Chemical flea treatment alternative

Question
I am looking for a good organic flea treatment for my ferrets that will really work. I have been using Advantage for cats that I get from the vet. I am not thrilled with using harsh chemicals on my ferrets, but anything to keep the fleas at bay. My problem is, what works well for one does not work as well or at all for the others, (I have three ferrets). It gets expensive!!!  And I noticed fur discoloration on the place that applied it on one. Any info. or help with finding something organic?

Answer
Dear Christy,

I also always like to find a natural alternative to chemicals and most commerical flea treatments.

But before I go into flea treatments I want to say getting the fleas off the ferret is the least of your problems. You can pretty easily kill those but keeping them off and out of your house is going to be the hard part.

Let me lay out the best plan of action...

First take your ferrets and any other pets you might have and give them a thorough washing with dove soap or baby shampoo. Remember you can not bath ferrets often so make sure you comb through your ferret with a lice comb and keep most of their body submerged for a little bit to drown the fleas. Then rinse them thoroughly and comb them again.

Using a lemon rinse will help the skin and help repelling the fleas.
To do that take a whole lemon and slice it, then drop it into a pint of very very hot water. Let that sit and steep during the night. After you remove the pulp in the morning careful rub the lemon juice over the skin either with a rag or a sponge. Other natural herbs that help to repel fleas are Pennyroyal, citronella, rosemary and wormwood.

Next before you allow your ferret back into their cage, or area wash all the bedding and dry it thoroughly. Scrub everywhere, vacuum everything, wash the rugs and carpets. After vacuuming do not let the bag sit, take it out of the house or if you do not use a bag, depose of contents and wash out where it sat.

Sprinkle a little of Diatomaceous Earth or powdered Pyrethrum into the bedding and carpets, using a broom work it into the carpets. You can find these as most garden stores or herb stores.

Clean, clean, clean, this is your best bet to get ahead of them.

Now it is time for the "bomb"

The pesticide I highly recommend is Diatomaceous Earth. This is a type of fosalized algae-like plants called diatoms. Which will in the end break through the fleas exoskeleton and lead to the fleas dehydrating and dieing.

This is all natural and the safest way to go.

I wish you luck and I hoped this helped. Flea infestations are so hard to combat and because ferrets are so little loosing just a little blood is very bad. Keep me updated!

Lindsey