It's Bug Season

Some bugs are better than others. Take ladybugs for instance. They clean up all those garden destroying aphids. Even the ugliest of spiders help us out with those annoying mosquitos.

Then you have fleas and ticks. They can bring out "search and destroy" in even the holiest of holistic humans.

Before you haul out the big guns, like the ones you just dot onto the back of your pets fur and forget for a month, try some natural repellents first.

Why?

Those "spot on" insecticides are pretty severe. Do a search online for one of the active ingredients on the package, and see what comes up. Unfortunately, it isn't very comforting. And the words "inactive ingredient" does not mean "neutral". It means a chemical that is not the working part of the product.

If you have children that like to nuzzle the pet with their face, chronically ill, very young, allergy prone, or older pet, using harsh chemicals should be a concern to you. One of the biggest concerns around these chemicals is not what we know about them, but what we do not know. Just because a product is deemed safe under isolated scientific circumstances, does not mean it is safe in all circumstances. Our pets often fall under the "all circumstances" category because they share an integral part of our family.

What alternatives are there? Plenty, actually.

It will take a bit more work than simply cracking open a small tube and dripping it onto the back of your pet, but it won't take THAT much effort. The hardest part will be deciding which alternative method to use. In the end you will feel much better knowing your pet, your children, and your environment will be safer for it.

Here are some alternatives.

*Cloud Nine by Halo is a combination of aromatic oils you mix with water into a spray. It can be used on pets, bedding, and you can safely soak their collar in it. Your pet may have an aversion to the aroma at first, but smell receptors are designed to ignore smells that continue on and on (that is why you stop smelling a scented candle after it has been burning awhile). Also, do not spray your dogs face or head, use a sponge for that area instead.

*Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is a flour-like looking substance, but under the microscope is really the fossil remains of marine organisms. It works on many bugs including fleas and internal parasites by mechanical action. The fossils are razor sharp to insects and scratch their protective coating. The bug dehydrates and dies. The food grade version is the safest, and can be added pet food to control internal parasites. You can also dust it into your carpeting, floors, or directly on your pet and his bedding. You can mix it with water as a spray for a more controlled broadcast (This is the method I recommend if you have an aversion to dust).

*De Flea is a chemical for those who really have a flea problem. It is probably the safest chemical. It works by softening the protective coating on fleas (mechanical action like diatomaceous earth). You can use it to help eliminate the initial flea problem and then switch to one of the alternative remedies above for maintenance.

*A good diet is one of the best ways to improve your pets' bug defense. Bugs thrive in unhealthy environments (well, unhealthy for pets and humans). It is their place in the life chain. If you spend the money on super quality pet food (and supplement that food because nothing is perfect) not only will your pet need less of the food, but you will boost your pets own immune system giving him a head start against the bugs.

Other things you can do is wash the pets bedding (and yours if your pet sleeps with you), vacuum often, do not leave garbage, food, or water sitting around your house, and keep your pet in shape both emotionally and physically. These things take just a little bit more work than chemicals, but everyone will benefit from them (and its cheaper in the long run).

Happy Spring!