I love my dogs, but in the summer the fleas can be a real pain.  The combination of all this rain and bursts of sunshine create a hotbed for fleas.  However I found these great little homemade remedies that will put paid to those nasty critters at a fraction of the cost of shop bought deterrents.

Cocktail Flea Dip

You will need

• 30 ml vodka or dry vermouth
• 825 ml water

Makes 1 treatment

To check for fleas, comb your pet over a sheet of white paper: if black specks (flea dirt) drop onto the paper, treat the animal at once with this dip (double recipe for large pets). There are many expensive flea dips around but this one does not contain harsh chemicals. To get rid of flea eggs – and future infestations – wash the animal’s bedding and vacuum your house thoroughly.
1 In a large saucepan, stir alcohol into water and bring to a boil.
2 Remove from the heat, cover the pan, and allow the solution to steep for 2 hours.
3 Rub the cooled solution into your pet’s fur, rinse and comb out.

Flea be gone bandanna

You will need

• 1 cotton bandanna (colour and pattern of your choice)
• 1 small vial of rose geranium essential oil
• 1 small vial lavender essential oil

Here’s a safe, renewable, flea-repelling bandanna to make for your dog. The active ingredients are essential herb oils, which smell good to us, but fleas and mosquitoes can’t stand them. (Note that this is not a tick deterrent. It should also not be considered adequate protection against mosquitoes in heartworm areas.)
1 Sprinkle several drops of each oil on the bandanna.
2 Roll the bandanna and tie it loosely around your dog’s neck.
3 Launder the bandanna; re-treat with oil when the scent fades.

Note: If your dog won’t wear a bandanna, dab oil between its shoulder blades where it can’t be licked off. Don’t get oil near a dog’s eyes, nose or mouth.

For more ideas for saving money and avoiding artificial ingredients have a look at this great book.  ”Homemade”  is a fantastic one-stop source of recipes and instructions for making more natural and less expensive alternatives to many of your favourite brand-name products. ”Homemade” includes over 700 recipes for food, beauty and health items and pet and garden products, as well as household cleaning solutions, polishes and compounds.