As much as I love summer, I hate that it also entails flea season. My poor dog Orion, who is a fluffy Australian Shepherd, is always plagued by these annoying little beasties as soon as the weather warms up. June rolls in and almost as if on cue, you’ll find him scratching and biting himself incessantly.
My husband and I used to use flea control drops like Frontline and Advantage, but after realizing that these deterrents are full of some pretty toxic chemicals (not to mention they simply don’t even work anymore because fleas have become resilient), we decided to go for a more natural route.
Thus, this simple flea and tick spray recipe that helps deter pests between washings, smells great and is waaaaaaay less toxic than the flea control products you find at the pet store.
Essential Oil Flea and Tick Pray Recipe for Dogs
I want to begin by saying that this spray is for DOGS ONLY. Do not apply this to cats and do not apply this to your dog if you also own cats.
Cats are extremely sensitive to chemicals, even natural ones, and lick their fur often throughout the day. They also have sensitive lungs so I encourage you to avoid using essential oils in the proximity of cats.
So, once again, this spray is for dog-only households.
With that said, let’s get into the essential oils you can use for deterring fleas and ticks!
Some of the best essential oils you can have on hand for keeping your dog pest free include:
• Bergamot (FCF)
• Cedarwood atlas
• Citronella
• Clary sage
• Cypress
• Eucalyptus lemon
• Geranium
• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Manuka
• Niaouli
• Patchouli
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Spearmint
• Sweet orange
• Tea tree
• Thyme linalool
• Vetiver
I wouldn’t stray from this list as these essential oils are known to be safe for dogs.
How to Make Flea and Tick Spray Using Essential Oils
This recipe is really easy to throw together and can be used on your dog’s coat and even in your home on carpets, bedding (including your dog’s bed!), and upholstered furniture to help deter fleas.
I find that pairing this spray with ground cinnamon in the home before vacuuming is another great way to keep your house pest-free, but don’t put cinnamon on your dog.
As for the spray recipe itself, you will need:
• One 16oz spray bottle
• Spring water
• 8 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 8 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops lemongrass essential oil
• 12 drops geranium essential oil
• 20 drops patchouli essential oil
• 20 drops cedarwood atlas essential oil
Loving Preparation – Flea and Tick Spray Recipe
1. Begin by adding each essential oil to the 16oz spray bottle.
2. Next, fill it to the shoulder with spring water (not water from the tap)
3. Shake well before use.
To Use
I find it best to spray this on your dog’s coat in an even mist, avoiding the face, before taking your dog on walks or letting them outside. If they can roam freely between indoors and outdoors, you will want to spray them down twice daily to help keep fleas to a minimum.
Once you have sprayed their coat, brush it through their coat to help incorporate the essential oils evenly.
I like to make sure I really get the legs and underbelly evenly coated (but not dripping) with the spray to help keep fleas from wanting to jump on my dog. Fleas hate essential oils!
All in all, the spray has really helped keep fleas either off my dog completely or at least kept them mostly off. I may on occasion see one flea, but that’s way better than the dozens I used to find otherwise before incorporating this spray into our routine.
I hope you give it a try!
Have you made DIY flea and tick spray before? How did it work out for you? Please share in the comments below!
You may also enjoy reading:
Four Thieves Carpet and Mattress Freshener
How to Get Rid of Fleas on Your Pets Naturally
All Natural Flea Free Dog Shampoo Recipe
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Lover of all things natural, Tash grew up in the mountains of San Diego with her bare feet on the ground and a love for nature. She enjoys reading epic fantasy, blogging, and making her own remedies. Be sure to check out her other blog
HI,
NOBODY SAID IF IT DETERS TICKS JUST FLEAS, I WANT IT FOR BOTH, SO HOPING IT WORKS.
Hi! Is this safe for 10-week old puppies? They are boxers, about 9lbs. Thank you!
I would be cautious! Essential oils are super potent, especially for such small puppies. 🙁
Hi, so glad to have found this site. I am wondering if you have an recipes for itchy dogs. My dog is on apoquol which I would love to get her off . I have tried alerr free which has stinging nettle in it, among other things. It has helped bu not enough to get her off the meds.
Thanks,
kathy
Hi Kathleen!
Do you know if your dog has food allergies?
How often should you spray your pet?
At least once a week. My dog picks up fleas pretty easily so I sometimes spray every few days. He’s about 55lbs.
This sounds like a good mix. I started making my own cold processed soaps. One in particular especially for my two dogs. It’s a shampoo bar organic vegan. Has cedar wood, lavender,lemongrass essential oils. So start at the beginning and use a natural spray. A couple fleas are better than those other alternatives which would make my fur babies vomit.
Do you think this will work on poultry lice? My neighbor has chickens and I found a couple behind my dog’s ear.
Hmmmm, I’m not sure about the safety of use around birds 🙁 I would err on the side of caution.
Hello i just wanted to say that of you are using tea tree oil make sure you dilute it correctly otherwise it can harm your dog! So be careful <3
Yes! Very true! All of these should be diluted carefully!
Just mixed this one up & am trying it on my small dog. Wondering if this spray can be used on furniture, toys, etc.
Hi Cindy!
Perhaps do a spot test to see if it affects the furniture and toys 🙂 Otherwise, it should be fine!
Our 5mth old cocker spaniel puppy keeps gettig fleas. I’ve been using lemongrass .. but only on his back. Is it safe to use all over … in case he were to ingest it ?? Which other ones would be safe?? Thanks
Hi Katherine!
Yes, it should be fine. Just make sure it is well diluted. Try 8 drops in 16oz of water in a spray bottle and see how that goes 🙂 Lemongrass is labeled as a safe essential oil for dogs.
I’m very new to essential oil use and we have just adopted a 12 yo Chinese Crested Powderpuff who has never had any commercial flea product used on him but he’s full of fleas. I mixed this up — it smells heavenly, but it sure seems like a lot of essential oils — is this safe for a small dog (<10 lbs).
Thank you
Hi Claudia!
if you mix this up in a 16oz spray bottle, it is actually less than a 1% dilution 🙂 You CAN, however, cut the amount of drops in half and see how that works out for you!
Thank you so much for the quick response. I did try cutting it in half and it’s still working on the fleas. I added some to his shampoo — lots of dead fleas in the water. So far the fleas aren’t coming back.
My 14 y/o Granddaughter loves how it smells. She said “Grandma this smells good enough for people!” I told her it WAS safe for people because there were no chemicals — just essential oils and water.
Oh good!! So happy it worked so well! 😀 I actually need to make up a batch of this myself for my dog. The fleas here in California are a menace!