ng Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil as Flea and Tick Control on Dogs
 

I have been looking for natural way to keep fleas and ticks off my dogs and I read that using essential oils (must used therapeutic grade) does a great job doing that. Here is what I read:

1) Lavender - A sweet-smelling, all-purpose insect repellent, lavender essential oil performed well in recent studies as both a tick deterrent and a method of preventing tick eggs from hatching. Additionally, Ohio State University recommends it for controlling fleas. A 2007 South African study found that formulas containing diluted lavender at rates of 10 to 20 percent lavender performed well as tick repellents when compared artificial DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) sprays.

2) Citronella - Oil of citronella naturally repels insects such as mosquitoes, black flies, fleas and ticks, therefore, preventing bites. Citronella oil is a natural, non-toxic alternative to chemical insect repellents such as DEET , therefore, is usually the preferred choice. A combination of the citronella oil and cedarwood oil also helps to repel mosquitoes.

3) Cedar - A wonderfully fragrant oil that provides a pheromone interruption agent that impairs the insects mental capacity and repels them.

4) Peppermint - An oil high in menthol - it repels fleas, spiders and even mice.

5) Eucalyptus - While better known for its anti bacterial properties it is a great natural pest deterrent as well.

6) Lemongrass - Deters fleas and especially tick. According to Ohio State University. Lemongrass oil contains a pleasing citrus scent that is useful in controlling oily scalps and skin conditions, making it suitable for use on dogs with skin conditions in lotion, spray, soap and shampoo formulas.

Has anyone used any of these oils mixed with distilled water and sprayed it on their dogs instead of using the chemical ones like frontline plus? If so, was it really effective? I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!

I've not heard of this but it sounds interesting and I would be interested in finding out is anyone has used any of these and what the success rate was. Thanks for asking the question!!

From a different forum, someone posted these formulas:

Flea-free essential Oil Blend :

15 ml (½ oz) base oil (hazelnut or sweet almond)
4 drops Clary Sage
1 drop Citronella
7 drops Peppermint
3 drops Lemon

Store in dark glass bottle. Apply 2-4 drops topically to the neck, chest, legs and tail base of the dog. You can also add the drops to a bandanna or cotton collar.

Flea-free Spritz :

Makes 8 oz (240 ml). Store in a dark or opaque glass bottle. Shake well before use.

1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
½ oz (15 ml) grain alcohol or Vodka
1 teaspoon Sulfated Castor Oil
10 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
7 oz Distilled or Spring Water
4 drops Clary Sage
1 drop Citronella
7 drops Peppermint
3 drops Lemon

Personally I would forget about the glycerin and the Castor Oil.
1 oz is = to 30 ml so 7 oz water is 210 ml + 15 ml Vodka = 235 ml
Number of drops you can use for 15 ml is 6 to 15 drops
So the amount of drops they are using in that recipe is very low and you can use the same amount even without the glycerin and castor oil.

For ticks (Blend)

½ oz (15 ml) base oil (hazelnut or sweet almond)
2 drops Geranium
2 drops Rosewood
3 drops Lavender
2 drops Myrhh
2 drops Opoponax
1 drop Bay leaf

Frankly, I would just make the Flea Spritz and add Geranium and Lavender to it and maybe also a few drops of Cedar.

This is very interesting, Thanks for posting! MinkSheen uses cedar oil to repel insects in their shampoo. I'm not 100% comfortable w/using essential oils on them, but as long as it's highly diluted & they don't ingest it, it should be fine. I'm always looking for a natural flea preventative & think this is worth a try.

This oil isn't on the lists, but just wanted to shout out a warning: Please DO NOT use tee tree oil, it's toxic to dogs & cats, only a few drops can kill them!