... how can I safely kill these flees? You know any home remmidies to trap them and kill them??
getting rid of flees is a pain in the ass. The most important thing to do is keep everything clean and vacuum religiously.
Otherwise, follow the tips
here at Mother Earth News
Sprays containing d-Limonene (a citrus peal extract that is approved for human consumption) is awesome. It kills flees on contact.
Sounds "natural" at first glance, Mehm, until you read a bit into it...
Hidden among the many synthetic pesticides on the market today are three organic flea fighters. The first group of these consists of two varieties of pyrethrin that are derived from the flower heads of several types of Old World chrysanthemums; their pesticidal properties have been utilized for centuries.
A much newer natural agent, d-Limonene, is a by-product of the citrus industry and carries a mild, grapefruitlike odor.
But it's the third of the three natural pesticides that is the safest and that offers the greatest hope. While both pyrethrins and limonenes are much less toxic than the synthetic organophosphates and carbamates, they should still be used with caution. There's only one pesticide, natural or otherwise, that's a specific for insects and completely safe. Diatomaceousearth is a type of fossilized algae that resembles chalk dust. The fine, sharp-edged particles attach themselves to and penetrate the waxy coating on a flea's shell-like exoskeleton, causing the little bloodsucker to dehydrate and die.
Please note the repeated use of the term "pesticide". Not something we should be turning to as a solution of first resort, "natural" source or not.
Diatomaceous Earth is good stuff to spread around the corners and crevices of your dwelling - inside and outside around the foundation - to keep all kinds of insects at bay. It basically lacerates the hell out of their bodies. For use on your animals, there is a much more pleasant solution - Apple Cider Vinegar.
Add small amounts of ACV to your pets' drinking water until your reach a dosage of about one teaspoon per bowl for small animals and one tablespoon per large bowl for larger dogs (works on goats and horses too, if you have those lazying about on your couch or floor). The dosage is about one to three tablespoons per gallon of drinking water, but it can be mixed into whatever the animals prefer to drink.
That website also mentions mixing garlic into your pets' food? Message from Your Pets United: Ewww! While you may like the smell and taste of garlic, do you honestly think your pets will? Pass! Apple Cider Vinegar, on the other hand, your pets will generally take a liking (or not caring) to. Just make sure that it's the organic kind - unfiltered, non pasteurized. Bragg's is the most popular brand in North America. Not sure about the rest of the world.
Tell your aunt about the ACV. It will keep the fleas off the dogs and provide the added benefit of better fur health and general health overall. It's good for humans in the same manner too.
Depending on the degree of current infestation, both on the dog and in the house, it may take a couple of weeks for the fleas to give up the dogs as their home. Once gone, though, with continued ACV supplementation, they will stay off both the dog and the humans (provided the humans are supplementing themselves too). To speed up the process, along with the addition to drinking water, look into spraying the dog's fur with an ACV/water solution (full strength, or 50/50). Make sure not to spray onto any raw scratched areas, though, as it stings like hell and you'll get an "F.U., buddy!" look from the poor animal. Same goes for you. If you want to keep fleas off you, spray or wipe down your skin with an apple cider vinegar solution. Fleas don't like an acid.
Anyhow, you should be able to google more info and testimonials about the above. It's by far the most harmless of options, the way I look at it. Cheap-cheap too, and with plenty of ancillary benefits as well, unlike a "pesticide", whose one function is to kill.
For the itching, get some Tiger Balm. It should be relatively cheap. Around here, you can find it in those tiny red tins for a couple of bucks at almost every corner store, especially where the owners are Chinese or Korean. A tiny amount will do the trick. It may feel like it's beginning to burn at first, but it cools down in a hurry and then gives you a minty-cool feeling (and smell) and gets rid of the itch like no one's business. Works for all sorts of itchy bites.
