Pet Owners Its Flee & Tick Season, Tips for a Pest-free Yard

Pet Owners Its Flee & Tick Season, Tips for a Pest-free Yard

Keep your grass mowed, weeds pulled, and bushes trimmed. Clear away debris as it accumulates and do regular inspections of your property for places where pests are apt to hide and multiply.

Food grade diatomaceous earth can also be used to control pests in your yard. However, it does not work immediately and must be reapplied frequently, monthly for best results. To use dry with a powder applicator you’ll need about 1 lb per 500 sqt. You can also mix it up as a paste and apply it with a hose-end sprayer, using 2 tablespoons per gallon of water.

Mosquito Barrieriii is an all-natural, liquid garlic based solution that can be sprayed on your lawn. Its repellent effect should last about a month according to the manufacturer.

Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that eat flea larvae. Many people have had success using them in their gardens and yards to keep the flea population under control.

Under the right conditions, nematodes work quite well. They can be applied with a lawn sprayer and have been known to reduce the flea population by 80% in 24 hours.

Experts say that nematodes are most effective in moist, sandy soil away from direct sunlight. The worms do not survive in the hot sun, neither do fleas.)Nematodes can be purchased at some pet stores, nurseries and online.

I cannot overemphasize the need to avoid the unnecessary application of chemical products due to their known and suspected levels of toxicity.

But, if you are faced with a situation in which you have no choice but to use a chemical pest preventive on your dog or cat, here are some ways you can reduce the danger, especially of spot-on products:

1. Follow dosing directions precisely. If your pet is at the low end of a dosage range, step down to the next lowest dosage. Be extremely cautious with small dogs and do not under any circumstances apply dog product to cats.
2. Don’t depend exclusively on chemical treatments. Rotate natural preventives with chemical ones. An every other month rotation works well for many pet owners. Many pet owners apply one round of chemicals in the Spring and another in late Summer and completely avoid infestation while dramatically reducing the frequency of chemicals used.
3. Monitor your pet closely for adverse reactions after you apply a chemical product especially when using one for the 1st time.
   Since your pet’s liver will be tasked with processing the chemicals that make it into the bloodstream, it can be very beneficial to give your dog or cat a supplement to help detoxify her liver. Experts recommend milk thistle, which is a detox agent and also helps to actually regenerate liver cells.
4. You can get milk thistle through a holistic Vet, who should also guide you on how much to give your pet depending on age, weight and other prescribed medications. Experts recommend 1 dose daily for seven days following any flea, tick or heartworm application.

Also, experts recommend chlorella, a super Green food that is a very powerful detox agent. Your holistic Vet should also advise you about how much chlorella to give your pet.

If you use both these cleansing products throughout the Summer, you can help protect your pet’s liver from the toxic effects of chemical pest preventives.

No matter what combination of pest repellent systems you use, including chemical agents, your pet can still attract pests and parasites. In fact, even animals loaded with chemicals to the point of toxicosis can still, for example, acquire heartworm.

Experts advise to do all you can to avoid pests, relying on natural preventives as much as possible, and then have your Vet run a SNAP 4Dx test every 6 months to check for the presence of heartworm and tick-borne diseases (Lyme, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichia).

Thanks to the mild Winter in the, Vets say they are seeing a lot more positive fecal results for GI parasites. So, recommend you have your Vet check a sample of your pet’s stool 2X a year as well.

Remember, bathe your pet often. A soothing bath will kill fleas by drowning, help heal skin irritation, and make your furry companion feel more comfortable and less itchy. Also, clean animals are not as attractive to fleas. Pick a non-grain (no oatmeal) shampoo specifically for pets.

With planning and diligence, you can accomplish a lot with all natural (not chemical) pest control methods. And if you do encounter a situation where the use of chemical agents is unavoidable, there are ways to minimize the damage these products can cause.

Have a pest free Summer, the Natural way.

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