Fleas are insects that parasitize animals, both wild and domestic, and carry many diseases. Various means are used for treatment. It is necessary to rid pets of parasites not only for their benefit, but also to prevent bites on people, which can be unpleasant and also lead to infection with various pathologies. Wormwood is a plant that has long been used to prevent flea infestations, but also to treat flea bites and parasitism. For different purposes, different methods of preparing wormwood are prescribed.
Appearance of the plant
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?
Advantages and disadvantages of using wormwood against fleas
Does wormwood help get rid of fleas? The wormwood plant has been used in villages since ancient times to repel insects and rodents.
The strong bitter smell of the plant, as well as some of the pungent components in the composition, irritate the respiratory tract of lice, flies, cockroaches and rats, forcing them to flee the place where this smell spreads. In villages, wormwood is still a very popular remedy for repelling moths from things in closets, as well as for ridding livestock and pets in apartments from flea parasitism.
The main components of wormwood that impart insecticidal properties:
- Bitterness, which gives the smell that frightens parasites;
- Tannins (hazulen) are toxic components that are activated when creating an infusion and cause disruption of the central nervous system.
Flea remedies
Disadvantages of the method of fighting parasites using wormwood:
- Fleas do not die if you use a fresh plant, but are only afraid of the smell and run away;
- It is necessary to constantly replace the dried plant in the house with a fresh one, otherwise the effect is reduced and the fleas may return;
- The smell can be unpleasant or harmful to humans, especially in cases of hypersensitivity to smell or bronchial asthma;
- If the infusion is used, the effect increases, insects die on contact, but it can also be dangerous for animals or children living in the house.
Description of the plant
First, what wormwood actually looks like. This is a herbaceous or semi-shrub plant, reaching a height of 1.5 meters. It is a biennial or perennial with a thick, woody rhizome. The stems are straight, pubescent with small bluish hairs. The leaves are alternate, pinnately or palmately dissected. The lower leaves are large, the upper ones are small. Inflorescences are baskets collected from many small bisexual tubular and pistillate filamentous flowers. They are combined into large brushes of white, yellowish or pink color.
Sagebrush
The most common types of plants are common and bitter. To understand whether wormwood helps against fleas, consider the chemical composition of its essential oil. Its main components:
- camphor;
- 1,8-cineole;
- borneol;
- terpineol-4;
- bornyl acetate.
The substances repel insects with their pungent odor. In addition, wormwood has wound-healing, antifungal and antioxidant properties. The plant has found wide use in alternative medicine and herbal medicine.
How to use wormwood against fleas in an apartment?
This herb for fleas in the house can be used fresh as a source of pungent odor. In this case, the insects do not die, but are only frightened by the aroma and run away from the house.
In the case of creating an infusion, essential oils are released from the composition, which have an effect on nerve transmission, blocking it, causing convulsions, paralysis and death of fleas.
How to prepare the infusion correctly:
- You need to take dried leaves or dry them yourself;
- Fill them with hot water in a ratio of 1:20;
- Leave to infuse for 30-40 minutes, do not cook;
- Strain;
- Spray the infusion on areas where parasites accumulate.
The advantages of this method compared to other insecticides are relative harmlessness. The product can be used continuously if there is no intolerance to the odor of the solution. The finished infusion is stored for a long time without losing its properties.
A relatively cheap method compared to modern solutions for killing parasites, its effect extends to other insects.
Flea bites on a person
What it looks like and where it grows
Due to its ability to withstand severe drought, this plant can be found almost everywhere - in Ukraine, Russia and other countries.
Wild tall shrub - maximum height 2 m. Consists of numerous shoots covered with light green or silver-green small foliage. In nature, there are over 400 varieties of plants, the most useful and widespread is only one type - wormwood.
It blooms with yellow flowers and looks like tansy in appearance. They bloom throughout July-August. The bushy grass with a characteristic odor is used as a forage crop and an excellent remedy against domestic parasites.
Use of herb
You can get grass in several ways:
- Collect a fresh plant yourself and dry it at home;
- Buy dried leaves and use them to prepare an infusion;
- Buy ready-made infusions and solutions with the required percentage for killing insects, for wet cleaning or for washing animals.
Fresh stems with leaves are suitable for getting rid of various insects from the home. It is necessary to scatter the leaves around the house in their habitats and periodically replace the dried leaves with fresh ones to maintain the effect.
Dried leaves are good for creating an infusion or solution for wet cleaning or bathing pets to treat them for fleas.
Important safety advice:
- Limit children's contact with the plant;
- For chronic allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis or a history of anaphylactic reactions, use should begin with a small dose for testing to check the reaction;
- Restrict access for pets who live in the apartment. Wormwood has low toxicity, but can cause poisoning if taken in large doses.
Life cycle of fleas
Efficiency
There are different varieties of this plant, all of which are capable of repelling insects, but it is recommended to use bitter wormwood, since it has the most persistent aroma and contains a significant amount of a variety of essential oils.
When assessing efficiency separately, it is necessary to highlight some factors influencing it:
- Wormwood is much better at repelling insects when combined with other herbs, such as tansy, mint or eucalyptus.
- Any product based on this herb will be much more effective in preventing the appearance of fleas than in repelling them if they have already appeared.
- Using wormwood against fleas, you can simultaneously get rid of cockroaches, ants and other types of insects that settle near a person in the same way.
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
Storage rules
The plant is harvested in the summer, and wormwood is used at any time subject to storage conditions. The herb retains its beneficial properties for two years. It is important to ensure that no moisture gets on it, otherwise mold will appear and the wormwood will lose its repellent properties. The plant should be protected from sunlight.
The prepared decoction of dry wormwood cannot be stored. It fizzles out quickly, so for subsequent treatments a fresh solution is made. The alcohol tincture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months.
Using wormwood tincture
In addition to spraying the infusion around the apartment, it can be added to water for wet cleaning.
- Prepare the infusion according to the recipe described above;
- Dilute it in a container with water in a ratio of approximately 1:8;
- The water should be at room temperature;
- If desired, you can add a soap solution, but not chlorinated;
- Treat floors and furniture in the house with it to prevent the spread of pests or to remove them.
Dogs and cats that live in an apartment but walk outside, as well as livestock, often become infected with fleas and ticks. Method of washing pets to get rid of parasites:
- The infusion or oil is diluted with water in a ratio of approximately 1:10;
- A special shampoo or soap with an antiparasitic effect is added;
- The animal is thoroughly treated with the solution, rubbing it into the skin;
- Avoid contact with mouth, ears and eyes;
- Rinse with running warm water;
- After such a bath, it is advisable for the animal not to bathe or immerse in water, otherwise the protective effect will disappear;
- You can repeat such procedures once every 3-4 months.
Cooking recipes
There are many ways to take bitter wormwood for parasites. Most often the powder is consumed in dry form. To remove worms, you need to grind dried flowers, leaves, stems, and roots to a powder or use ready-made commercial powder. Based on the powder, decoctions, infusions, and oil solutions are prepared. You can also consume the herb in dry form with water, tea, or soften the bitterness with honey or sugar.
Decoction
To obtain a decoction, pour 1 tablespoon of wormwood into 1 glass of boiling water. The resulting mixture is placed in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. The finished broth is cooled to room temperature, strained and taken several times a day.
A decoction is the most convenient way to use wormwood.
Tincture
The medicinal qualities of the herb are perfectly manifested in alcohol-based tinctures. To prepare you will need 200 g of crushed pumpkin seeds, 200 g of powdered wormwood and 600 g of vodka. The resulting infusion is thoroughly mixed and infused for 1 week in a cool, dark place.
Oil
Wormwood oil is obtained by pressing the stems, roots and flowers with the addition of olive oil. The herbs are placed in a vessel, poured with oil, tightly closing the container with a lid. The composition is left for 30 days in a dark place. After this period, the oil is completely ready for use. It can be taken either ready-made or added to various dishes.
Enemas
Enemas from the plant must be given daily for 1 week. For 2 liters of water – 1 tablespoon of wormwood. Pour boiling water over the herb and leave on the stove for 10 minutes. The infusion is cooled to 40 degrees and filtered. Cleansing enemas are used hot.
Wormwood and cloves
An effective folk recipe against helminthic infestation is a mixture of wormwood and clove powder. For better results, flax seeds are added to the composition. The ingredients are ground into powder and mixed in equal parts. The herbs should be taken with freshly squeezed carrot juice. It is the combination of wormwood and cloves that achieves the best effect on adults, their eggs and larvae.
Wormwood and tansy
Tansy grass, which has bactericidal properties, is also used to remove helminths from the body. It can be used as an independent remedy or as part of a complex treatment. The combination of tansy and wormwood will help eliminate worm eggs in a short time. Most often, in case of mixed invasion, a “triad” is used, consisting of tansy, cloves and wormwood. For preparation you will need dry herbs: 100 g tansy, 50 g cloves, 30 g wormwood. The ingredients are crushed, mixed and consumed in powder form with water.
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.
How to rid animals of fleas using wormwood?
Of the listed options for products that are created from wormwood, animals can be treated with infusion or special shampoos.
There are many options for pet shampoos, which contain some strong antiparasitic plant components:
- Wormwood oil;
- Pine needle oil.
As well as components that improve the regeneration and local immunity of the animal’s skin:
- Coconut oil;
- Coltsfoot;
- Burdock;
- Celandine;
- Plantain.
You can create the solution yourself, since almost all the ingredients grow near roads or are sold in hardware stores.
Such shampoos are used mainly for the prevention and health of the animal’s skin and fur.
Disinsection methods must be carried out in all premises that are at risk to prevent the proliferation of fleas, bedbugs, cockroaches, and moths:
- House on earth;
- Presence of pets;
- Old building;
- A large accumulation of things in the apartment;
- The presence of a basement or attic.
Fleas can cause specific diseases that can be dangerous or even fatal for animals and people. Traditional medicine recipes make it possible to carry out high-quality and effective disinfestation as safely as possible for the residents of the house.
