If you are a pet owner, fleas and ticks are your worst enemies, and you are probably seeking for the best way to save your four-legged friend from their attacks.  Insect bites cause itching and scratching, which can cause hair loss, skin inflammation or infections, as well as allergic reactions. 

Here is the recipe of an effective natural insect repellent:

Ingredients:

• 20 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil( do not use it with cats)
• Half a cup of Yarrow Powder
• Half a cup of Neem Powder
• 1 cup of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth

-- Eucalyptus oil is a known insect repellent, which will help you eliminate fleas and acts as an antiseptic that soothes insect bites

-- Yarrow powder is a healing herb that treats wounds and has potent anti-inflammatory and pain-inflammatory properties

-- Neem powder has strong antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and blood-purifying properties, and it will protect your pet from fleas, ticks, lice, mites, ants and mosquitoes, and alleviates skin irritations

-- Food-grade diatom flour, or Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that contains fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. It is a potent insect repellent and causes scratching of the bodies of the insects that dehydrates them.

It is excellent against bed bugs, cockroaches, crickets, fleas, ticks, spiders, and many other pests.

Instructions:

In a jar with a shaker lid, mix the ingredients, and sprinkle it along the spine of your pet while brushing the fur in the opposite direction. Rub it onto their belly, legs, and tail, but avoid contact with their eyes and nose.

Apply it as a preventative measure once a month. Yet, if you use it to treat an active infestation, apply it every other day. Also, once a week, apply it to pet bedding, soft furnishings, windowsills, and floors, and leave it overnight. Vacuum in the morning.

Moreover, make sure you also follow these tips to protect your pets:

• Shampoo your pet early and often, as this is the best way to protect it from pests
• Keep your home clean, inside and out
• If you live in a house, your lawn should never be a mess, as your pet can encounter ticks there
• Check your pet frequently for fleas and ticks
• Keep your pet indoors at dawn and dusk

Sources:
realfarmacy.com
off.com