Outdoor Pest Control - Ticks and Fleas
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raptorantill
04-09-08, 06:37 PM
I am looking for a good plant, shrub, non human made poison that kicks but on ticks. I have a Great Pyrenees and he loves to roll in the grass. Problem is that we have ticks and fleas. I would prefer to spend a grand landscaping in the yard then buy a poison. Any thoughts?
Newt
04-09-08, 08:30 PM
Hi Raptoranthill,
I know of no plants that you can put in your garden that will kill ticks and fleas, but there are some that repel them - lavender, mint, rosemary, sweet woodruff and cedar. Here's other ideas.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html#Ticks%20and%20Fleas:
...add brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast, fresh garlic or flaxseed oil to pet food for skin health and as a flea repellent.
Use herb-based flea collars that contain combinations of various herbs that repel fleas, such as lavender, mint, rosemary, sweet woodruff and cedar.
Vacuum and use absorptive dusts( diatomaceous earth, silica gel) in cracks, then caulk the cracks.
Outdoors, use a tick drag or carbon dioxide trap to locate the ticks and reduce their numbers.
Remove woodpiles and other areas where mice may live and keep bird feeders away from the house. Keep vegetation cut below ankle level to reduce tick harborage.
Do a tick drag: A tick drag is a 4' by 6' piece of white flannel attached to a stick. You drag the flannel through the yard. Any ticks in the vegetation will attach themselves to the flannel where they can be seen and destroyed.
C02 Trap: A carbon dioxide trap is simply a covered ice bucket or styrofoam container with several holes in the sides near the bottom. Place approximately 2 lbs. of dry ice in the bucket and place the bucket on a piece of white flannel or a piece of plywood with a masking tape barrier. The tape should be stapled to the plywood around the edges with the sticky side up. If you use flannel, inspect both sides for one to three hours after trapping begins. The dry ice should last about three hours and attract every tick with a 75 sq. ft. area around the trap.
From this site:
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=1293
The secret to controlling fleas is to control the eggs and larvae. They are far more numerous than adults. Adult fleas usually make up only about 2 percent of the total population. Larvae don't feed on animals as do the adults. Flea larvae feed on organic debris, primarily dry blood. That's why keeping the pets and the environment clean is so important.
1. Organic grounds maintenance. Allow biodiversity to reestablish to create competition. Insects and microbes compete with each other for territory and food. When toxic pesticides are used, the competition is reduced.
2. Diet. Animal nutrition is an important part of a comprehensive flea control program. Feed your pets a balanced, nutritious diet of your own cooking or an organic pet food. Avoid processed foods, especially those that contain chemical preservatives. Ethoxyquin, for example, is a pesticide used as a preservative in many pet foods. BHT and BHA are other chemical preservatives to avoid. Vitamin C is a more acceptable preservative to look for.
[Give] food supplements daily - garlic, diatomaceous earth (DE), food-grade kelp and essential fatty acid products. Garlic helps repel fleas and the DE is a natural wormer and aids in digestion. If the mixing sounds too complicated, just use natural food-grade diatomaceous earth daily. Use about a teaspoon for small dogs and cats and a tablespoon for large dogs. For livestock, about one to two percent of the food ration should be DE. It can also be fed free choice along with salt and mineral supplements.
3. Cleaning. Vacuum frequently, rake and sweep dog runs and sleeping areas regularly, pick up and thoroughly compost pet waste. Flea larvae must have organic matter. Keeping the pet areas clean helps to starve out fleas. Remove trash, lumber and other debris that can harbor fleas. It's best to establish a regular sleeping area for your pets and restrict their access to areas that can be cleaned easily and often. Carpeted areas are the hardest to keep clean.
4. Grooming. Bathe pets weekly or as needed but only with mild, non-toxic soaps. Herbal shampoos and neem shampoos are the most effective, but any low-phosphate, biodegradable soap will work. I also like products that use a coconut base. Shampoos containing citrus oil are also effective. Avoid all soaps containing harsh pesticides. Leave shampoo on pets for 5 minutes before rinsing. If not done too often, bathing pets helps greatly because soap kills fleas. Brushing regularly is even better because it cleans and stimulates the natural oils in pets' coats. These oils help to repel fleas and other pests. The regular use of a flea comb is another effective aid. Its small tines remove fleas which can be dipped in a bowl of soapy water between strokes to kill the fleas caught in the tines.
6. Pet treatment. Apply herbal powders of pennyroyal, lavender, eucalyptus, and/or rosemary. Pennyroyal is too strong to use on cats.
Diatomaceous earth, is an inexpensive and effective tool to use as a dry powder on the pet's fur. Don't use it regularly because it's very drying to their skin. Citrus oil products can also help control fleas. Chop orange, grapefruit or other citrus skins or cut them into small pieces, then place in a pan of water. Simmer 15 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Pour into the animal's fur and cover the skin thoroughly. Pay special attention to areas that are hard for the pet to reach. All other forms of citrus also work but oranges seem to work best. This treatment is effective for skin rashes caused by flea bites. Commercial citrus products are also available.
7. Indoor treatment. Treat infested carpets with diatomaceous earth or boric acid, but don't overdo it. For heavy infestations spray D-limonene (citrus) products on carpets and furniture. Baking soda dusted on carpets will also help. Dirty, infested carpets should be water extraction cleaned or completely removed from the house. Avoid all products that contain pyrethrum.
8. Outdoor treatment. Dust or spray diatomaceous earth and / ot orange oil. Apply beneficial nematodes to the entire property and keep the treated areas moist so that the microscopic worms don't dry out and die. There are several brand names of beneficial nematodes. These beneficial animals also control roaches, termites and grubworms.
More good natural solutions.
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/grownet/organic/botinsct.htm
Newt
I know of no plants that you can put in your garden that will kill ticks and fleas, but there are some that repel them - lavender, mint, rosemary, sweet woodruff and cedar. Here's other ideas.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html#Ticks%20and%20Fleas:
...add brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast, fresh garlic or flaxseed oil to pet food for skin health and as a flea repellent.
Use herb-based flea collars that contain combinations of various herbs that repel fleas, such as lavender, mint, rosemary, sweet woodruff and cedar.
Vacuum and use absorptive dusts( diatomaceous earth, silica gel) in cracks, then caulk the cracks.
Outdoors, use a tick drag or carbon dioxide trap to locate the ticks and reduce their numbers.
Remove woodpiles and other areas where mice may live and keep bird feeders away from the house. Keep vegetation cut below ankle level to reduce tick harborage.
Do a tick drag: A tick drag is a 4' by 6' piece of white flannel attached to a stick. You drag the flannel through the yard. Any ticks in the vegetation will attach themselves to the flannel where they can be seen and destroyed.
C02 Trap: A carbon dioxide trap is simply a covered ice bucket or styrofoam container with several holes in the sides near the bottom. Place approximately 2 lbs. of dry ice in the bucket and place the bucket on a piece of white flannel or a piece of plywood with a masking tape barrier. The tape should be stapled to the plywood around the edges with the sticky side up. If you use flannel, inspect both sides for one to three hours after trapping begins. The dry ice should last about three hours and attract every tick with a 75 sq. ft. area around the trap.
From this site:
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/view_question.php?id=1293
The secret to controlling fleas is to control the eggs and larvae. They are far more numerous than adults. Adult fleas usually make up only about 2 percent of the total population. Larvae don't feed on animals as do the adults. Flea larvae feed on organic debris, primarily dry blood. That's why keeping the pets and the environment clean is so important.
1. Organic grounds maintenance. Allow biodiversity to reestablish to create competition. Insects and microbes compete with each other for territory and food. When toxic pesticides are used, the competition is reduced.
2. Diet. Animal nutrition is an important part of a comprehensive flea control program. Feed your pets a balanced, nutritious diet of your own cooking or an organic pet food. Avoid processed foods, especially those that contain chemical preservatives. Ethoxyquin, for example, is a pesticide used as a preservative in many pet foods. BHT and BHA are other chemical preservatives to avoid. Vitamin C is a more acceptable preservative to look for.
[Give] food supplements daily - garlic, diatomaceous earth (DE), food-grade kelp and essential fatty acid products. Garlic helps repel fleas and the DE is a natural wormer and aids in digestion. If the mixing sounds too complicated, just use natural food-grade diatomaceous earth daily. Use about a teaspoon for small dogs and cats and a tablespoon for large dogs. For livestock, about one to two percent of the food ration should be DE. It can also be fed free choice along with salt and mineral supplements.
3. Cleaning. Vacuum frequently, rake and sweep dog runs and sleeping areas regularly, pick up and thoroughly compost pet waste. Flea larvae must have organic matter. Keeping the pet areas clean helps to starve out fleas. Remove trash, lumber and other debris that can harbor fleas. It's best to establish a regular sleeping area for your pets and restrict their access to areas that can be cleaned easily and often. Carpeted areas are the hardest to keep clean.
4. Grooming. Bathe pets weekly or as needed but only with mild, non-toxic soaps. Herbal shampoos and neem shampoos are the most effective, but any low-phosphate, biodegradable soap will work. I also like products that use a coconut base. Shampoos containing citrus oil are also effective. Avoid all soaps containing harsh pesticides. Leave shampoo on pets for 5 minutes before rinsing. If not done too often, bathing pets helps greatly because soap kills fleas. Brushing regularly is even better because it cleans and stimulates the natural oils in pets' coats. These oils help to repel fleas and other pests. The regular use of a flea comb is another effective aid. Its small tines remove fleas which can be dipped in a bowl of soapy water between strokes to kill the fleas caught in the tines.
6. Pet treatment. Apply herbal powders of pennyroyal, lavender, eucalyptus, and/or rosemary. Pennyroyal is too strong to use on cats.
Diatomaceous earth, is an inexpensive and effective tool to use as a dry powder on the pet's fur. Don't use it regularly because it's very drying to their skin. Citrus oil products can also help control fleas. Chop orange, grapefruit or other citrus skins or cut them into small pieces, then place in a pan of water. Simmer 15 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Pour into the animal's fur and cover the skin thoroughly. Pay special attention to areas that are hard for the pet to reach. All other forms of citrus also work but oranges seem to work best. This treatment is effective for skin rashes caused by flea bites. Commercial citrus products are also available.
7. Indoor treatment. Treat infested carpets with diatomaceous earth or boric acid, but don't overdo it. For heavy infestations spray D-limonene (citrus) products on carpets and furniture. Baking soda dusted on carpets will also help. Dirty, infested carpets should be water extraction cleaned or completely removed from the house. Avoid all products that contain pyrethrum.
8. Outdoor treatment. Dust or spray diatomaceous earth and / ot orange oil. Apply beneficial nematodes to the entire property and keep the treated areas moist so that the microscopic worms don't dry out and die. There are several brand names of beneficial nematodes. These beneficial animals also control roaches, termites and grubworms.
More good natural solutions.
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/grownet/organic/botinsct.htm
Newt
raptorantill
04-10-08, 04:22 AM
Thanks for all the good information.