Does Salt Kill Fleas?
Salt has long been known to kill fleas, and it can be used in many ways. It’s best to use extra-fine salt for this treatment, and you can even use a food processor to grind it into a powder. Sprinkle this mixture on carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture to control fleas.
Alternatively, you can use salt water solution, which is a mixture of one cup of salt to 33oz (1L) water. You can spray the solution onto the floor of a dog kennel or other sandy area, as well as on piles of garden rubbish. Fleas prefer these places for shelter, and salt acts as a drying agent, which causes them to dehydrate.
Fleas live about a week before entering the larval stage. This stage lasts five to fourteen days. This is the most vulnerable stage of the life cycle, and salt works well to kill larvae at this stage. Although salt is an effective way to kill fleas, it’s important to remember that the best flea control solution is a combination of several periodic treatments.
Salt is a drying agent and also acts as an abrasive, so it effectively kills fleas by drawing moisture out of their bodies. Fleas hold moisture because they have an outer protective layer known as an exoskeleton. However, too much salt will remove their protective layer, which means they won’t be able to survive in it.