Eucalyptus is another great plant where fleas are concerned. We always used Dr. Bronner's Eucalyptus soap on our dogs during flea season.

Valleruata - thanks for the suggestion! that was also in the list of herbs in my book. I didn't add any cause I don't have any dried leaves. I told my mom her plant wouldn't overwinter here - which is actually not true - she potted it and it didn't make it. But come to think of it I have some Eucalyptus essential oil. I'm thinking I can add that to water to make a spritzer for Shiloh.

Oh and I love Dr.Bronner's soap. I didn't know it came in Eucalyptus. I'll have to get some.

Hi June - I like your philosophy about life. I'm going to try your flea repellent recipe. Thanks. I recently started using vinegar and baking soda to clean the bathroom floor and it got up ground in dirt (from the dog) that harsher chemicals never did without a heavy duty scrub brush.

urbandogsgardening - Thanks! I love using vinegar for cleaning. I simply put vinegar and essential oils in a spritzer bottle and use it to clean everything. I'll have to try it with baking soda. I've also heard sprinkling baking soda on your cutting board, letting it sit and then cleaning it...makes it easier to clean and really removes food smells.

One of the books refer to is Clean House, Clean Planet.

To utilize my surplus of herbs I also occasionally make a Four Thieves Vinegar and use that as a household cleaner:

The Vinegar of the Four Thieves -

* 2 quarts of apple cider vinegar
* 2 tablespoons lavender
* 2 tablespoons rosemary
* 2 tablespoons sage
* 2 tablespoons wormwood
* 2 tablespoons rue
* 2 tablespoons mint

Combine dried herbs and vinegar in a one-gallon jar with lid, and let sit for 6 weeks, shaking daily. Then strain out the herbs. Stored in a cool place, like the refrigerator, or it can be preserved by canning.Don't forget to date and label it. Put it in spray bottles to use as a household sanitizer.

....so far my herbal approach to flea treatment has been more effective for our dog than our cats. But Shiloh recently got a bath so that might not be a fair comparison.

Thanks June. I'll bet that smells wonderful. Do you let it sit on the counter for 6 weeks or in the refrigerator? I'm new at this, so that might be a silly question.

The mosquitoes are terrible this year so I'm trying a new recipe I got from a dog group:

Thinly slice 4 lemons. Pour one quart of boiling water
over the lemons, add two sprigs of rosemary and let steep over night. Strain it the next day, pour into a spray bottle and add 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol.

At least I can spray it all over without fear of what chemicals I'm inhaling. What I've been finding is that the herbal approach works well over the long term and if you are proactive with it. It's not like grabbing the nearest mega chemical spray can and watching bugs drop dead all around you. It may take a little longer to get results but if you stick with it, it usually works. I use diatomaceous earth for ants near the foundation of my house. At first it looks like nothing is happening but in a couple of hours they're gone. I use a small amount only where the ants are located. The rain washes it away and no one is harmed (except the ants). Of course I'm always careful to not do this on a windy day so I don't breathe the dust.

Jennifer

I put mine in the closet for 6 weeks.

Your recipe for mosquitoes sounds great! Last time I was in Jamaica one place gave us limes to squirt directly onto our skin and it worked!

With regards to herbal solutions...right, I find it best to use intense chemical anything as a last resort instead of a first choice. And I believe the diatomaceous earth should be good for deterring fleas as well. I've never worked with it before but have become more curious the more I read about it. It interesting to hear about your success using it with ants.

I wish I had some fantastic bit of bug-deterrent mountain wisdom to elucidate. Alas, I don't. But I really do appreciate all the sage advice given so far. (No pun intended, of course).

June - I just wanted to mention that you can buy the Dr. Bronner's eucalyptus soap in bulk at Greenlife. Lately I've been into Bronner's tea tree oil soap - also from Greenlife in bulk

Lance - thanks for the tip! I knew the co-op sold it in bulk, didn't know that G-Life did too. Thats good to know!