Fleas at minimum are an annoyance.
Often they can be a real problem for your dog.

Flea products such as Frontline, K9 Advantix and Advantage are heavily advertised. And they are effective at killing fleas. But there is a big HOWEVER...

Those products are actually harsh insecticides. Peek at the label and you'll see you're supposed to wear rubber gloves when applying them to your pet. So if the product comes with a warning not to let it come in contact with your skin, does it seem like a safe thing for your pet?

There are alternatives.Look closely at nature and you will often find antagonistic species... species that repel another species. For instance gardeners like to plant marigolds near tomato plants. Marigolds repel nematode insects. Nematodes can wipe out tomato plants.

Likewise there are certain herbs that repel fleas. They're all gentle as well as human, pet and environmentally friendly.

Fleas Don't Like...

• Eucalyptus
• Clove
• Citronella
• Lavender
• Cedar
• Rosemary
• Lemon
• Cinnamon
• Rose
• Geranium
• Basil

No need to surround yourself or home with pots of all the herbs above. Instead you can make your own flea collar.

<1> You want to start with a fabric collar.  Either one you purchase or one you make. It can be as simple as using a handkerchief or cutting off a piece of an old t-shirt.

<2> Next you want to use any 3 of the plants above in oil form. So - Eucalyptus oil, Citronella oil, Cedar oil, ect. You can get the oils from a variety of places such as vitamin/supplement shops, Amazon, Essential oil shops, herbal shops.

With essential oils, a little goes a long way so you can pick up 1 or 2 ounce bottles.
Please note: do NOT use Citronella, cedar or basil with a pregnant or nursing pet.

<3> The last thing you'll need is a carrier oil... Olive oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil.

<4> Combine one part carrier oil with one part each of 3 of the plant oils. For instance: 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil 1 Teaspoon Rosemary oil1 Teaspoon Lavender oil1 Teaspoon Cinnamon oil

<5> Put the collar in a container. You can use a plastic bag or any kind of non-paper or styrofoam bowl. Pour the mixture from the above step over the collar and give it some time to absorb the liquid. You can drain off any excess by laying it on some paper towels, cardboard or newspaper.

You can "refresh" the collar by dripping more of the solution on at any time. You can also drip the solution onto your dogs bedding.

A flea collar and an air freshener in one.