Lee asked 8 years ago
Hi there. First off, thank you for creating a site based on science and fact. There are too many places touting hearsay and anecdotal evidence as gospel when it comes to dealing with fleas, a lot of which is utter rubbish with no hope of success.
I have read in many places that cedarwood oil is an effective flea repellent. I have trawled a few forums and dog owners seem to agree that it has some efficacy.
My question is, is there any truth in it? Have there been any studies to demonstrate that it is an effective repellent?
Kind regards,
Lee.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 8 years ago
I haven’t read any studies specifically done with fleas. However, many essential oils do have mild to moderate insect repelling properties. Some studies show they have decent efficacy against insect bites, while others show they don’t provide much protection.
One of the few pieces of literature containing information on fleas and essential oils is: Biorational Approaches to Flea Suppression: Present and Future (pdf).
In this article (on page 311), they mention some botonincal compounds that may have an effect on fleas, such as neem, fleabane, and pulegone.
Just as a warning, it’s important to do diligent research if the essential oils are to be applied directly to the animal. Many can cause irritation to skin. And some are toxic, such as citrus oils.
