I need to know...if I rub the ashes from my wood stove into the fur on my dog, will it kill or at least chase off the fleas, ticks and other 'vermin' bothering her? Will it be harmful to her? She has no open sores or anything like that, soo...

I looked around a bit, and did'nt find anything about using ashes to get rid of fleas and ticks. Dawn Dish Soap is really good, and not hard on the dog.

Did find out the ashes are good for soil, flower, and keeping slugs away.

And I've heard that the ashes are good for controlling a kind of tree mite. That's what got me to thinking about dog mites...and the ashes

Pinesol works excellent for fleas and ticks. Mix it per directions and pour it over the cat or dog. I use it, it works and hasn't killed my animals yet. It also doesn't strip the oils from their hair.


Use those ashes in your garden.

Remember that hardwood ashes are a source of lye for making soap.

I know that some people give their chickens a pile of ashes to use for dust baths. In that example the chicken has control over how much it is exposed to.

The blue Dawn dishsoap does work well on fleas. I've found that most "natural" remedies don't touch them though. I've tried DE, I've tried feeding garlic (just gives the dogs some vile gas, does nothing to fleas), I've tried different oils and extracts. We treat with frontline a few times a year because it works. I don't drive myself crazy looking over every inch of the dogs and cats to make sure they don't have fleas. Dawn works to get rid of fleas on the dog when it's washed. It doesn't kill anything that jumps on afterwards like frontline does. When finances are a concern, Dawn is a lot cheaper.

If you have dogs or cats with fleas DO NOT kick them out of your house while you try to get rid of the problem. Seriously, the fleas will have lost their preferred food source and start looking for a new one, YOU! The further south you go, the harder the fleas are to kill. Fleas in New York were never a concern but Tennessee fleas were tough little devils. You're further south than that, so your fleas are probably armed and fire back.

Kayleigh

After a forest fire...and after the ashes have had time to cool...deer have been seen rolling in them. Chickens get mites; deer get fleas, ticks and mites. And so do dogs. I figure it's got to be worth a try. It don't harm the chickens, deer...or trees, for that matter...so I also figure it won't harm my dogs. I'm going to give it a try and will keep ya'll posted on it here. Wish me and Hera luck.

Oh and dish soap will have to be saved for my dishes, after a SHTF situation. But, in such a situation, I'll certainly have plenty of ashes. Gotta find as many different uses for them as I can. I hate waste.

I think I'll also spread some around the outside of my house...to see what it does for the bugs out there.

Ah well, as I said, I'll keep ya'll posted.

works for chickens Cappy so it would be worth a try for the dog.

Ok, a short update...it's been about 4 hours now and she's itch free. I haven't seen her scratch since just after I put the ashes on her. And that was on her feet. I just put the ashes on her body and let it dribble down on her feet. But, it seems to be working and rather well too.

don't let her crash on your bed tonite cappy. Those critters will be looking for a new host.

Dang! Heh, I hadn't thought of that. But I hope it killed them and not just ran them off. The lye in the ashes, ya know.

It was around 1:00 when I 'dusted' her with the ashes. It is now 10:10. and I have not seen her scratch since the 1:30 time. I think it is working as I'd hoped. I think I'll wait a couple or three days and give her another dusting. Mites are supposed to have a 3-day life cycle. Not sure of fleas and ticks.

Ok, '24 hour' update...the effects seem to be short-lived or she has gotten reinfested. She's been scratching a bit again today. Re-infestation would be easy. She has to go outdoors to potty...and that's where 'they' are. still, she's not scratching as much as before the ash treatment.

If she has been laying around anywhere in particular inside, "they" are there too, and can reinfest from inside. A blanket or rug or spot on the floor she's been curling up on, for example. I know you said she was too short to get onto any furniture. The eggs will end up anywhere the dog has been, and then you can have fleas just about anywhere.

(I have an embarrassingly extensive knowledge of flea problems. One bad bout when you have a houseful of animals will do that to you. Got a flea question? I've probably dealt with the same thing, ten times worse. My animals are lucky I didn't end up shaving all of them.)

Kayleigh

lol I know what you mean beaners
At one time I had 4 dogs and 5 cats that lived inside and about 15 more cats that lived in the barn and sheds.

One got it they all got it. Never ending battle it seems like at times.