I have two wonky cats that I love very much. Timid but loving Merlin is my 3 legged black wonder and Mango, the one-eyed ginger, is a sleepy ball of fluff.

But as much as I love cuddling up with them whenever I get the chance, this time of year they are prone to fleas and those blighters aren’t so fun! As Merlin has a skin allergy problem, I treat them both with stronghold every month, which usually does the trick. But often my soft furnishings get left out of the process!

Luckily, I recently found out that there are 3 particular essential oils that work really well as natural flea repellents, and actually double up as lovely smelling fresheners for your curtains, sofa and carpets! Natural lazy House work at its best!

Tea Tree

Tea tree oil isn’t just a cure for nasty spots on your face, oh no! It’s also great natural repellent for parasites like fleas and ticks. It can also help reduce cases of worms and ringworm. Mix a few drops of tea tree with water and spray your dog (but NEVER on cats!) daily to keep away ticks and fleas.

Lavender

A sprinkle of some calming lavender essential oil apparently works well both ,as a tick deterrent and to prevent tick eggs from hatching. In fact, a 2007 South African study found that formulas containing diluted lavender (at rates of 10 to 20%) performed just as good tick repellents as artificial sprays!

Lemon

I use refreshing Lemon in a lot of my homemade clearing sprays and air fresheners, so it’s no suprise that Lemon oil works really well for cleaning pet beds (which is essence is your whole house!). Lemon oil contains the compound limolene, which appears to be very effective against the fleas which are particularly drawn to cats.

It’s also good for repelling ants and mosquitoes too, so a big bottle of water with some lemon oil is a great thing to have on hand!

Do you have any other ideas for natural flea repellents? How do you keep your pets pest free? Let me know if you’re tried the above before and if it has/hasn’t worked for you!