Fleas and ticks can be quite a nuisance when you have pets. They are easily picked up outdoors and sometimes very hard to get rid of. Both fleas and ticks live and thrive on their hosts by consuming their blood. While a flea roams freely on their host a tick will typically bite and attach itself while drawing blood. Below are five home remedies to prevent fleas and ticks in dogs:

1. Try applying citrus juice
Fleas and ticks do not like citrus. Rubbing some freshly squeezed lemon or orange juice on your dog will help deter those little pests. It may be easier to actually make a citrus spray to spray on your dog’s fur. This can be done by boiling water and cutting up lemon or orange slices and letting them soak overnight. On a side note, it is not safe to put citrus oils on your dog so be sure you are using fresh juice not oils.

2. Rose geranium oil to the rescue!
Rose geranium oil, not to be confused with plain rose oil, is another natural way for flea and tick prevention. There are a few ways this can be applied to your dog. Placing a couple of drops on your dog’s collar and letting them soak in is one way. Another way would be to dilute several drops in water and put the solution into a spray bottle and spray directly on your dog’s fur. Rose geranium oil is a great way to keep those annoying little bugs away.

3. Apple cider vinegar
One of the many many benefits of apple cider vinegar is that it can aid in tick and flea prevention tremendously. It’s simple to create a solution that can be applied to just about anything! Add 2 cups of water to 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and you are good to go. This can safely be sprayed on your dog, your clothes, and even on your furniture so not only are the fleas and ticks avoiding your dog, but they will be avoiding everything else as well.

4. Try rosemary flea dip
While chemical dips can be very harmful to your dog, making a natural dip from rosemary and water is safe and can be very effective. Just boil water and steep fresh rosemary in the water for around 30 mins. Once cooled soak dog in rosemary water and let dry.

5. Prevent with neem oil
Neem oil is a pressed oil that comes from the fruits and seeds of the neem tree. It is a very effective way to keep fleas and ticks at bay. It can be applied directly to your dog’s skin or it can be diluted by mixing it with a lighter oil such as almond oil and applied. It also can be added to your pet’s shampoo when bathing. It’s proven to be a very effective method in deterring many types of bugs.

The above tips are safe ways to avoid fleas and ticks without exposing your dog to harsh chemicals. No need to give them a pill or place chemical gels on their bodies. You can protect them safely and naturally.