Making Neem Oil Flea Repellent

by Veronique

One happy, flea free dog!

One happy, flea free dog!

I bought some organic pure neem oil for my dogs.
I followed your instructions and added some to a very mild, SLS free puppy shampoo and bathed my dogs in it; the results were spectacular!!! :)

Now I need to prevent reinfestation but I do not feel comfortable adding any detergent to the neem oil spray recipe... they have such sensitive skin!

So I was wondering: What else can I use as an emulsifier? Does alcochol help oils & water mix?

Again, thank you for everything :)

Comments for Making Neem Oil Flea Repellent

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Using neem oil as a flea repellent
by: Birgit

Hi Veronique,

That's great to hear. Thanks for letting me know about your success!

To your question:
The only thing to make neem oil and water mix are detergents. So if you want to use neem oil as a watery flea repellent spray you have to add some form of liquid soap.

But you don't need to use a neem spray on your dogs to repel fleas. There are a few other options:
  • If you bathe your dogs with your homemade neem dog shampoo, then the smell will linger in their coat for some time and act as a flea repellent anyway.

    (By the way, if your shampoo contains water, and most shampoos do, then you should make a fresh mix every time, or at least add a few drops of fresh oil to the shampoo in your hand. I mention in several places that the insecticidal ingredients in neem are not stable in water. However, I did not point out on the page about dog shampoo and spray that shampoos will usually contain water. I guess I better add a note there...)
  • One thing I do on my dog when I'm lazy is to just put a bit of neem oil on my hands and rub it all over her coat. It's a great conditioner and gives her coat a beautiful shine, and it also keeps away fleas, ticks (to some extent), mites, mosquitoes and other biting critters.

    If your dogs are very sensitive you may want to dilute the neem oil 1 : 10 in a light carrier oil like olive or jojoba. (Oh, and your hands will smell... Don't do it just before going out for a nice dinner.)
  • And last but not least, instead of using the spray on the dogs directly, you can use it to spray their bedding. That will also help to prevent future flea infestations.

Hope that helps!
Flea bugs bug me
by: Anonymous

My brother is not bothered by any kind of bugs but me terrible. They love me yum yum. I am trying to use neem on me with other stuff until I find out what my brother has that I do not.

Billy
Neem for dogs
by: Bernadette

For some reason this year we have a terrible flea problem with our dogs. I'm always concerned about chemicals around my dogs and children so I tried the neem seed oil on them to help repel/prevent future infestations. And let me just say, about that smell... indescribable almost to the point of nauseating.

Anyway, I mixed a few drops with grape seed oil and rubbed it into their coats immediately after their baths. It's about a week later and I am just noticing the return of a flea or two. I rubbed them down again this morning so hopefully I've found a non toxic, chemical free way to keep them flea free!
fleas and ringworm on dogs
by: Ginger

How often can I use neem shampoo for fleas and ringworms? 2x a week? How long do I leave the shampoo on before it should be rinsed?
Neem shampoo on dogs
by: Birgit

Ginger, you can use it as often as you like, or maybe I should say as often as the dogs will let you?
Of course, stripping all the natural oils of their skin and coat is not a good thing. What I am saying is that there is no problem with using neem daily. The problem is rather soap/shampoo in itself.

If it is a bad infestation, and especially if there is a ringworm problem on top of it, you may want to look at other options, like using 1 in 10 oil mix for example. A bath with neem shampoo twice a week, combined with treating the ringworm lesions with the oil daily or several times a day, should clear it up quickly.
With that you should get rid of the fleas, too.

Another option for the ringworm, especially for animals with very sensitive skin, would be to use leaf extract in a carrier creme/ointment. Depending on where you live such creams may be available from neem sellers online.
Are these shampoos safe for cats?
by: Anonymous

Do your comments on neem pet shampoos also apply to cats? Is it safe for cats?
As I understand the peculiaries of cats and essential oils, cats are only allergic to tea tree oil. Pure neem oil should be safe (as a rinse off shampoo only?) or can I apply small amounts of neem (drops?) directly onto her coat/skin?
Neem for cats
by: Birgit

Please see the website. There is a link in the navigation called Neem Oil for Cats.
Neem Spray
by: Jennifer

My dog does not have fleas now, but I was told neem spray would be a good all natural product to keep the fleas away, especially with 3 young boys running around my house.

How often should I use the spray to keep fleas away? Thanks!

Jennifer
Natural flea repellent for dogs
by: Birgit

Jennifer, there are no hard and fast rules. If you have reason to believe that fleas may move in (i.e. flea ridden dogs living next door) then I'd use it every few days. Otherwise once a week to every 10 days should do it.
I LOVE NEEM!!
by: Nat

Hello, I have seriously used everything for my thick furred Maremma cross,(natural and chemical) and nothing,but nothing has worked like neem oil.

I just bathed her, then made a mix of 1 part pure neem oil to about 5 parts olive oil, and rubbed it into her topline area,tail, and belly. Really gave her a good massage. Made her coat a little oily, and she has a slight odor,but nothing terrible.

A week later not one flea! I am totally sold on this stuff!!!!!!
Neem oil flea repellent
by: Birgit

Great to hear! Thanks for letting us know.
How to make neem oil at home?
by: Urmi

I have a huge neem tree in my home. Can you tell me how can I make my own neem oil at home? Actually the reason is that I could not find neem oil in the locality where I live.

Please help me soon, because my dogs are infested with ticks. :(
Make your own flea repellent
by: Birgit

Please see this page:
Making neem seed oil and extracts
Improving the smell
by: Laurie

I read in a link on this site where someone suggested adding a little lavender to make the oil smell better when using it as a flea remedy. So... adding a few drops of a better smelling essential oil to improve the odor will not decrease the effectiveness? If so, what would be a acceptable ratio of neem oil to sweet-smelling oil in a repellent spray, shampoo, etc.?

I have 4 dogs, 9 cats, and assorted small critters (ferrets, mice, and rats). If I applied the supposedly rancid-peanut-butter-garlic-burnt-hair-smelling neem oil on everyone, my house would smell like a neem oil factory! And incidentally, can the same flea treatments (repellents, shampoos, etc.) be used on the small critters I mentioned?

Thanks for any advice!
Unstable in water
by: Laurie

You mention in another response on this page that neem oil is not stable in water and to make a new batch of doggie shampoo whenever it's bath time. When making a flea repellent spray for my critters, I think it's kind of impractical to be constantly making new batches of spray if I can avoid it.

Do you by chance know how long a batch of critter flea repellent will remain effective so that I can keep it on hand to use whenever necessary?

Can I make a batch once a month, once every three weeks, every two weeks, every week?

How long will it stay good before I have to pitch it or refresh it?

If it can be refreshed without having to make a whole new batch, how much oil is needed to refresh?

Thanks in advance!
Neem in water
by: Birgit

A neem oil in water solution like a spray should be used within eight hours. I am not sure about shampoos, as those contain much less water.

Personally, I don't find it inconvenient to add a few drops of neem oil to the shampoo in the palm of the hand when actually using the shampoo.

As for adding essential oils, add whatever you reckon and as much as you like. I suspect it would be a matter of trial and error to get a reasonable smell.

(I don't bother myself, I got used to the smell.)
Neem oil and my cat
by: Sheena

I just started using Neem oil a few days ago only after been on the Daily Puppy site. It works really well on my very furry cat. I would like to know please how often I should use Neem oil on my cat? Is it safe to use it once a fortnight? Thank you

Sheena
Emulsifier...
by: Jeffrey: Phillips

For an emulsifier you can use 11.5 alkaline Kangen Water. I'm sharing this with you because this is what I use to degrease/emulsify oil with.

You can find out more at www.biofeedbackplus1.com Click on Health Spa tab, then to Enagic Kangen. Awesome stuff. Ya so, 11.5 alkaline water is one way to emulsify your oil.

Be safe, well and aware.
Re: lavender oil
by: Anonymous

While adding an essential oil to the neem to help make it's smell more pleasant is something I've seen suggested a lot. I just wanted to point out that Lavender oil is potentially toxic to cats and I wouldn't consider that as an option since you have 9.

Oils that are listed as safer for cats are lemonGRASS, peppermint and rosemary.
How Often
by: sharon

Hi,

I have just purchased my first batch of Neem Oil after reading so many good reports regarding this stuff for dogs.

I have greyhounds and have just sprayed the first four with the Neem Spray that I have made myself, changed and sprayed their new bedding. So I will report back in about a week but I must say, I took their bed coats off this morning and their coats are looking great already.

I cant believe the difference just over night.
Feeding Neem Oil To Your Pets
by: Anonymous

I read somewhere that a guy feeds his dogs neem oil to prevent fleas. I don't see anything on this page that indicates that as a method. Is it?
Pregnancy Use
by: Anonymous

Is Neem oil spray/shampoo safe to use on dogs that are pregnant?

I did find a study that said Neem oil is used as a pesticide in rats, which results in complete infertility. So, the last thing I would want to do is harm my dogs pregnancy. However, we have a really bad tick population right now, and my dog has already had one bout with lyme disease several years ago!!

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks!
Neem oil
by: Anonymous

HELP! I mixed as per the instructions below;
It says add 2 tbs Pure neem oil to the dog shampoo (Spa lavish Pet-Renew Ginger Root Pink grapefruit) and both my dogs have been itching non-stop and dried up their skin to the point that they have flakes!

The reason I used neem oil was to 'avoid' fleas which they did not have.

Does anyone have any suggestions? None of the ingredients in the shampoo seem or are harmful it's all organic. Needless to say I am dissapointed and worried about their skin now :(
Neem oil
by: Anonymous

Applying neem oil to hands with gloves on worked out great. My dog seems to be out of the woods. Will apply once a day for a couple of more days to be sure.
Regarding Grape Seed Oil and Dogs
by: Anonymous

Grape seed oil is not good for your dog! Please do not add the neem to grapeseed oil.
http://community.dog.com/forums/p/24868/326611.aspx
Neem Spray
by: Anonymous

I use neem on my plants and it works great to kill the bugs, but not eggs. So I imagine it would work the same on fleas and take very frequent applications to fix infestation.

For those conserved with spraying soap on dogs, just use a tsp of Castillo soap. It's extremely safe and a good emulsifier.
To the lady who used 2 tablespoons of Neem Oil
by: Lyn McGregor

If you read the other things on Neem oil you'll find you should only use a ratio of 1:10 of neem oil that is 1 ml. of neem oil to 5 ml of base oil which someone has advised not using grape-seed oil as it will harm dogs, olive oil and 1 liter of warm water for a flea spray. Using 2 tablespoons of Neem Oil was far too potent and that's why your dogs have that itch now. I think you should bath them with an ordinary and gentle shampoo so the dogs can get some relief.
How long until you see it take effect?
by: Chelsea

I found ticks on my dog a few weeks back and now she is itching everywhere and I can't find ticks, so I suspect it's not developed to fleas. It's not serious yet, but she is itching a lot and she doesn't seem terribly happy about it.

I got neem oil and did the following:
1) Mixed a tsp of neem oil with shampoo and bathed her in it. Left it in for a good 5 mins and rubbed it in too.
2) Mixed neem oil (1 and half tsp) with some water and liquid soap and sprayed it on her and her bedding. It's a small spray bottle by the way.
3) Mixed olive oil with 2 tsp of neem oil and massaged it all over her including the outlines of her ears and in between her toes.

It's been about a day and half and to be honest, I don't see much of difference. Am I doing something wrong? Am I missing something? It's not getting worse, but it's not getting better either. She still itches all over and when I scratch her body, you can tell it is very itchy.

Any advice on what I might be doing wrong or not doing at all?
Doing Nothing Wrong
by: Birgit

Hi Chelsea,

If the problem was indeed fleas, you'd be treating her perfectly. The thing is, you don't really know what causes her itching. It might be something that just takes a bit longer to resolve. But it could also be something that neem will have no effect on. For now I'd give it a bit more time.
Coconut Oil
by: courtney lewis

I have three dogs and a cat, the only essential oil I use in the house is coconut oil, will that work too?
Re: Courtney
by: Anonymous

Coconut oil is NOT essential oil...it’s an edible oil (like olive, rice bran, avocado, macadamia nut etc) essential oils come from plants like roses, jasmine, and plants like lemons and limes..Two totally different things...
Patchouli and Neem?
by: Anonymous

Has anyone used patchouli with neem?
Neem Oil Spray for dogs
by: fmog

I make a spray with 100ml water: 5 tsp Vodka, 15mls of Neem oil, 5 drops of essential oil (I use lavender and rosemary.) Shake well before use. I love this and use it on my dogs ans chickens for red mite and fleas and on myself to repel midges and mosquitos.
biting flys
by: Lana frost

Hi, I have a bad problem with biting fly's on my two GSD. I've tried everything but it does not do any good, my friend has just got some neem oil for us and I would like to know if it safe to put straight on to their ears as they are bleeding from the fly's. Thanks. Could you text me back with an awnser on 07977309886, thanks.
Neem Spray for Nursing Dogs?
by: BJ

My dachshund just had 4 puppies a week ago. I was wondering if Neem Spray for a flea deterrent is still OK? I really don't want to add a detergent and I wasn't sure if adding an essential oil other than olive oil would be alright. Will the puppies or the mother's milk be affected by Neem oil? Thanks, I really don't want to stop using Neem oil!
neem spray or oil
by: Lois

I got a cat who won't accept bathing. Is it okay to mix a tsp of neem oil to 1/4 cup of olive oil as a flea repellent. Also can you mix neem leaf with a cider vinegar and use that as a flea repellent?
Using Neem Oil for flea repeller
by: Kim

Just wanted to add that I tried the organic neem oil mixed with dog shampoo on my dogs that were infested with fleas. I couldn't believe the results... They were amazing! No fleas the very next day and it has been a few days now and still no sign of any fleas on them. It worked great and I also spray a little oil on them to keep the fleas away. It has worked great and I will never go back to the chemicals. Hope this helps others.
Neem leaf tea for bathing dog
by: Jen

I buy neem leaf tea from my local heath food store. I put about a heaped teaspoon into a teapot, wait until it has cooled then strain it. You can use that as a spray, or as a final rinse in the bath. We bathed our dogs 2 days ago in home made neem shampoo then rinsed with neem tea in the bath water. Not a single flea on either of my pooches today. Amazing stuff.
1:10
by: Anonymous

How does a ratio of 1:10 come out to 1 ml neem oil to 5 ml of base oil- not grape seed oil-
That's gotta be an example of good ole ameriken educashion...
This stuff works!
by: Debbie on Maui

Worried about drying your dogs skin out with shampoos? Try using insecticidal soap (safers is best.) Just the soap now not one of their mixes. Add neem to your mix.
I have 3 dogs and this year we had outrageous fleas! So I use the insecticidal soap alone for their baths and it was kinda working, but when I added the pure neem oil, Wow! My old dog who has sensitive skin, her coat improved immensely! Better to just use the fatty acid of soap (insecticidal soap) rather than shampoos etc. with the neem as the fatty acids rinse off rapidly with out foam and slick and the neem oil stays put. Everything dies! Loving the neem here on Maui!
Neem oil in the house.
by: Mymy

Hello,
I am having the worst time with fleas right now. I have tried literally 6-7 different things and they still are butting me. Can I use neen oil in a spray or something in my home to get rid of these creatures?? I took my cat to a friends to get rid of the ones in the house. I can't have him come back to these creatures.
Mymy
Neem oil and cats
by: Anonymous

There's not really anything helpful on here for cats! Most people can't bath a cat, so can you spray with neem oil and water or neem oil and liquid coconut oil?
Neem Water Lecithin mix spray
by: Anonymous

Hi

To the person's question about what to mix with neem oil and water for it to mix instead of SLS/Soap. Lecithin comes in an oil very cheap. You can get a good value at swansonvitamins or iherb.com Lecithin is an emulsifier of oils and water based ingredients. Egg yolks are high in lecithin and do the same thing. So there is an alternative to soap. Lecithin is natural and safe for animals. Neem should not be ingested by cats.
Mix
by: Anonymous

I mix neem, lemongrass oil and sweet orange oil with vinegar and spray on furniture and carpet. I don't have pets but my new apartment has fleas and a couch I bought has them.
It works good.
I also use same as lice killer repellant but sub coconut oil for vinegar for infestation.
Where to buy Neem oil
by: Katie

Where do you buy neem oil? Do you use the neem oil that you would use on plants on your dog? Or do you get the neem oil from the health and vitamin store?
Neem oil and vitamin e oil.
by: Anonymous

I have been using cedarwood oil and peppermint oil in a water based spray for a couple of years, worked fine till this year when I saw the first flea ever on my three dogs.
Time to step up my game.
I mixed 1 milliliter of neem oil and 5 drops of peppermint oil, 5 drops of cedarwood oil in 10 milliliters of vitamin E oil.
For two days I've been putting 5 drops of this mix in my palm and "petting" them all over and then brushing it through their fur.
Will neem oil stay stable in vitamin E? And is this a good ratio of neem ?
Answers from anyone will be considered and appreciated, thanks.
Soap Nuts is a Good Option
by: Anonymous

Soap nuts produce a naturally occurring detergent that is fantastic for this application. Combine the two and some water and you have a totally organic and natural bug repellant, all kinds of natural amino acids and enzymes straight from mother earth. Soap nuts are easy to get, a simple web search for health food store, bulk food store or you can order them online super easy for a decent price. Just takes a little leg work tracking down the info and shopping around, hope this helps someone.
Shampoo
by: Aloms

Used the neem oil in bath, next day still fleas, next day am picking fleas off my two furbabies...
WILL NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT AGAIN! WAS A WASTE OF MONEY!
Neem and fleas
by: Anonymous

If you have fleas you need to treat your house to.
Thorough hoovering daily - every nook and cranny and your vehicles. Hot wash bedding and soft furnishings weekly
Spray with a neem solution once a week
Treat your pets and return to a blitzed house
Fleas have a 6 week life cycle and eggs will continue to hatch ( the vibrations from hoovering will encourage them to be born and the neem will kill them)
You can use nemotides in your garden or de.
Don’t blame the product- it will only work if you use it properly.
lecithin as an emulsifier
by: Cathy

Veronique asked if she could use something other than soap to help the neem oil mix with water. Liquid sunflower lecithin might do the trick. Lecithin is a well known emulsifier and is available at health food stores.
Adding essential oils to offset the smell of neem oil.
by: Anonymous

Some essential oils are extremely bad for animals. In addition, some that are okay for dogs, are bad for cats so I would not willingly just add any old essential oil to deal with the fragrance of neem oil straight.

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