Fleas can cause problems in homes and yards for people and their pets. Thankfully, there are scents that can help to discourage fleas from hanging around your space. Fleas find these fragrances unpleasant, helping to naturally repel them from your home and yard. We’ve made a list of five scents that fleas hate.
1. Cedarwood Oil & Cedar Chips
One scent that fleas don’t like comes from cedar wood. This wood naturally contains an oil that has insect repellent properties. Fleas and other pests aren’t fond of the fragrance of cedarwood oil. This scent can also be found in cedar chips or mulch. Placing the chips or mulch around the perimeter of your yard or in areas where fleas are likely to harbor can help to deter them.
2. Vinegar
Vinegar is a staple in many homes and pantries because it can be used for cooking and cleaning purposes. Though people like it, fleas would prefer to avoid it. Its strong fragrance can help to repel fleas. Both distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are unpleasant to these pests. Vinegar can be mixed with water and used to clean floors and counters, helping to discourage flea activity.
3. Herbs, Flowers & Other Plants
Some plants have a built-in defense mechanism, their scent, that helps to protect them from bugs. Several herbs and flowers are known for their ability to repel fleas. Lemongrass, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, yarrow, and marigolds are said to repel fleas. These plants can be placed in your home close to doors and windows to help keep fleas from entering your house. They can also be placed outside near doors and windows as well as in your garden.
4. Essential Oils
Many pests aren’t fans of essential oils, including fleas. The fragrances can affect fleas in different ways, deterring their activity. Some scents are strong and just unpleasant to fleas. Other fragrances work to mask attractive scents or disrupt flea pheromones, impeding their ability to communicate. Fleas are said to dislike the fragrance of thyme, lemongrass, cedarwood, peppermint, and rosemary oil.
5. Plant-Based Insecticide Sprays
Insecticides formulated with plant essential oils can effectively kill and repel fleas. Our Bed Bug & Flea Killer and our Yard Bug Spray are formulated with plant essential oils as the active ingredients. They will kill the fleas directly sprayed with the product and provide residual repellency protection. Our Bed Bug & Flea Killer can be used indoors in areas where fleas are likely to be seen. Our Yard Bug Spray can be applied to your lawn and vegetation to help to kill and repel fleas. You can also spray the perimeter of your house to create a protective barrier that keeps fleas out of your home.
Having fleas hanging out in your space can be worrisome, which is why it’s important to take steps to keep them away. Knowing what scents fleas don’t like can help you to prevent them from hanging out in your home and yard. If you’re dealing with fleas or other pests, our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products can help!