.
- Fleas and Ticks: A teaspoon of vinegar for each quart of drinking water helps keep your pet free of fleas and ticks. (This ratio is good for a 40-pound animal.)
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Rub Tansy on the coat of your dog to prevent fleas. Hang leaves indoors to deter flies. Put dried sprigs under carpets. Add to insect repellent sachets. Sprinkle chopped leaves and flowers to deter ants and mice.
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Flea Collar - I don't know the meaning of these odd measurements - I'll see what I can find out!
2 tablespoons Peppermint essential oil
ˆ cup plus 2 tablespoons Rosemary essential oil
2 tablespoons Cedarwood essential oil
‰ cup Citronella essential oil
2 tablespoons Eucalyptus essential oil
Soak a natural fiber rope in mixture and let dry for several hours. Tie around pet's neck.