There are means other than pesticides that some groomers prefer to use and recommend to get rid of fleas, rather than using pesticides. While these more natural remedies often take a bit longer and do not have as high a kill rate they are preferred by a lot of clients, so it’s well worth offering them as a retail option as well as using them in the salon. While the word natural does not necessarily equate with safe, most customers believe that more natural products will work and will do so with less risk than more traditional chemical remedies.
Natural flea treatments and preventions work in different ways. Some have odors that fleas and ticks just don’t like and will tend to stay away from ranging from rosemary and eucalyptus to cinnamon and citrus. These sprays and shampoos may have some residual effect because the scent will last after the spray is dry or the shampoo rinsed off and insects are still repelled by the odor. My 20 year old cat, when too frail to be given pesticides, stayed flea free after a natural flea and tick shampoo was followed by weekly applications of a tea made by steeping rosemary in hot water, then applying when tepid.
Some products have various natural chemicals in them that kill fleas, such as Eugenol (clove oil), peppermint oil, lemongrass, and more along with some types of sodium, or as in Top Performance Herbal Flea & Tick Shampoo a combination of several natural flea killing and repelling ingredients.
Whichever you choose, remember to follow instructions for both application and dilution rates carefully and as with any product if the animal seems to have a reaction, rewash to remove whatever they may be sensitive to. And enjoy the fresh and pleasant scents instead of chemical pesticide odors!
