How to Kill Fleas Safely

How to Kill Fleas without harming our pets or using chemicals has always been a leading question for today's pet lovers. I have six cats at home and within the last year our community has been swarmed by these little nasty pests.

I have tried many products over the years but most of them have major flaws. First of all, DON'T EVER USE A FLEA COLLAR. The flea collars not only can poison or suffocate your animal if used incorrectly, but they are highly ineffective. They will only kill fleas around the head and neck areas and only are effective for a short period of time. They could also cause infections.

Natural powders and sprays like "Sentry Natural Defense" and "De Flea" can also be fairly effective but don't always get the eggs, which is 90% of the problem. Also, one of my cats "Gracie" seems to hiss quite a bit when I used these applications.

Spot on treatments like Advantage and Frontline are the best alternatives if two conditions exist. First, you need to be able to afford the high price of the applications, that need to be applied on a monthly basis. And secondly, the fleas in your house can not be immune to these chemicals. Within the past year these treatments stopped being effective in my house because of this factor.

Some of my friends have had success ridding their dogs of fleas with a pill called Capstar, but when I sampled it on my cats it lasted for 3-4 days. Additionally,it is not easy to pop a pill into your pet's mouth without an injury occuring.

My last resort, before I came up with my current solution, was the infamous flea bomb. The fleas were destroyed for up to two weeks but my cats did not like the odor in the house and behaved strangely. Also, this solution requires a great deal of planning and moving of pets and furniture.

My current solution, which I believe to be the best,was discovered as I browsed the internet in search of flea control. Diatomaceous Earth is composed of finely milled fossilized shells of minuscule organisms called diatoms. The microscopically fine, sharp edges desiccate the insects' exoskeleton upon contact and the pests dehydrate and die within hours. The insects also die when they eat the dust.

Diatomaceous earth or "DE" in it's natural form is fatal to insects but harmless to humans and their pets. The only harm can come from getting it in your eye or breathing in an excessive amount of the dust. It should be applied cautiously.

You should sprinkle a light layer of DE in areas where pests frequent, including under stoves, cabinets, sinks, garbage cans, window and door frames and sills, entrance ways, sewer pipes and drains, and in cracks and crevices. Thoroughly dust carpets and pet's bedding and sleeping areas, as well as cracks and baseboards. It also can be rubbed into your pet's fur.

This unique flea treatment
has worked miraculously in my household. My cats don't itch anymore and my rugs are flealess. The only drawback is that my cats look like powdered doughnuts for a few hours.

One precaution should be taken when purchasing Diatomaceous Earth. There is a heat treated form that is used for pool filters which is dangerous to humans and pets. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS TYPE OF Diatomaceous Earth.

How to Kill Fleas effectively without using chemicals is very easy once you use this product. It can be found in hardware stores and garden centers like AGWAY.