Hobbies And Interests

Methods to Get Rid of Lizards

Most lizards are harmless to humans and many even benefit a home by ridding it of insect pests. However, many people either fear lizards or simply do not want uninvited guests in their homes. In most cases, the key to getting rid of lizards in a humane manner is to make your home and property unattractive to them.
  1. Removing Food Sources

    • Like any animal, a lizard will go where it finds food. To get rid of the lizard, eliminate its food source from the home so it must go elsewhere in search of sustenance. A lizard's diet depends on its species. Some are primarily vegetarian, eating mostly plants and a few insects; others maintain carnivorous habits, eating insects, small invertebrates and other small animals such as snakes, other lizards, amphibians, birds and rodents. To minimize insects in the home --- a common draw for lizards --- trim back any bushes near the house, especially those near windows and doors. Resist turning on floodlights, which attract bugs that feed the lizards. Keep the lawn short and consider adding naturally insect-repelling plants to the landscaping or in containers. Also, clean more thoroughly indoors to remove crumbs and other debris to keep the insect population to a minimum.

    Displeasing Environment

    • Lizards are cold-blooded and love warm, humid places. Maintain a cooler temperature in your home and keep air circulating through bathrooms after showers to reduce the amount of water vapor in the air. Also, attend to any sources of standing water, like leaking pipes or dripping faucets since moisture attracts lizards as well as the insects they eat. As prey to several predators themselves, lizards like hiding places. Eliminate or reduce such retreats by cutting back bushes around the house, moving furniture away from walls, choosing furniture with no legs or very tall legs, taking down mirrors and large picture frames and reducing the number of items cluttering counters and other surfaces.

    Lizard Trapping

    • If the problem is limited to one or a few lizards, consider catching and releasing them. They move quickly, so this is not the easiest method. Still, if you can trap a lizard into a corner with a box, jar or other container as its only retreat from you, often the lizard will run into the container. Close it quickly and release the animal a distance from the home. If capture proves difficult, consider taking advantage of the lizard's cold-blooded nature. Spray ice water on it to make it sluggish first and then try capturing it. Also available are baited glue traps, which attract and trap the lizards like fly paper. To release the lizard from the glue trap and into the wild, dribble vegetable oil over the sticky surface.

    Blocking Entry Points

    • Keep new lizards out and prevent re-entry of repeat visitors by closing off any potential entry points. Look closely around doors and windows and fill in any cracks and seams with caulk. Look for holes in screens and repair them, and make sure any vents are also screened. Occasionally, lizards find their way inside through sink drains, so keep these covered or closed.

    Recruiting Predators

    • Cats love lizards, as do many dogs. Adopt, borrow or relocate your own to chase away the problem. Other animals that eat small pest lizards include owls, skunks, hawks, snakes, raccoons and larger lizards.

    Chemical Intervention

    • Mothballs repel lizards so consider spreading them near doors and windows --- but not in areas accessible to children or pets. Mothballs are poisonous. Insect repellent may also deter the lizards and may be employed in a similar fashion. Also, insecticides may be used to kill off any insects that might serve as food to the lizard. Consider spraying a special nontoxic lizard repellent on the ceiling or walls; it makes the surface slippery so lizards cannot climb. If all else fails, some pesticides do exterminate lizards, and some professional pest controllers will also take care of the problem.


https://www.htfbw.com © Hobbies And Interests