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In today’s post, we are sharing scientifically proven ways to get rid of fleas in your yard!

Questions about fleas are probably one of the most asked from readers. I’ve received a few thousand questions over the last few year about getting rid of fleas!

If you’ve had fleas on your pet, you can treat them directly, but it’s more important to treat the source of fleas which is outside in your yard. 

The best thing about these tips is they have science to back them up!

Scientifically Proven Ways To Get Rid of Fleas in Your Yard

Many people have asked Chemistry Cachet how they can get rid of fleas in the yard without harming pets? Most of the remedies for fleas are actually very safe for both pets and kids. You shouldn’t need any chemicals to combat a flea problem. These home remedies to get rid of fleas are proven to work and can be something you practice all year. And it works fast!

So, what is the fastest way to get rid of fleas in the yard?

First and most importantly, find out where they are…

1. Find out where they are 

Fleas won’t be just anywhere in your yard. They like warm, moist, and shady areas. Under trees, in flower beds, underneath porches, and other places like that. Knowing where the fleas are is the first step to trying all these tips!

2. Flood the yard

The easiest thing to try is flooding the areas you know fleas are. Why? Although fleas like moist areas, they can’t survive in water. You’ll notice in the spring when it rains a lot, fleas aren’t very likely to be an issue. If you aren’t in a rainy season, just use the rubber hose to flood and saturate the flea effected area. This is just simple science, but it works!

3. Keep your yard groomed 

This was a tip from an exterminator I heard years ago, but it makes sense. Since fleas love shady, moist areas, they can be attracted to a messy overgrown lawn. Tall grass, wood chips, piles of leaves, and old mulch are the perfect areas for them to nest. Keeping a clean yard eliminates areas for them to survive in. 

4. Sprinkle borax around

Here is where some science comes in! Borax is a salt (sodium tetraborate) and does a great job of deterring many insects. Not only because it is a salt, but also due to the boron atoms. You can read more about the science in this post. If you sprinkle borax around those areas fleas are, as well as the outside of your yard (like a fence or the area pets are), it will keep them away. This works best if you can get rid of the fleas first (like flooding the yard), then sprinkling this as a preventative treatment. It can kill the fleas like it does ants, but it can be hard to know where all the fleas are. But it works!

Borax is safe for animals by the way.

5. Use cedar to keep them away

Cedar is very effective at keeping fleas away. The scent alone will drive them out the yard! Cedar contains Monoterpenoids, Diterpenoids, and Phenolic acids (among other things) that keep away fleas. In fact, many flea sprays you purchase will contain cedar oil in it.

There are many ways to use cedar. You can buy cedar wood chips and put them all around your yard (some animal beds even contain cedar wood chips for this reason).

You can use a cedar wood oil to make a spray out of by diluting with some water. Then spray around your yard and those places fleas enjoy. Don’t buy anything expensive, I use this one! Mix 4 cups of water with about 4-5 teaspoons of oil.

6.  Nematodes

This is one of the best ways to keep insects out of yard, but especially fleas! These are worms that feed on certain insects like fleas. It is a totally natural option, and won’t harm other beneficial insects. You can purchase them locally, or you can buy them on Amazon!

7. Diatomaceous earth

One of my favorite options is diatomaceous earth. I always keep a bag of these around to dust the outside of my yard! Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized remains of aquatic organisms called diatoms. It basically dehydrates and kills fleas, but also keeps them away when used as a barrier.  It is safe for animals and people, just be cautious of the dust (don’t breathe it in)!

I have used diatomaceous earth for keeping grasshoppers away too!

8. Lavender & Rosemary

These two plants are so great for all types of insects even fleas. We talk about it in the post on how to keep mosquitoes away. These plants (and their oils) emit odors that deter insects. The simple way to use lavender and rosemary is to keep them in pots around the yard. This way you can use move them if necessary. If you have the climate for it, you can also plant them in raised garden beds or flower beds. Using the essential oil is another option although it will need to be used more often. Create a spray like we mentioned above with the cedar wood oil and spray all around your yard.

9. Try a natural flea spray

You can buy ready made sprays. This one is natural, so it is safe for kids and pets. It is actually economical since it contains pure organic cedar wood oil ready to spray. This covers about 5,000 sq ft, so great for yards. I love using natural when possible so you don’t have to worry about it harming your pets, kids, or other bugs/animals.

There are many other ideas (or myths) out there about fleas, but these are all proven ways to get rid of fleas in your yard! Following these tips will allow you to get rid of fleas and keep them away too.

Don’t forget, you can always call your local extension agency to see what tips they recommend for fleas in your yard. They will have specific knowledge for your soil and climate.

 

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