Does White Vinegar Kill Fleas? Remedies for Fleas?

Vinegar is a common household ingredient that you will find around the kitchen but it can also have varied applications around the house. 

Flea bites are painful and they may cause the transmission of diseases. Further, removing fleas from your house and pets is challenging and expensive but you can use some home remedies.

• So, does white vinegar (acetic acid) kill fleas? In summary, no, spraying the cider vinegar on the dog bed or rugs wouldn’t kill fleas but it will help repel the pests from your house and pets.
• The reason is that the vinegar acid is relatively weak to break through the shells of flea larvae and free eggs.

However, adult fleas tend to avoid pets such as cats and dogs that are sprayed with white vinegar. But the vinegar solution won’t kill the adult fleas. 

Related: Will Apple Cider Vinegar Kill Fleas??

Details: is white vinegar a good DIY flea spray?

Control or prevention of fleas requires that you kill or sterilize the flea larvae and flea eggs.

• Therefore, any remedy (including white vinegar) that won’t offer these will allow the fleas to continue multiplying.

Notably, please hate the taste and smell of white vinegar and that they tend to avoid pets that are sprayed with it.

• To use the cider vinegar to repel fleas, simply dilute 8 oz. cider vinegar with some warm water (4 oz. – 8 oz.) and spray it on the pets like cats & dogs.
• To make even better flea repellent, you may add ½ teaspoon of baking soda and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Will the cider vinegar be safe to use on my pets?

Common health knowledge shows that white vinegar has many health benefits to humans.

• However, it’s important to note that pets including cats and dogs are not humans and we have different body anatomies.
• Hence, below I’ll consider whether cider vinegar is really beneficial or harmful to pets.

First, let’s check the claim that feeding some white vinegar to your pets may help repel or kill fleas away.

• My expert advice is that this remedy of using white vinegar in pet food won’t kill fleas.

In fact, this DIY solution, if ingested by your pets may be harmful to their bodies.

1. Apart from the taste and the smell, vinegar won’t alter the chemical state of the cat’s or dog’s skin that may kill the fleas.
2. Also, could cause stomach ulcers and vomiting in your pets because it will corrode the lining of their stomachs and esophagus which is very sensitive.
3. Finally, vinegar will also corrode the tooth enamel of your pets due to its acidic nature.

I have to note that there are holistic veterinarians that will prescribe vinegar in the pet’s food but this must be done with keen supervision.

Therefore, on the question of using white vinegar to kill or control fleas, I would recommend consulting your veterinarian on suitable flea treatment and prevention methods.

From now you must avoid does DIY flea pills, homemade solutions, or flea sprays and adopt scientifically proven tick and flea medicine.

Use these flea medicines early enough for prevention purposes as opposed to late treatment to avoid skin infections on the pets. 

Related: Length of time Flea Eggs Take To Hatch

Alternative remedies That will kill fleas

1. Coconut Oil

For the safety of your pets, you might need to consider some non-chemical-free repellents – coconut oil is one of them.

By definition, coconut oil is non-toxic and a natural solution that will kill fleas.

Luckily, applying the coconut oil is quite easy – simply rub that oil deep into the pet’s skin, coat, under the fur.

The oil contains lauric acid that has repellent capabilities and hence most of the pests will jump off your pet.

So, I advise that you apply that coconut oil on your pet while it’s in the outdoor spaces so that the fleas won’t jump back into your house.

2. Sage, Rosemary, and Lemon juice

Another solution that you can use in making a flea spray using sage, rosemary, and lemon juice.

So, in a liter of water and some 10 drops of Sage essential oils and rosemary plus some lemon juice.

Mix these ingredients together and allow them to sit for 12 hours.

Finally spray that flea repellent onto your dog’s ears, legs, tail, and belly.

Since this is a flea repellent, just like the coconut oil above, you should spray eat on the pets from outdoor spaces.

Other essential oils that you may use instead include lemongrass oil and cedar oil. However, this must only be used with a diffuser or conservatively just a few drops and ensure dilute well with water. 

Related: What Can Kill Fleas Instantly?

Here’s how to remove fleas from your house

Controlling fleas from your house will help you protect the pets that you love from these bugs.

First, you should consider natural repellents that you can plant in your yard; this will secrete oils that will repel fleas.

• Some of these lovely trees that you can plant are mint, basil, lemongrass, catnip, rosemary, under the sage.
• The next step is to consider some non-toxic flea remedies such as Diatomaceous Earth (DE).

The food grade and non-toxic powder is made from fossilized algae that will break the fleas’ exoskeleton and make them dehydrate to death.

But Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is mainly recommended for treating fleas in outdoor areas like the garden or the yard.

They are various additional techniques that you can use to control fleas in the house and they include;

• Hiring an expert flea exterminator
• Spreading nematodes on those areas of the yard that your pets visit. The nematodes will feast on those elusive flea larvae.
• Using flea foggers or flea bombs
• Washing the pet bedding and linens with soapy water that is hot
• Thoroughly vacuum the floors, coaches, and carpets.

Conclusion

Infirmary, white vinegar won’t kill fleas in their various life stages but it may help repel the adult fleas from your pets.

• Therefore, veterinarians recommend using approved flea treatment or control products on your pets.

The DIY remedies that you can use include solutions of coconut oil or that of lemon juice and rosemary plus sage.