How to Get Rid of Lizards: 8 DIY natural remedies
Black pepper, dried chilli, onions, and garlic will do the job.
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Despite being a household pest, lizards can help reduce the population of flying insects in the home by preying on files, mosquitoes and moths, says pest control company Rentokil.
Nevertheless, homeowners should prevent their homes from being infested by lizards, as they may carry germs and parasites on their bodies.
What are some steps you can take to prevent lizards from even appearing at your doorstep? Here are three basic things you can do, then make use of 8 natural remedies to keep lizards at bay:
1. Remove food lying around
Lizards come out in the open to look for food, so don’t keep any lying around! Throw away the contents of your trash can frequently if they contain food scraps, or else cap it tightly on top so lizards can’t squeeze their way through. Mop your floor after cooking and eating, and if you spill food on the floor, wipe it up immediately.
You’ll be surprised at how pliable their bodies are! In doing so, you will get rid of insects as well, which lizards also eat. Lizards also eat flies, so wash your dishes and clear away garbage to prevent flies from entering your home.
2. Minimise clutter at home
Lizards hide in newspapers and plastic bags, but also frame handles on the walls and garbage cans. So, clean out newspapers, magazines and clutter, so the pests have nowhere to hide. They also love to hide behind picture frames, and furniture. By leaving a 15cm gap between the furniture and the wall, you’ll be able to spot and clean them out easily.
3. Try natural ingredients
A mixture of pepper, chilli and water, sprayed onto corners and tight spots will keep lizards out. You can also leave egg shells out in the open. The scent will fool lizards into thinking that larger predators live in your home. Don’t wash out the egg shells, and be sure to replace them every week.
8 Natural Lizard Repellents
To clean out lizards from your home, block their entry points, get rid of the items that attract them, and then use humane, natural repellents to keep them away. To completely seal your home off from ventilation would be tough, but you could reduce the number of entry points into a space, such as covering up the gap between the base of the door and the flooring. Don’t keep your windows, and main door or gate, open for too long as well.
Keep them away for good with natural repellents that don’t harm your family. From coffee powder and tobacco powder to unwashed eggshells, try these DIY methods to get rid of lizards before engaging professional pest control services.
Eggshells
Lizards are said to hate the smell of eggs, so place some egg shells around the house or kitchen. Do not wash them before putting them out – simply wipe them dry, as this is more effective.
Why do eggshells scare lizards away? It is believed that the smell of unwashed eggs keep lizards away, since birds are natural predators of lizards!
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Coffee powder
Just like cockroaches, lizards hate the strong odour of coffee powder. Better yet, mix coffee and tobacco powder, which is poisonous to lizards, and leave around corners of the house to deter lizards from entering your home.
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Garlic
Lizards hate the smell of enzymes in garlic, so if you’re having a lizard problem around the kitchen, leave some cloves around.
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Onions
Just like garlic, onions have a pungent smell that deter lizards. Hang onions near windows or potential lizards’ hiding places. You can also make an onion juice spray to lightly spray around your windows.
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Pepper
Lizards hate the spice odour of pepper, just pour some pepper into a porous bag and let it do its thing.
Otherwise, make a pepper spray with black pepper, red chilli powder, and water, and spray this around the house and in corners.
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Chilli powder
Lace suspecting areas with chilli powder, or dilute with water and turn it into a spray.
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Dried Chilli
Not keen on leaving powder packets around the house? Leave some dried chilli out instead.
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Bleach
Clean infected areas with bleach, as the odour feels foreign or even dangerous to lizards.
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