In case you hadn’t noticed, this summer has been an especially bad one for fleas! Southern California, and other parts of the country, experienced unusually wet winters with lots of growth in the spring. As soon as the weather warmed up, conditions were perfect for an explosion in the flea population.
Fleas love hanging out in shady areas around the yard, and they’re gathering in overwhelming numbers. It’s inevitable that your pet, while playing and lying in those areas, may pick up some hitchhikers and bring them into the house. Once there, the fleas might not like the odor of your pet, but you probably smell and taste pretty good to them. Do what you can to prevent flea bites on yourself and your family – treat the environment!
A great, all natural, method to do-it-yourself easily and inexpensively is Diatomaceous earth. We prefer food-grade Diatomaceous earth in case it’s ingested by pets. Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of microalgae called diatoms. It comes as a fine powder, very much like baby powder in consistency – use care to not inhale. You can Google the science, but it basically dehydrates fleas. Some people recommend using it like a flea powder, but we do not (the dehydrating properties can dry your pet’s skin), but it’s an excellent all-natural way to treat the environment.
To treat outdoors, we recommend mixing the Diatomaceous earth with water in a bucket and disbursing throughout the yard using a hose end sprayer for complete coverage. Focus on moist, shady areas; the edges/corners of the yard; around the house; anywhere your pet likes to spend time. To treat indoors, sprinkle on carpets, pet bedding and upholstered furniture – leave a few hours before vacuuming. To break the life cycle, repeat in 3 days, and again 3 days later.
If this isn’t up your alley, you can always hire a professional company to come spray your yard and around the house – there are many that offer non-toxic solutions. Whichever option you choose, don’t neglect to treat the environment in your all-natural approach to flea prevention!
Enjoy the summer!!! 😎