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Herbs for Insect Control

The Herbal Control of fleas:

Controlling fleas with herbs reduces the effect of chemicals on other insects and plants, and the soil, air and water.

It reduces the load chemicals place on the pets immune system.

It provides a cheap, ever present source of insect control.

Light flea burdens occur because:

1. Fleas cannot live and breed easily in the home and garden.
   - Only 10% of a pet's flea burden is present at one time on the pet.
   - Fleas live in the pet's environment. The pet is dinner, not home, to the flea. Depleted soils eg of sulphur, are attractive to fleas.
2. The pet is not attractive to fleas.
3. The owner and pet have regularly removed the pet's fleas.

In summer, a pet may need to be bathed once or twice a week in a herbal tea or even combed daily. Herbs contain low levels of detergents compared to chemical shampoos and do not remove oils from the coat. If the pet is very dirty, the worst of the dirt should be combed out or washed out with rainwater before the herbal treatment.

Treating the Home and Garden:

• Grow herbs among the other plants.
• Grow herbs in window boxes inside the house.
• Wash the floors and cement with herbal teas and/or hot water with added herbal oils. Replace carpets with mats which can be easily cleaned and aired in the sun.
• Treat mats with dried herbs and vacuum regularly before sunning.
• Herbs can be crushed , dried and sprinkled on mats, then left for 24 hours before vacuuming.
• Place dried herbs in pillows on which the dogs and cats sleep.
• Put dried herbs under the mattresses and sheets and cushions where dogs and cats sleep.
• Sprinkle dried herbs around skirting boards.
• Put dried herbs or herbal teas in all the spots where the dogs sleep in the garden.
• When preparing a new garden bed, rake dried herbs into the soil.
• If there is a neighbour who has no flea control, plant a solid bank of herbs along the adjoining fences.
• Use herbal oils in burners.

Herbs are:

Group 1. Rosemary, Oregano, Basil : Safe for internal use

Group 2. Fennel and Lemon Grass, Pennyroyal, Billygoats buttons, Lavender, Thyme. Eucalyptus. (In pregnancy do not use Pennyroyal or Thyme.)

Group 3. Verbena , Eclipta, Plaintain, Dock, Sorrel.

Weeds, all safe for internal use.

Group 4. Tansy and Pyrethrum daisy, Wormwood and Rue and Neem.

Not recommended for internal use. Tansy and Pyrethrum daisy are for planting only. Rue and wormwood can be used as a dried herb in pillows and floors, not as a skin wash.

None of group 4 should be used in Aroma therapy.

Group 5. Garlic, Coriander, Mint, Chives, Savory. Good for planting and as part of bathing, and giving internally. These are good digestive herbs and make the animal stronger. They can be part of a herbal planting program but are not anti flea.

When making environmental treatments, use at least 1 herb from each group.

Making the pet unattractive to fleas:

A diet rich in Vitamin B, minerals and fatty acids reduces flea burdens.

Flaxseed oil is a cheap source of fatty acids.

Dose is 1 ml per 10 kg of body weight. Many pets need more than this. For higher doses consult your vet.

Brewers yeast and liver are good sources of vitamin B.

Dose: One teaspoon of yeast per 10 kg and 1 dessertspoon of cooked liver per 20 kg body weight.

Minerals come from marrowbones and vegetables.

Bones should be given raw daily.

Vegetables in small amounts e.g.: 1 dessertspoon of cooked vegetable, or 1 teaspoon of grated raw vegetable per 10 kg pet. Animals will eat vegetables to fulfill needs, they will often refuse them once the need is met, and return to them again later.

Treating the pet:

Flea collars can be made with herbal oils.

Flea sprays can be made with herbal tea, oils and water.

Herbs, fresh, dried and as oils and extracts, can be used as bath additives.

Dried herbs can be combed through the coat.

Diluted herbal oils can be combed through the coat.

Aroma therapy mixtures can be made:

Stimulants: Sage, Eucalyptus, Thyme, Tea tree

Sedatives: Oregano, Basil, Lavender, Chamomille

following the recipe below. Treat the pet, not the fleas.

Recipe:

2 drops of lavender oil, 1 drop of pennyroyal oil, 2 drops of eucalyptus oil, 25 mls of almond oil. Mix well. Vary oils as needed.

Flea collar:
Take a cloth collar. Every 1 cm around the collar, add 2 to 4 drops of this recipe. Put the collar in a plastic bag and let the oil diffuse through the collar. Let it sit for 24 hours, then place around the pets neck. When the oils no longer smell, rejuvenate as above.

A cloth collar can be made by binding padding over an old leather collar, or plaiting thick cotton and weaving a collar.

Flea spray 1:
Add 10 drops of this recipe mixture to 2 cups of hot water and 1 dessertspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a spray bottle.

Shake well. When cool, spray on the coat and comb gently though with a fine toothcomb.

Flea spray 2:
Soak 1 dessertspoon of fresh herbs e.g. a mix of lavender, verbena and basil or lemon scented gum leaves, in 2 cups of hot water for 20 minutes, strain, put in spray bottle and use as above.

Crush the herbs before pouring the water on them.

Single herbs or combinations may be used. Pennyroyal is not recommended in pregnant animals where Rosemary and Basil are pleasant. Be guided by the pet's reactions. Lavender is always good. A little fennel may increase the milk supply.

Baths:

Crush the herbs as above, pour on the hot water and allow them to infuse. Pour the infusion into the lukewarm bath and wash the pet. Do not wash a pet with anything that it cannot take internally

as it will lick it off. I do not use eucalyptus and pennyroyal oils in baths, although I will use the fresh herbs where the delivery of volatile oils is less. A drop of rosemary and sage oil in a bath is sufficient.

Allow the herbs to dry in the coat.

Allergies:

All substances may induce allergies, especially if associated with unpleasant experiences. Try to make you flea treatment as pleasant as possible for your pet. If your pet is allergic to a herb, it will develop a rash within 24 hours. If you have a pet which has allergies, try a small quantity of herb first and apply it only to a 20 cent diameter area of skin. Wait 48 hours and assess the reaction.