Getting rid of fleas is a muti-tasked challenge. For example, if your pet has fleas and you have a large backyard that the pet plays in, then more than likely you also have yard fleas. Killing the fleas on your pet won't be enough to rid the home of the pest. You will also have to target other environments where the fleas live, including your back yard. As animals roam around their fleas and flea eggs drop off them and flourish wherever they drop. Dark and shady areas with plenty of debris, grasses, shrubs, vines and weeds are natural flea habitats. The fleas specifically prefer shady and moist areas, including old logs, compost piles and mulch areas. They are most often seen around the dog house, under the porch, around the garage and on lawn furniture. Don't think for a moment that only domestic animals carry fleas to the yard. Fleas are transmitted by a multitude of warm blooded mammals including squirrels, raccons, rabbits, birds, chipmunks, rats and mice. While fleas feed on warm blooded mammals and primates, the backyard can serve as an in between home for them. Fat well fed fleas fall off their hosts and lay where they fall. They survive a long time in the wild while they digest their last blood meal, and then lay in the grass, weeds or shrubs until the opportunity presents itself to hop onto a host. So if your house has a back yard that your pet uses, then ridding your backyard of fleas is an integral part of a multifocal strategy to end your flea infestation. The first step is to clean your backyard in a manor that makes it less appealing to fleas. You should remove all trash and reduce clutter in the yard. And then let more sun into the back yard by trimming your trees and bushes. Fleas dislike sun, and trimming alone will reduce the flea load considerably. Standard initial treatment for a flea infested yard, is insecticides. Hosing down the area with pesticide spray will get rid of the fleas, for at least a few weeks. However, a pesticide treatment alone may only temporarily, so should be followed up by treatment with other modalities. Pesticides should also be used cautiously. Insecticides containing organo-phosophate chemicals such as Carbaryl, Malathion or Lindane should be avoided as they have toxic effects. One safer spray is made of Pyrethrum, a chemical extracted from Chrysanthemum flowers. The chemical is non-toxic and therefore will not endanger your pets. . Pyrethrum can be applied after mixing with a natural organic base. The totally natural spray treatment is effective and lacking the toxic side effects of some other pesticides. Several natural treatments for fleas can be used in combination and are very effective. Diatomaceous is a powder consisting of tiny sharp configured particles which result from drying tiny microcopsic plants.Typically, when the fine powder is spread on dusty areas it will stick to the bodies of fleas, cut them and dehydrate them. The fine powder is especially effective when spread on dusty area that harbor fleas such as around dog houses and chicken runs. The downside of the diatomaceous earth is that it is irritating to skin, on contact, and does not break down when inhaled. It may therefore cause irritation to the lungs of wildlife that live close to the earth. Nematodes are another natural aid to getting rid of yard fleas. Nematodes consume flea larvae and can be applied in a spray form to the yard. For best effectiveness, they should be periodically applied to grassy areas where your pet likes to play. The tiny nematodes will make quick work of the fleas, and once they have done their job will die by natural selection or you can keep them alive with periodic watering. To insure consistent protection throughout the flea season, it may be necessary to reapply the nematodes periodically. Fleas are also repelled by plants and plant products with pungent odors. These make excellent natural flea repellants. Cedar chips, for example, repell fleas and can be applied along fence borders and around and in shady garden areas. The scent of Eucalyptic leaves also repels fleas and homeowners have the choice of planting trees, if the climate is right, or else applying the leaves to garden beds. A number of additional odiferous herbs and plants are said to be effective in repelling fleas. The list of these plants includes: basil, camomile, costmary, cowslip, daisies, fennel, garlic, germander, hops, marjoram, meadowsweet, mint, pennyroyal, pine, rose, rosemary, sage, southernwood, sweet flag, sweet woodruff, tansy, thuja, thyme, sweet violet, winter savory. {Some caution should be observed when using Pennyroyal, especially if you are planning to apply it directly to the pet as Pennyroyal, as well as Rue and Wormwood and some other essential oils have caused adverse reactions in animals. |On a cautionary note, while Pennyroyal kills fleas, however, Pennyroyal, Rue & Wormwood & some UNDILUTED essential oils may be too risky to use directly on pets & some pets have an adverse reaction even to Rosemary. } On the other hand, those inclined to use natural substances may consider using essential oils from orange, grapefruit and lemons. These chemical are lethal to fleas but pet safe. Borax spray is another non-pesticide treatment which is believed to be effective for ridding yards of fleas. Additionally, sprays made from boiled rosemary leaves and oil or else cedar oil have been used with success. Water kills fleas, and so periodic flooding of the backyard can be effective if the topography of the yard permits. The flooding attacks the flea population in two ways. It kills the adult fleas and washes away flea feces, which serve as food for the larvae. To complete your backyard treatment, be sure to disinfect pet house area, and all backyard furniture.
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If you have discovered that your home is flea infested, you will need to mount a multi-focal attack against the tiny invader. If you have a home with a backyard, where your pet is allowed to run, than ridding the backyard of fleas is an important part of the complete anti-flea strategy.
This research has been supported by Entymologist Dovis Davis, Director of A #1 Pest Control Exterminator Bed Bugs, Roach, Animal, Fleas Termite Control
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