Fleas usually spread through animals and can make their way through the pet animals at your home. Fleas are wingless, but they can jump 7 inches high from the ground, so they can easily crawl on your pet.
Fleas feed themselves by the blood which they get from animals and humans by biting and sucking it. Flea bites can cause infection.
Fleas have a strong sense of smell which helps them hunt their prey. Because of this sense, they avoid the strong or intense smell of plants. You can prevent these creepy insects from entering your home by placing such kinds of a plant that have a strong aroma that will help in repelling the fleas.
List of Plants That Repel Fleas
- Catnip
- Basil
- Lemongrass
- Lavender
- Oregano
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Marigold
- Eucalyptus
Catnip (Nepeta Cataria)
Catnip plant, also known as the catmint plant, can be a great flea-repellent. The catnip plant has a strong minty odor which helps in preventing fleas. Catnip is also a pet-friendly plant, and your cat might love it. Your pet will smell great and minty if they start staying and wandering around the catnip plant.
Mint
Mint prevents fleas by its strong smell because fleas hate the intense smell of mint. It is harmless to pet animals, so no need to worry about that. You can easily grow mint at home, and it is better to grow the mint plant in a pot.
Mint is also used in cooking to give the meal a nice aroma.
Basil
Using the basil plant as flea repellent is a great and beneficial choice. Fleas hate the smell of basil and try to stay away from it. The main use of basil is in cooking, and it can be used as fresh or dried.
It gives a nice flavor to the food.
And yes, it is a non-toxic plant for cats and dogs. You can grow it at home. Use a pot to grow it; you can then plant it in the ground with the pot. If you remove the pot it roots will start to spread out under the ground.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a good option to repel fleas; it has a strong citrusy smell, fleas can not bear the strong smell of lemongrass, it is one of the easiest plants to grow at home.
It is used in many cooking recipes because it is non-toxic to humans, but it may cause harm to the dogs and cats at your home. So it is a non-friendly plant for pets. This herb is also used to make tea.
Lavender
Choosing lavender as your flea-repellent is a great idea. You can easily grow these flower plants at home.
It will enhance the beauty of your garden.
Lavender has a nice and fresh smell which you and your pets will like, but fleas do not like the odor of it. That is why fleas avoid approaching such plants. Lavender might cause health issues to your pets if they snack on it.
Oregano
Oregano is one of the common herbs, and you can easily grow oregano at home and place it where the fleas get into your home.
The strong smell of oregano prevents fleas.
You can also use the extract of oregano to spray where you find most of the fleas to repel them. But oregano is not a pet-friendly plant; if you have pets, it can be harmful to your pets.
Sage
Sage repels fleas and other harmful insects because it also has a strong smell. Growing it at home can be very beneficial,
it is also non-toxic for humans and pet animals like cats and dogs.
It is good for digestion for humans and animals which snack on them. Good to use in cooking. This herb is also used as tea. The leaves of sage are used to make medicine.
Rosemary
Rosemary is also a great flea-repellent herb that you can grow in your garden. Fleas do not like to come near to it. It has a great smell that you will like to have around you and your family members.
And it is also pet-friendly, so you don’t have to worry about your pets when they are around rosemary. It is healthy for your dog if it eats it. It also helps indigestion.
Marigold
Marigold is also one of the easiest plants to grow at home, is very effective to repel fleas. It can be grown from seeds.
Your cats or dogs will stay safe around marigold because it is a pet-friendly plant. Marigold plants can protect you and your pets from fleas and other harmful insects.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is commonly known for its strong and pleasing smell. The strong smell of eucalyptus helps to repel fleas, mosquitoes, and other biting insects.
Eucalyptus leaves are a great air freshener. It is also used in many medicines and as medicine itself.
If you have any pets, then eucalyptus plants are not safe for the health of your pet. They can get sick if they accidentally snack on them. So be careful with that.
Placing Flea-Repelling Plants
You can place any of these plants anywhere in your house, but the best area to place them is where you find most fleas in your house. Fleas can make their way to your house through your pets, and try to avoid the plants which are harmful to pets if you have any. Otherwise, if you do not own any pet, you can choose any of these flea-repelling plants to prevent fleas. Put the flea-repelling plant in those places where your pet is most likely to wander around.
Fleas and other harming insects can enter your house through windows and ventilating areas. You can put the flea-repelling plant in your windows or near the air ventilators of the house. These insects can also make their way through the entrance of the house, so you could keep these insects outside by just putting the flea-repelling plants on the way to your house entrance.
Also, you can use the extract of some of these plants to spray on the areas where you find most of the fleas at your house.
Spray the extract in those areas where you find it hard to place the plant. It can reduce the number of fleas in those areas.