Flea infestations in your home or yard occur when fleas find a host to live on. Typical hosts are dogs or cats that carry fleas into the home, hidden in their fur. Flea bites can be painful and irritating and, left unattended, flea infestation can spread throughout your home. While there are many commercial products for ridding your home and pets of fleas, citronella spray is a home remedy that is just as effective.

Place 15 drops of citronella oil in a spray bottle then fill the remainder of the bottle with water. Shake the bottle before each use to mix the oil with the water.

Ridding your dog of fleas will make it much happier.

Spray your dog's coat with the citronella spray and work the spray into the coat with your fingers. Spray citronella spray directly onto your hands to wipe it around the face area, avoiding the eyes and insides of ears.

  • Flea infestations in your home or yard occur when fleas find a host to live on.
  • Spray citronella spray directly onto your hands to wipe it around the face area, avoiding the eyes and insides of ears.

Apply citronella spray to your hands and lightly wipe the spray onto your cat's coat.

Cotton balls can be used to help repel fleas in your home.

Soak cotton balls with your citronella spray and place them in areas that cannot be reached with the vacuum. The citronella spray-soaked cotton balls will repel fleas in carpeted areas behind heavy furniture.

Spray carpeting with the citronella spray, then vacuum with the vacuum set as low to the carpet as possible so fleas hidden deep in the carpet pile can be extracted.

TIP

Continue to protect your outdoor pets from fleas regularly by using citronella spray every couple weeks.

WARNING

Some essential oils can be harmful to cats. Use citronella in an extremely diluted form, with a very light application.