How to Naturally Treat Fleas and Ticks
If you’re looking for a sustainable and effective alternative to conventional flea and tick preventative, the right natural product could be just what you’re after.
Natural flea remedies combine plant-based extracts and other ingredients to repel and kill parasites.
Fleas and ticks are a big nuisance for pets and their owners, and can carry a number of serious diseases. The best way to prevent them from wreaking havoc on your pet – and in your home – is with a flea and tick treatment that is both safe and effective when used as directed.
When your dog or cat needs some form of flea and tick prevention, a natural flea and tick product can be a great option – if you choose the right product and apply it appropriately.
How Natural Flea and Tick Treatments Work
In order to protect themselves, certain plants naturally produce oils that are unpleasant or even harmful to insects. Natural flea and tick treatments take advantage of these oils, combining plant-based extracts and other ingredients to repel and kill them on contact – just like conventional flea and tick treatments.
Most often found in sprays and topical ointments, natural flea and tick treatments typically work in two ways.
- Like many conventional preventatives, natural treatments attack an insect’s nervous system, disabling them within seconds or minutes after contact. What’s more, these treatments have an effect on flea eggs and larvae, often disabling their ability to mature and reproduce, killing them on contact, which helps prevent infestations from reoccurring.
- When applied as directed, natural treatments can keep your pet and your home pest-free by repelling fleas and ticks before they attach themselves to your pet.
Natural flea and tick prevention could be an alternative to conventional flea and tick treatments.
Are These Treatments Safe?
Natural flea and tick prevention has become popular in the past few years as pet owners look for treatment alternatives. But how do you know which products are safe for your pet?
When choosing natural flea and tick prevention, it’s best to use products that include EPA-approved 25b ingredients (these have been evaluated for safety and efficacy and approved for use by the EPA) for safety and effectiveness. Not only have these ingredients been studied for their pest-control properties, they’ve also been found to pose little or no risk to humans and pets when used as directed.
How to Use Natural Flea and Tick Treatments
Whether you’re dealing with prevention or an infestation, natural flea and tick treatments typically require more applications than traditional treatments to maintain their effectiveness – which means more care and attention from you. Various natural products can be applied:
- On your pet: Follow product directions to ensure the product is used safely and correctly. Natural treatments will often need to be applied to your pet weekly or even more frequently, to provide the right level of protection. (By contrast, many conventional treatments are applied monthly.) If your pet already has fleas, you may need to apply the product more than once to eliminate them completely or consider using a natural flea and tick shampoo to stem the infestation.
- In your home: Natural flea and tick sprays are available for use on your bedding, carpet, drapes and other surfaces to eliminate and control unwanted fleas, ticks and mosquitoes in your home. This helps ensure your pet won’t become re-infested, and helps prevent fleas from laying eggs elsewhere.
When choosing a natural flea and tick treatment check the ingredients.
Choosing a Natural Flea and Tick Treatment for Your Pet
When you’re ready to choose a flea and tick treatment for your dog or cat, your best bet is to select one which meets EPA and state standards. Also, don’t forget to check the ingredient list. Many natural products have distinct scents of the plant or flower it has been extracted from, so make sure your chosen product has a smell you won’t mind when your dog or cat is snuggling up to you!
To keep your pet happy and healthy, and give you peace of mind, Hartz offers a safe and natural flea and tick treatment that uses EPA-approved and proven 25b ingredients to control these unwanted pests. In addition to our conventional flea and tick control products for dogs and flea and tick products for cats, these products are another great tool to help you keep your home a pest-free paradise.
