Using Diatomaceous Earth to Kill Fleas

Here is a story about one Canadian pet owner’s battle with fleas and how she used natural methods to conquer the problem:

My dog had a pretty bad flea problem last spring that we caught pretty late. He had recently changed climates (from desert to the pacific northwest) and was already suffering from sensitive skin,so we were very careful in our treatment of him because we did not want to stress him out emotionally or his stress his body with a bunch of poisons or traumatic trips to the vet for flea dips.

My friend’s dad has a Masters in Entomology (the study of Insects) and gave me a few tips:

We conquered the flea problem using a combination of food-grade diatomaceous earth (not the pesticide stuff or the stuff that has boric acid mixed in) and Lavender and Lemon Essential Oils.

1. We washed him VERY thoroughly. Lathered the poor pup up,let the shampoo sit on his body,groin and legs for 5 min and then rinsed until he was squeaky clean. I used 50% flea shampoo,and 50% sensitive skin dog shampoo to which I added a squirt of Lemon Essential Oil and a squirt of Lavender Essential Oil.
2. We vacuumed every day and then sprinkled a fine layer of Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth over the carpet and his sleeping area. We also used a paint brush to work it into the edges of the carpet,baseboards,etc. We also did a fairly heavy application of diatomaceous earth to the front walkway and backyard where we believe the flea infestation originated.
3. In his groin area,we soothed his irritated skin and prevented new fleas with a combo of pure Jojoba oil purchased at a Whole Foods mixed with a few drops of Lemon essential oil and and Lavender essential oil. The essential oil acted as a natural repellant for the fleas.

We repeated the shampoos treatments weekly,the vaccuming and indoor diatomaceous earth applications diatomaceous daily,and outdoor diatomaceous earth applications weekly.

All of the items that we used were edible so that as he grooms himself he can consume the items without harm.  We have been without fleas for about 2 months now.

A plus side is that the use of essential oils has made him smell delightful!