Discovering you have fleas in your yard is always stressful, especially if you have pets or kids. Rather than letting them run wild in the grass and among the trees, you’ll worry if they’ll bring pests into the house whenever they return from playing. Once they do, these pests will lay eggs in everything from carpets to couches to your dog’s fur, and when they hatch, they’ll begin snacking on any person in the nearby vicinity. Rather than dealing with bug bites and infestations, you can instead take preventative measures to stop fleas from entering your yard. Certain natural materials will repel fleas from your property, making it too hostile of an environment for them to want to linger. And one of those materials is cedar mulch.
This is great to use since it’s natural, negating the need to spray harmful chemicals around a yard where pets and kids play. It’s also more eco-friendly for those reasons. Plus, using cedar mulch gives your mulch a second purpose. Not only does it kill weeds and help your landscaping retain water, but it will help pests stay out of your yard. Here’s how to utilize it.
How to use cedar mulch to repel fleas
Since cedar is a natural repellent, it should help you with your flea problem. There are several ways you can utilize it in your yard. You can either buy cedar chips, sawdust, or mulch, depending on what’s available near you and what’s your budget. Cedar chips usually cost around $30 per cubic yard, sawdust can cost around $15 per cubic yard, and mulch usually clocks in around $50 per cubic yard. Of course, it also depends on where you buy it, so prices can fluctuate.
Once you have your cedar, you can spread it across your lawn, especially in places with taller grass. That’s where fleas like to hide. You can also apply it around the perimeter of your yard, creating a line that would block them from crossing into your lawn. You can also use it to mulch your landscaping, using it around dense bushes, decorative grasses, and any other spot that fleas would hide in.
Why this works
Cedar mulch repels fleas due to the cedar oil in the chips, sawdust, or mulch. Not only is the scent too pungent, making the area the cedar covers too unwelcoming for them to venture into, but it also messes with their pheromones. Fleas use their sense of smell to find food, other fleas, and safe places to nest, and the strong scent of cedar masks the pheromone scent. This leaves the fleas confused and unsure of what to do, making them leave the area to a safer place.
The good news is that fleas don’t create a tolerance to cedar oil, so it will keep working just as long as it’s pungent. However, some mulch has been “de-oiled,” and because of that, it won’t work. You need the oil in order to repel the fleas properly. To ensure success, make sure you check the bag before buying your particular mulch.
