How To Get Rid Of Fleas In The Yard Naturally

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Do you need to kill fleas in the yard that have gotten out of control? Fleas are one of the most annoying creatures on Earth. They bite humans and animals and can infest our yards and homes. Once your home or garden is infested with fleas it can be incredibly difficult to get rid of them. Fortunately, there are a handful of homemade flea remedies you can try to help prevent and kill fleas in the yard. Read on to learn home remedies to eliminate fleas from your yard and a recipe for homemade flea repellent spray.

Table of contents

Flea Home Remedies
Where do fleas live in the house?
1. Where do fleas live outside?
2. How long do fleas live in your house?
3. Can fleas live under a house?
4. What kills fleas in the yard naturally?
What can I spray in my yard to kill fleas and ticks?
1. Vinegar to kill fleas in the yard
What home remedy kills fleas in the yard?
1. Kill fleas with Dawn Dish Soap
Can I drown fleas?
1. Does lime kill fleas in the yard?
What temperature will kill fleas?
1. Will cold kill fleas?
Using Diatomaceous Earth to Kill Fleas in the Yard

Flea Home Remedies

If you've ever had a flea infestation in your home or yard you'll know how annoying those little bugs are and how difficult they can be to get rid of. Over the years my pets have had flea problems periodically and we've had infestations indoors and out.

Even when our home was free of fleas, a simple walk in the backyard could result in insanely itchy flea bites around our ankles.

If you'll remember from high school history class, fleas were the main source of the bubonic plague that killed 1/3 of Europe's population during the 14th century. Now, I'm not trying to start mass hysteria or blow things out of proportion, but I think we can all agree that fleas suck.

Even if you treat the interior of your home and eliminate fleas inside, your dogs and cats can drag them right back in if they are living in your yard. The source of these fleas can be difficult to track down.

Where do fleas live in the house?

Where do fleas live outside?

Fleas' ideal living conditions are in a humid, moist and dark place where they can feed on organic material or blood from mammals. They can be founded in tall grass, in shrubs, weeds, wood piles, debris, a dog's house, a shed or a garage, outdoors furniture, and any other moist areas.

A simple way to look for infested areas of the yard is to put on white, knee-high socks and stand for a few minutes in one place. If that area is infested with fleas, they will jump onto the socks quickly.

How long do fleas live in your house?

Undisturbed and without a blood meal, a flea can live more than 100 days. On average, they live two to three months. Female fleas cannot lay eggs until after their first blood meal and begin to lay eggs within 36-48 hours after that meal.

Can fleas live under a house?

Fleas usually enter the house on your pets, but they can also hitch a ride on clothing, and have even been seen to jump right into the house on their own. Hard-surfaced floors are no protection, either; fleas can live in the cracks and around the edges of wood, laminate, or tile floors. Fleas can live in basements, crawl spaces in dark moist areas under your house.

What kills fleas in the yard naturally?

Nematodes are a great natural solution for killing fleas in the yard. Beneficial nematodes are microscopic worms that feed on flea eggs and larvae.These worms are 100% safe for humans, pets, vegetation, grass and gardens. You can purchase beneficial nematodes at your local home improvement store or on Amazon.

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for being part of Crafty Little Gnome

supplies for killing fleas naturally on a wood tray with herbs and jars

What can I spray in my yard to kill fleas and ticks?

Vinegar to kill fleas in the yard

There are a number of natural sprays you can use to kill fleas in your yard. Fleas hate the taste and aroma of vinegar so bathing your pet in distilled white vinegar will help rid them of fleas.

Alternatively, bathing your pet in a combination of clove and lavender essential oils will keep fleas off of him while giving your pet's coat a pleasant smell.

A natural chemical inside clove extract, called Eugenol, has pesticide properties that instantly kill fleas and ticks on contact.

Squirt your normal amount of dog shampoo into your hand and add 10 drops of clove and lavender essential oil. Bathe them like usual.

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What home remedy kills fleas in the yard?

Kill fleas with Dawn Dish Soap

A simple spray made with Dawn dish soap is all that most homeowners need to rid their yard and pet of troublesome fleas.

Fill a garden sprayer with water and 1 oz of dish soap.
Spray all over the garden in the evening.
Check for fleas the next day. If still present repeat spraying that night.
Repeat every 10-12 to kill flea eggs that may have survived but not hatched yet.

You can also bathe your dog in Dawn dish soap at the same time and kill any fleas that are in your dog's fur.

Check out the homemade flea spray for dogs at the bottom of this post.

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Can I drown fleas?

You can set up flea traps around your home and garden by filling a bowl with water and dish soap. The fleas will jump in and drown in the water and be killed by the soap.

Fleas can't swim. They also won't break the surface tension of water. Upon entering water, fleas flail around on the surface in an attempt to reach a physical object so they can jump or crawl out.

Fleas can survive for up to 7 days when dropped in water. When submerged, it takes fleas at least 24 hours to drown. Adding a couple drops of dish soap to the water will speed up the process. Dish soaps contain surfactants, which reduce water's surface tension and cause fleas to sink and drown.

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Does lime kill fleas in the yard?

Agricultural lime is a very gentle, animal-friendly product, but hydrated lime is not. Also called calcium hydroxide and slaked lime, hydrated lime is highly caustic and can burn skin and eyes. It is used in cement and mortar, and it can kill a number of lawn-inhabiting parasites, such as fleas.

You can use hydrated lime to kill fleas in your yard but why expose yourself and your family to a dangerous chemical when there are so many other ways outlined in this post.

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What temperature will kill fleas?

At all life stages, Fleas can't survive temperature above 95 degrees.

You can help kill fleas by putting blankets and pillows that may have fleas, eggs or larve on them in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes.

Will cold kill fleas?

Fleas can't survive in freezing cold weather. It doesn't need to be quite freezing, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit, for fleas to freeze and die. Once the temperatures fall to 37 degrees, it's cold enough to kill mature fleas as well as eggs, larvae and pupae.

Using Diatomaceous Earth to Kill Fleas in the Yard

Wait for an extended period of dry weather because DE must be in dust form to work properly. Diatomaceous earth (DE) can be applied to the affected areas by applying it with any type of dust spreader, normally available at garden centers. The dust may be mixed with water and sprayed on infested areas of the yard, but only if the weather will be dry enough for at least a week so the DE can return to its dry dust form and begin working on fleas.

The product can be effective on larvae infesting outdoor animal housing areas and bedding. If you do use DE in a yard, the DE will need to be reapplied to the yard after rainfall, since rain may wash the product into the soil.

Any dust can be hazardous if inhaled in sufficient amounts, and DE is no exception. The sharp edges of the dust can irritate soft tissues of the throat and lungs, so dust-filtering masks and safety goggles are a must.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Active Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Difficulty easy

Estimated Cost $10

Materials

1 part Dawn dish washing liquid
1 part apple cider vinegar
2 parts water
Lavender essential oil (optional)

Tools

Spray bottle
Measuring spoon

Instructions

Add ingredients to a spray bottle

Spray the mixture on your pets.

Wash off after 30 minutes with pet shampoo and warm water.

Notes

Make sure your dog doesn't lick the soap off of his fur.

Do not use on cats