natural flea remedies?

I am looking for alternatives to the pesticides sold for flea treatment for cats and dogs. I have come across a lot of conflicting information about feeding them garlic. Some sites say it is toxic and others say that is a myth and it works great (when using real minced cloves, not powdered garlic). Apple cider vinegar and lavender oil are suggested as a spray for around the house and on the pets.

So for people who use natural remedies for their pets, are there specific foods you feed them for flea treatment, bathing treatments, and sprays for the pets and furniture?

I feed my cat pedigree dry food and friskies canned food. I feed my dog pedigree dry food and a homemade food made with rice, carrots, peas, and I rotate on the meats with a variety of chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, chicken livers, chicken, beef hearts, beef kidneys,and ground beef. That cat won't touch this mix. The dog goes crazy for it.

I had a dog that became resistant to both the Frontline and Advantix products. So I tried various natural alternatives on both dogs. They did not work well. Not.at.all. It created a far worse problem that required two pesticide treatments to the house to be rid of the fleas. I now use Revolution for heartworm and flea prevention.

You should not give garlic or onions to a dog as it can cause kidney problems and anemia. That is part of the advice I received from my vet while trying to concoct a homemade substitute fo a prescription diet. I feed dry food supplemented by fresh veggies and fruits that I use as treats.

I used this as a repellent instead of a treatment to get rid of fleas. I don't know if it worked, or if they just didn't come in contact with fleas, but I didn't have a flea infestation.

At one time, I did get fleas in the house, and I tried the bowls of vinegar with a light bulb above them, where the fleas would jump at the light/heat and drown in the vinegar. At that time, I also would put white socks on and walk around to determine where the fleas were located in the carpet.

Good luck.