We are used to thinking of coconut oil as a food product or an ingredient used in cosmetics. Rarely, people use it for culinary instead of less healthy and safe veggie oils.
But we bet you could not even think about making use of this aromatic substance for fighting pests!
And today we will tell you how to apply coco oil to get rid of fleas and other parasites once and for all.
Coco Oil For Protecting Your Home From Fleas and Ticks
Let’s consider one thing: whenever we face the problem of pests, especially ticks and fleas, we rush to the shop to grab as many repellents as we can carry in our hands!
And then, we neurotically pulverize our homes, pets, and everything we can reach to cast away those bloodsuckers.
But the thing that we often forget about is that all the repellents we usually use are chemicals! Thus, they can be – and they often are – harmful to us and our environments.
That is why people often start searching for something less damageable but still the same effective.
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This is when we shall look at the coconut oil closer!
This natural product contains an ingredient called lauric acid which works as a repellent and also kills pests. Feel free to use it both on yourself and on your pets since coconut oil is absolutely safe for the animals.
It is non-allergic and can be used in two ways:
- For oral use, mix one small spoon of this oil per every twenty pounds of body weight in your pet’s food twice a day, and do this procedure daily.
- If your fluffy buddy is refusing to consume the treat (maybe, a light coconut smell makes it suspicious), apply the cure externally.
Coconut oil melts easily if we keep it rubbing between our palms a bit so there will be no problems to smear it onto the animal’s skin. Take a large quantity of the product, warm it up in palms, and smear onto the pet’s skin and fur.
Leave it for eight hours and then wash off with a normal shampoo.
For humans, it functions the same.
Note that coconut oil is very fat and is hardly washed from the first attempt so be ready to repeat the washing twice or even more!
Again, this product is 100% organic and causes no allergies so don’t worry, you won’t harm your beloved cat or dog!
And besides, when used for yourself, this product will make the skin softer and much more smooth.
Related: Can you freeze coconut milk?
How to Prevent Parasites Invasion In the Garden
Repelling parasites from your fluffy buddies is a must, however, taking care of the territory around your house is also necessary. As long as fleas and other bloodsuckers come from wild nature, we must ensure that our gardens are safe and protected from these beasts.
- Always keep the grass cut short
- Remove all the old and dry grass, sticks, leaves, and other debris from the territory
- Trim the shrubs back
- Any piles of tall weeds must be removed and tall bushes must be trimmed short
- If you have pets and they like to play in certain parts of the garden, pulverize those areas with Diatomaceous Earth

It may take some time indeed, but like that, you will be sure that not a single flea will get to your private territory.

Keep Territory Cleaned Around the House
Keeping the near-house territory tidy is another required thing. Pests like different hideouts and places with debris, moisture, and shade, so those must be treated first of all.
- Make sure you removed all the drainage devices
- Take away the last-year leaves and bring them to the compost pile
- Cleanse the roof drains and downpipes
Of course, there is no need to remind that the paths around the house must be swept, and the door carpets cleaned regularly!
It’s better to spend some time doing this rather than wasting far more of it trying to get rid of the parasites.

Checking for Fleas and Ticks
Preventive methods will work only if we won’t bring fleas to our homes ourselves.
To avoid doing this accidentally, check yourself for any signs of parasites.
- After you are back from a walk, examine your whole body for the signs of ticks
- Check your pets, too, especially if they spend a lot of time outside
- To spot fleas on your pet, use a special flea comb
- Wash you home animal regularly
These simple tips must help to avoid an invasion but if you spot a tick on the dog or cat, bring it to the vet to extract the parasite since the procedure requires certain skills.

The Dangers of Chemical Flea and Tick Preventatives
Some people prefer using chemical repellents to cast the parasites away but those products are often quite harmful both for humans and pets.
Here you can find several most widely used pet flea repellents that you’d better never use on your fluffy mate.
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Be careful and always consult your vet before you apply anything on your pet, and of course, never let your kids play with those products!
Therapeutic Coconut Oil – a Safe and Natural Solution

For all these reasons, coconut oil seems to be the safest repellent.
It doesn’t only scare away and destroys the parasites but it also nourishes the skin.
How does it work? After we apply it, the product covers the skeleton of the parasite causing it to suffocate and reduce its activity.
Besides, being an anti-inflammatory product, this oil provides the pests stings from being infectious and cures the damaged skin.
We hope that these tips will be useful to you. Using such a natural repellent is not only safer but also it is more beneficial since coconut oil is consumed very sparingly due to its rich texture.
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Hey everyone! We just found fleas on our spaniel and we applied some coconut oil onto him. It’s already evening and the cure stays on him for three hours by now. Can I leave coconut oil on my dog overnight? Does anyone know?
Hello! I guess you’d better wash him before you go to bed. This oil is very thick and his skin will be hard to breathe through it.
Does coconut oil help dogs with itchy skin? Has anyone tried it for this purpose? Thanks!
Coconut oil has an anti-inflammatory effect, as well as anti-microbial, too. I would advise you to try it and, if it doesn’t work, show your dog to the vet. Anyway, there’ll be no harm since coconut oil is 100% safe.
Hi! Please, I need advice. Does coconut oil help dogs stop itching? I don’t want to use chemicals to not make it worse. Thank you!
Hey there! I believe you could try it since it’s 100% safe and it soothes the skin well. Besides, it kills microbes and stops inflammation. Why not?
What kills fleas on dogs naturally? Can you advise something?
Except for coconut oil, try to use apple cider vinegar+salt spray, various essential oils spray (peppermint, tea tree, and rosemary work well). Also, you can bathe your pet in water with ½ cup fresh lemon juice diluted in it.
Hello everyone! I need to repel fleas from my retriever and I’m not sure about this: can you put coconut oil on the dog’s fur? Has anyone tried this before? What were the results?
Hey!
I do it regularly for my dog and he’s extremely fluffy! Works perfectly! It’s just that you’ll have to work hard to wash the oil out of that fur afterward!
Good luck!
How long do fleas live after a flea bath? How soon shall I treat my pet again?
Fleas usually die within several days after the treatment. That is why we advise applying the cure once a week.
Can coconut oil be used for treating flea allergy dermatitis? My dog had fleas and we got rid of them successfully, but now he’s suffering from dermatitis and our vet says that our doggo can’t stand certain medications. So maybe coconut oil will help?
As far as I know, this oil is a safe alternative to chemical medications indeed. I’m not a vet, but when our German shepherd had the same problem as your dog has, we treated him with coconut oil only. And it significantly reduced the symptoms and made the dog feel way better.
I heard that coconut oil is good for treating dermatitis caused by fleas on pets. Is coconut oil good for flea bites on humans as well? Does anyone know?
Yes, it is! I used it to relief the rash from flea bites (I work with stray dogs in a shelter pretty often). I simply applied it to the bites on my skin and put bandages on top. After an hour you should rinse that oil off. It really helps, and it’s a great natural remedy.
Is coconut oil good for cat fleas? Or is it only for dogs and humans?
This is a natural product so it is safe to use on cats, dogs, and humans as well! And yes, it does help to deal with flea problems greatly! I use it every time our dogs have those parasites (which happens pretty often), and I know for sure our neighbor treated his cat with coconut oil to cure it from flea bites. And it helped.
Will coconut oil kill flea eggs? Since it’s used for treating flea bites, maybe it can work as a flea killer?
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no. This stuff won’t kill either fleas or their eggs. It’s just a good flea repellent.
How to get rid of fleas on ferrets naturally? We bought a ferret recently but now we suspect it has fleas. We’re taking it to the vet of course, but in case there are fleas, is it possible to get rid of them somehow without using chemical products or medications?
Wow, I don’t even know what to advise you! I only know that Advantage treats fleas on ferrets but that’s medical stuff if I’m right. As for the natural alternatives…perhaps, you should ask your vet?
Hi all! Please help me with one issue! Can coconut oil be used for treating fleas on newborn kittens? Is it safe for such little ones?
Hi! I’m pretty sure you can use it for kittens. It’s a natural stuff and it is allowed to be used on cats with skin problems, so it probably won’t harm the little ones. But anyway, if I were you, I’d ask a vet if that’s safe.