How effective is wormwood against fleas: tinctures, decoctions and what does it look like?

Plants » Herbs

0

1041

Article rating

Kira Stoletova

Among all domestic parasites, fleas cause great harm to humans. Their bites are painful for both pets and owners. For many years, wormwood for fleas has been one of the most effective remedies in the fight against parasites.

The use of wormwood in the fight against fleas

Does it help?

Wormwood for fleas is deservedly considered one of the most effective remedies among its analogues. After all, even if we go back to antiquity, when this particular herb was used in the fight against evil spirits, not a single representative of humanity doubted its unshakable power. Wormwood helps not only against fleas - the smell of the plant scares rats, ants, flies and midges.

If your pet has fleas

The appearance of fleas on a pet can be noticed immediately. He begins to itch and becomes irritated.

How to get rid of fleas using wormwood if the animal has already picked them up. Methods of getting rid of it using grass are the same for all pets.

How to treat your pet for fleas

• After a walk, the pet must be bathed to get rid of dirt and dust, and also to prepare the fur for further treatment with a useful plant. Bathe the animal with a product intended for animals or baby shampoo. You can also use laundry or tar soap. Its smell also repels insects.
• Next, the animal must be wiped, but not dry.
• The final stage is the treatment of wool with a decoction or infusion of wormwood. To do this, the pet is bathed again or one of the prepared preparations of wormwood products is rubbed into the fur.

Note . The prepared mixture should not get into the eyes or nose of the animal.

Wormwood for fleas on dogs and cats

When infected with fleas, the dog and cat must be washed after each walk with a soap solution with the addition of wormwood. When rinsing animals, add other herbs: mint, eucalyptus and tansy.

At your pet's permanent resting place, place dried tufts of grass under the bedding.

If your pet resists water treatments, you can pour the infusion into a spray bottle and spray the fur.

How to use?

Before using wormwood for fleas in an apartment or house, you should decide on the form of the product to be used. The component can be used fresh, in the form of tincture, decoction, or essential oil. Wormwood is effective against fleas in any form.

Wormwood tincture

Wormwood infusion against fleas can only be used to treat the fur of animals living in a house or apartment.

Insects are afraid of strong odors. This means that when using the tincture, fleas will run away not only from wormwood, but also from alcohol.

To prepare the product, follow the following procedure::

• Mix the main ingredient in equal parts with the additional one - pumpkin seeds. What does wormwood herb suitable for cooking look like? The plant must be collected in dry weather, pre-washed and dried (you can purchase ready-made dry herb at the pharmacy);
• add vodka to the plant with seeds, the amount of which should be three times the volume of leaves and seeds;
• move the container to a warm place, it will not be amiss if sunlight begins to fall on it;
• leave the composition for at least 7 days ;
• strain the tincture and use as directed.

Wormwood essential oil

You can also use wormwood essential oil for fleas.

The recipe for preparing the product is as follows:

• collect some stems, leaves and inflorescences of bitter grass;
• chop the raw materials with a knife and place them in a vessel, compacting them well;
• Fill the container with vegetable oil (preferably olive oil) so as to cover the ingredient;
• close the lid and shake well in your hands;
• hide the vessel with oil and herbs in a dark, cool place for 14 days;
• When the mixture turns green, it is ready - the container can be opened and strained through cheesecloth.

You can use the prepared oil by pouring it into saucers or lids and placing the vessels in places where parasites most often live and in areas where “uninvited guests” enter a house or apartment.

You can use the oil in another way: treat animal fur with it - the insects will be afraid of the smell and will leave the pets.

Wormwood decoction

An alternative remedy for treating animal hair and bathing pets that have fleas on their bodies is a decoction of wormwood. It is very easy to prepare at home.

To do this you need:

• prepare dried herb (the main component of the product), brew wormwood with water (boiling). When combining ingredients, it is worth maintaining the ratio: 400 ml of liquid per 20 g of dry component;
• leave the mixture covered for 40 minutes - it should cool slightly;
• strain the product using a sieve or gauze;
• Allow the broth to cool and only then use it for its intended purpose.

Using a fresh plant

It is also possible to use fresh wormwood in the fight against fleas. To do this, you just need to hang freshly picked bunches of grass, brooms, bouquets in the corners of the rooms, in the attic, in the barn, garage and other places where the largest concentration of insects was noticed. Fleas do not like the smell of wormwood and can smell it, even if the plant is hidden under a rug or carpet. The grass can also lie on the windowsill, bed, table, or in the ventilation holes. If you use fresh wormwood to control insects, the tufts of grass should be changed periodically.

Preparation and storage of wormwood

The plant can be collected and prepared independently for use in winter. It is better to prefer wormwood, which is the most fragrant due to the high concentration of bitterness and essential oils.

What does wormwood look like?

Wormwood is a bush 1.5-2 meters high. It grows mainly in meadows. It consists of long straight branches completely covered with light green oblong leaves. It blooms in late summer with small yellow flowers reminiscent of mimosa. Spreads a specific aroma around.

What time should you collect?

The collection of branches occurs during active flowering, when the maximum amount of essential oils is concentrated in the plant.

To dry, wormwood is collected in brooms and hung in a dark, ventilated room.

Operating principle

The plant does not kill insects; it helps repel fleas due to its smell. The plant contains several different acids (succinic, malic, etc.). This also includes vitamins, essential oils, tanning components, and glycosides, which create an aroma that frightens insects.

For people, this smell does not seem dangerous; it reminds them of the aroma of freshly cut grass. But wormwood repels fleas - they run away.

Repellent properties of wormwood

Wormwood is widespread throughout Europe and Siberia.

Botanists consider it the most bitter of all plants in the Russian flora. Its bright bitter smell is difficult to confuse with anything else.

The appearance of the plant is very characteristic:

1. this grass sometimes grows as a subshrub and reaches a height of 50 centimeters to 2 m;
2. the weakly ribbed stem branches in the upper part;
3. shoots have silvery felt pubescence;
4. The leaves are especially characteristic - with long petioles, strongly dissected, they decorate the plant;
5. The flowers are small, yellow and collected in a panicle.

Wormwood blooms in June or July.

Wormwood flowering

This perennial herbaceous plant has a complex composition, in which essential oils occupy an important place.

They have a repellent effect on many insects. Phytoncides and alkaloids contained in wormwood determine its insecticidal properties.

You can also read our article on the topic: Wormwood for bedbugs - recipes for killing insects in an apartment or house

How does wormwood affect fleas?

This insect belongs to the blood-sucking order and can parasitize not only domestic animals or rats, but also consume human blood.

Appearance of a flea

There are many species of these insects, but fleas cause the greatest discomfort in humans. Often, they enter a home and make a person’s existence simply unbearable.

How dangerous are flea bites?

• They are very painful.
• Even a small amount of insect saliva that enters the human body when the skin is punctured causes unbearable itching.
• When scratching, infectious agents can enter the damaged tissue. And then serious inflammation will begin, requiring long-term treatment.
• Many people are allergic to flea bites. This is fraught not only with skin manifestations, but also with the general reaction of the body.

To combat bloodsuckers, you need to use any possible means. Not everyone can use chemicals for various reasons.

In this case, folk methods come first, and the most common of them is wormwood for fleas.

This remedy has long been used to expel various blood-sucking insects from the home. Modern chemicals have pushed it into the background. Many people already doubt whether wormwood helps against fleas.

Wormwood as a remedy for fleas

The experience of many generations confirms the effectiveness of the product.

How does wormwood affect fleas? These insects have olfactory organs that allow them to distinguish odors. Wormwood essential oil is extremely unpleasant for them.

This smell forces bloodsuckers to leave their habitable premises. Therefore, the question: are fleas afraid of wormwood can be answered in the affirmative. This has been proven by centuries of practice.

How to handle pets?

A decoction of wormwood is best suited for treating animal fur.

The product should be at room temperature. The algorithm for processing pet fur is as follows:

1. Apply the decoction drop by drop, you can spray the animal's fur, then rub the composition using your palms.
2. If the pet's undercoat is very long or thick, then during the process it is necessary to spread it to the sides so that the product comes into contact with the animal's skin. There is no need to be afraid of the harmful effects of the plant: the decoction will not burn or cause irritation to the skin, and the bitter taste of the herb will not allow your pet to eat it.
3. If the treatment is not carried out for preventive purposes, it is better to carry out all manipulations in the fresh air, since fleas will soon begin to immigrate.

Additionally, you can place fresh twigs or bunches of dried wormwood near the animal’s habitat and treat pet care items (brush, rug, toys, etc.).

Banal

No matter how trivial it may sound, daily cleaning of the apartment is very helpful in preventing the appearance of fleas, as well as getting rid of them if they have appeared recently. Moreover, this should be the same cleaning that is usually called “general”: with a vacuum cleaner, with a damp cloth, with airing of all rooms and knocking out dust from the carpets. Fleas love warmth and most often live inside carpets, in the corners of a room, and in any places that are difficult to reach. Fresh air, cool room temperature and thorough cleaning are their main enemies.

Additional recommendations for poisoning fleas with wormwood

When using the product to poison parasitic organisms, it is worth considering a number of points:

• the product retains its effect only until its natural smell “goes away”. If you don’t change the tuft or process the animal’s fur again, the insects will return to their old ways;
• some pets may be allergic to the plant, so you should use the plant with caution, especially during initial processing;
• The herb exhibits the greatest effect in combination with other means of repelling harmful insects: gasoline, kerosene, vinegar solution, etc.;
• to improve the aromatic qualities of the product, you can combine it with cedar, fir, mint, eucalyptus;
• if they treat an apartment with dried wormwood, be sure to open all the windows and doors - this way the insects will have somewhere to run. Otherwise, the organisms will find refuge in cracks and corners and wait there until the smell subsides ;
• a cat or dog can be treated not only with a decoction, but also with oil - just apply a few drops of the product to the withers;
• if the owners of a house or apartment are preparing to exterminate living creatures, in order to ensure their own safety, it is necessary to apply a couple of drops of oil and rub it in the area of ​​the ankles and feet;

It is not advisable to use wormwood as the only remedy against fleas - you must immediately use a chemical agent and only then begin treating the apartment and animals with plant-based components.

Advantages and disadvantages

Wormwood against fleas has several benefits:

• the grass is not toxic, therefore, during the processing process, all family members, as well as pets, can be present in the house or apartment;
• availability of raw materials - it can be picked in the field or purchased for a small price in a pharmacy in the form of dry raw materials or tincture;
• the rules of use and preparation are simple;
• insects cannot stand its smell, but the residents of the house and the animal treat it calmly, some even like its aroma.

Disadvantages: short duration of action and low efficiency. You can remove the adults from your home, but it does not affect their faces or eggs. In addition, with regular use, insects begin to get used to its smell. The aroma that the field grass thins out tends to fade away quickly. Therefore, you should constantly add fresh raw materials to your house or apartment.

Methods for diagnosing giardiasis

Giardiasis has no specific symptoms, and its manifestations are varied. Therefore, a typical situation is when a person is treated by different specialists for different symptoms, but giardiasis remains undetected.

You should definitely get tested for Giardia in the following cases:

• with a tendency to intestinal diseases, as well as with their chronic course;
• with eosinophilia (the presence of an increased number of eosinophils in the blood);
• for allergic manifestations;
• in case of intestinal disorder acquired while traveling abroad, especially to southern and exotic countries;
• in case of neurotic symptoms, especially against the background of intestinal disorders.

Giardiasis is diagnosed based on laboratory tests. To diagnose giardiasis, the following are usually used:

Microscopic examination

The feces are examined for the presence of Giardia cysts, and the intestinal contents are examined for the presence of vegetative forms.

Serological blood test

Using a serological analysis, the presence of antibodies to Giardia in the blood is determined.

More information about the diagnostic method

Stool examination

An immunological test can detect a specific Giardia antigen in the stool.

Sign up for diagnostics To accurately diagnose the disease, make an appointment with specialists from the Family Doctor network.

Fire hazardous

Another product whose smell fleas cannot tolerate is kerosene. Accordingly, the next way to get rid of small dirty tricks is to wash floors and carpets with kerosene. The procedure is not the most pleasant, but, as they say, in war all means are good.

A small warning: during such cleaning it is not recommended to smoke or light candles, otherwise you risk being left not only without fleas, but also without an apartment.

After kerosene treatment, do not forget to also do wet cleaning.

How to properly expel bedbugs using wormwood

It is probably already clear to everyone that the best time to fight bloodsuckers is summer. You need to place wormwood bushes against bedbugs in your apartment in those places where the parasite accumulates the most:

• In the closets
• Under the bed
• Under upholstered furniture
• On the baseboards
• Near sockets, paintings
• On the curtains

| Read about finding bedbug habitats in an apartment...

It is very important to pay special attention to the “camouflage” of sleeping places: wormwood bitterness not only repels the pest, but suppresses the human smell, interrupting it. Bedbugs look for their victims by the aroma of blood and sweat, and the plant will do a great job of not giving them away.

A small nuance: if wormwood is placed under the bed, and the pests themselves are under the mattress at this time, then the herb will not be of any benefit. It is best to lay out the bundles in the space between the mattress and the bed frame or directly into the folds of the sofa at the junction of the back, seat, and armrests.

Uses of wormwood oil

Essential oil collects the main properties of the plant, which are concentrated in one drop. Creating it yourself requires a lot of effort and special equipment, so purchasing oil is much easier and does not require large expenses.

A few drops on the place where the pests live is enough to cause their death by inhaling the vapors or eating complementary food, on which you can also drop a little oil.

Other areas where oil can be used:

• Due to its antibacterial properties, it can be used to treat small wounds and abrasions, and minor burns. The wound heals faster, dries out, forming a thin, even crust;
• Analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties are used to relieve swelling and pain from bruises and sprains. A compress for the sore area is treated with oil;
• Oil in small doses is prescribed for oral administration. It increases the secretion of gastric juice and digestive enzymes, thus stimulating digestion. Prescribed for the treatment of gastritis with low acidity. It also has a choleretic effect;
• Helps in the treatment of anxiety disorders, improves attention, treats headaches and sleep disorders;
• Widely used in cosmetology due to the properties of increasing tissue regeneration;
• In cooking to add flavor.

If you decide to take the oil internally, you should consult a doctor, as the product has a list of contraindications and possible side effects.

Diseases that are transmitted to people from animals through flea bites

Chemical

If neither wormwood, nor animal spray, nor kerosene helped, then your fleas are incredibly tenacious. It's time to try another old but true remedy on them - this, of course, is dichlorvos. In most cases, it copes well with many types of insects. After treating the apartment with dichlorvos (as usual, special attention to corners and places under carpets), it is better to leave the house for a while if you do not want to keep fleas company. It is at this moment that you will most likely remember with longing such a pleasant smell of wormwood.

Please note that dichlorvos is a rather dangerous product, so after it you should clean the apartment especially carefully. And don't forget to ventilate the rooms.

Wormwood for parasites: is the game worth the candle?

If the agricultural chemical industry has adopted the properties of wormwood, then there is no need to devalue its usefulness. But it’s worth learning how to competently use what nature has given. In what cases is the use of wormwood grass justified?

For temporary suppression of the activity of the bedbug family. For example, until more radical measures are taken to exterminate pests. A couple of days that fall on weekends or holidays, with the help of wormwood, will give you the opportunity to wait for the pest control service or buy powerful chemicals.

For preventive treatment. If you don’t have bedbugs, but there is a threat of their appearance, for example, from neighbors, then wormwood grass will do an excellent job of security duties and “the enemy will not pass through.”

For greater efficiency, you can use not only fresh grass, but also treat furniture, window and door frames, ventilation, etc. decoction or tincture of an odorous plant. Wormwood against bedbugs can also be used in the form of oil. Wormwood essential oil is sold in pharmacies or cosmetics stores. Before dripping it onto the surfaces to be treated, make sure that none of your family members are allergic to it. Unlike grass, which can be thrown away and the room ventilated, the oil solution is quite difficult to completely wash off (especially if applied to textiles, pillows, blankets).

The conclusion of all that has been said is this: you should not rely on wormwood as the only method of fighting bedbugs; it is better to buy modern insecticides or call a bedbug extermination service, but as a temporary or preventive remedy, the grass will be an excellent assistant.

Are fleas dangerous?

Fleas are insects that need a host to parasitize and live off of. The host is any mammal that has fur. Fleas can move freely in fur, warm themselves, and hang on.

Flea bites are painful, and also cause itching and discomfort, which is why animals constantly itch, scratches and wounds appear on the skin, which can easily become infected. Particular discomfort is caused by bites from children, for whom they are especially unpleasant; moreover, a child at an early age cannot tolerate itching; severe scratching appears faster than in an adult who understands. What you can't scratch.

Humans can also suffer from bites, but the parasites cannot survive on humans due to the lack of fur. But they can bite easily, transmitting various diseases, some of which are dangerous only for certain types of animals, others also for humans.

It is known that fleas were responsible for the plague and many other epidemics. The presence of a flea infestation in a pet indicates poor hygiene and a lack of proper care and medical attention.

What shapes are created using wormwood?

Using a decoction

The advantages of a decoction compared to an infusion are less toxicity and a longer shelf life.

Making a decoction:

• Dilute dry leaves with water in a ratio of 1:20;
• Boil;
• Cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes;
• Cool and strain;
• Treat furniture, floors and walls throughout the apartment.

The decoction does not leave marks on furniture and painted walls. After treatment, a specific odor remains, which soon disappears.

You can even wipe upholstered furniture with the broth. To do this, you need to blot a cloth cloth in it and rub it evenly over the sofas and even pillows. After this, sleeping on the furniture is completely safe.

It is worth mentioning that the effectiveness of such a solution is relative. It is impossible to give a complete guarantee of the death of parasites; it is more often used to prevent their reproduction in an apartment than for total disposal.

Wormwood - what kind of grass

Wormwood resembles a medium-sized tree. It has long (up to two meters) straight stems that branch like real trees. They are covered with countless leaves, and in July-August yellow flowers appear, which grow in whole inflorescences. In September, the seeds ripen, with the help of which the plant reproduces.

Each stem of wormwood looks like a small tree

One plant can produce up to one hundred thousand new plants.

Wormwood has a very mild spicy smell, which persists even after the plant has dried. But it is important to collect the grass in time, otherwise it may darken, lose its aroma, and the baskets with seeds will scatter.

Wormwood must be collected at the beginning of flowering (in July-August) away from roads, enterprises and landfills - an environmentally friendly product. Under no circumstances should you wash it: it will be very difficult to dry it, and many beneficial properties will be lost. You need to dry it in the attic or under a canopy, where there is good ventilation, spreading it in a thin layer on paper.

Wormwood blooms in July-August

This attention to collection is due to the fact that it is the subtle smell of wormwood that repels many insects: cockroaches, ants, mosquitoes and, of course, fleas. The plant does not contain any insecticidal components, so it cannot kill parasites - only repel them.

You can use a fresh plant against fleas, but in the city this is not possible, so dried herbs are used, from which you can make tinctures, decoctions and other insect repellents. Processing wormwood allows you to reveal its aroma, but for this you need to properly collect this plant.

Dried wormwood can be used in decoctions and tinctures against insects

Wormwood will act on insects as long as it produces its spicy aroma. If you put one of the arthropods in a jar with this plant, nothing will happen to it, but the pest will try to escape from there as soon as possible. As soon as the grass loses its smell, the “residents” will not even notice it.