Natural Cure for Fleas

Boric acid didn't work for me. I got Borax a laundry additive,which may have other ingredients than just boric acid. Boric acid is available at pharmacies kept behind the counter, but a prescription is not required.
Boric acid is poisonous,so youcan't put it where kids or pets can get to it.When I used it I didn't have kids,and I put it only in select areas where the pets couldn't get it(maybe that's why it didn't work!)

I think that Borax found in the laundry section of grocery store does not contain boric acid. The package lists another long name as toxic.

Boric acid and Borax are both toxic substances. I would not put either of them down or on anything that children will have access to. The Borax package does suggest using it for odors and stains. The directions also say to vacuum it up.

I'd try a Feed, Garden, and/or Pet center. Another thing that helps is by putting moth balls in your vacuum cleaner bag. The fleas and eggs you vacuum up will dry up instantly and die in the bag. I've also sprinkled salt on the carpet, let it sit for a couple of days, they'll dehydrate and die.

As for the salt on your carpet and bare feet, just pretend your walking on the beach in the sandlooking at the sunset.

I bought Borax recently at Winco. Also, we've had very good success with baby powder--sprinkle it on the carpet, in your socks and shoes, on the pets, etc. I think the cornstarch-based powders or even plain cornstarch work just as well. The theory that I've heard is that the fine powder gets into the joints of the fleas so they can't move. They're unable to reproduce and eventually die. The powder vacuums up easily. Good luck!

I also buy Borax in the laundry section. I sprinkle it on the carpet, let it sit for just a bit, then vacuum it up. Eucalyptus is also a natural flea repellant. I have heard that placing a sprig of this (which can be found in craft stores,) under a chair or bed will keep the fleas away.

I'm so glad to read all your flea stories. Advantage on my cat smelled like toxic chemicals and my family hated it. The flea comb hasn't been 100% for us since I didn't take time to do it often enough. I put the diat...earth outside where the cats roll on the driveway. I like the idea of washing with borax, even if it isn't boric acid, if it works. If I get any big flea boom this year I'll call the company Flea Busters in Seattle. I have heard from a serious pet enthusiast that they're all non toxic, and they do it all for you.

Try a farm supply store or possibly a pet supply store.

I believe Lowes carries Borax, I believe that is what you are referring to. But Cedar is also a natural repellant for fleas and has a nice smell :) Good Luck.
S.

I've gotten rid of a couple of flea infestations once with diotomaceous earth (before kids) and once with 20 Mule Team Borax (garden stores or organic specialty stores). Diotomaceous earth is extremely damaging to inhale and I wouldn't ever use it again. The microscopic sharp shells get into your lungs and cause damage and are hard to get rid of -- not unlike asbestos. I wore gloves and a mask and used water to wet it down, a lot of trouble. But if I'd been aware of borax I would've used that instead.

With borax, I sprinkled it into my carpet and used my carpet steam cleaner hoping the water would sink it further into the carpet and it worked great. This was on top of frontline which works great, but once you let it go too long and the flea eggs get into your carpet then you need borax to stop it at the source.

I also found this information: Boric acid and sodium borate (borax) is potentially toxic to people and pets. However serious poisonings in humans have been reported very rarely from a single acute ingestion. Serious toxicity is more likely with repeated exposure to raw or abraded skin or from repeated ingestions.

It takes as little as .1 grams per kilogram of a child's weight (ingested) to be lethal. That would be a small enough amount that they could easily eat that much. I would consider it to be very dangerous to kids. It would probably not be very dangerous on the rug. I have used it before and walked on it afterwards in my bare feet and it didn't damage the rug.

I tried EVERYTHING to get rid of fleas and the only thing that worked was Flea Busters! I didn't wanna use bad chemicals due to having small children on the carpets. I swear by them :) I heard you can actually buy the powder and do the carpets yourself. It's no more harmful then table salt! Hope this helps if other methods don't work for ya.

WELL.....I have read all the responses to this and not once did I see "Garlic" mentioned. I lived by the Pacific Ocean for 38 yrs and sand fleas were a constant threat to my pets and my babies. My oldest son could sleep with them and not be bothered but my daughter was being eaten alive...an old Indian lady told me to feed her garlic,and the pets as well, and they would be not be bitten anymore. Well, they didn't like raw garlic, so I tried garlic salt, but I didn't really like the idea of so much sodium, and then I discovered "Granulated Garlic",(no salt) and have used it for over 50yrs. in potatoes, soups,salads,& on meats, in barbecues, etc.,etc., I even put some in the Chicken feed & the feed for my cows and horses...they do adjust to the taste....if you live in an area where they're allowed, you might get some Guinea Fowl. They are very "user friendly" and clean all bugs in an area about 100' around your house. There are also Garlic capsules now and have no after taste. Good luck with whatever you do....my pets have NO fleas, ticks, or other itches.....
PEPPER on your porches and/or steps will deter just about any critter better than salt or use both together.

C. M.Hamlin

NEw Season's carries it in the laundry/cleaning section of the store. I think Rite Aid or Walgreens also carries it.

S.

We used Borax a couple months ago and haven't had a flea since. It took a week or so but worked great. It dehydrates them, I believe. Anyway, we found it at Super One Foods. Not sure if you have one there but it was in with the laundry soap.

A great natural not toxic flea remedy is diatonaceous earth. It can be found at feed stores or online. It's really easy to use and if you buy the food grade version you can us it directly on your pets. It works on all sorts of bugs. A super product!

Drug store!!! But it's not cheap.

i dont know about boric acid but I do know that in the garden center of most stores you can get sevin- 5 dust that has worked wonders on my kitties.

Borax - you can find it in the laundry aisle.

It's called Borax at Fred Meyer

try a big store like Fred Meyer.

Good luck-
J.