Fleas and ticks, normally resident on animals, are happy to feed on humans where their bites cause itchy raised papules which may become secondary infected. A number may transmit other diseases such as a Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. While those carried by domestic animals are usually responsible only for the bites that they inflict, these can be a source of considerable distress. Domestic animals should be de-flead.

Fleas and Ticks Treatments

The obvious treatment for these irritating conditions is not to get them in the first place. Pets – particularly cats – can bring these unwanted visitors into your home, but you can make them less welcome by treating the pets first.

Add a small clove of crushed Garlic to their food every day. Funnily enough, cats love it – fleas and ticks don’t. Give ‘Tiddles’ one tablet of the homeopathic remedy Sulphur every week Make a flea collar from a strip of absorbent fabric moistened with a mixture of three drops of Tea Tree oil and two drops each of Eucalyptus and Lemon oils. Renew the oils every three days

If you are unfortunate enough to get attacked by fleas or ticks, rub the area with an ice cube to remove the irritation, then use Calendula cream or Lavender or Tea Tree oil on the wound – these oils are perfectly safe to use undiluted.

It’s also worth remembering that although the danger of Lyme disease is now well known, there’s also a potentially fatal tick-borne type of Encephalitis which is rampant in some areas of the forests in Austria. Most travel agents don’t know about this, but if you’re planning a walking or camping holiday, ask your doctor to refer you to a specialist travel vaccination clinic.