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How to Keep Lizards Out of Your House?

Despite being harmless, let us face the fact that lizards are somehow terrifying.

These little reptiles are unwanted guests, slowly creeping out of our kitchen, bedroom, and even in the bathroom.

While catching them is not the best choice to get rid of them, there are ways we can keep lizards out of our house.

For this article, we’re going to talk about 13 simple, yet effective ways to keep your home free from lizards.

1. Garlic and onion

garlic and onion

The scents of garlic and onion are one of the things that lizards cannot stand. If you want to use them to shoo lizards away, simply leaving a clove of garlic and onion out won’t work.

You need to cut, then hang it in places where lizards would likely creep in, such as by the window or near the door. You may also want to put a small fan so the scent would blow inside the room.

2. Mosquito repellent liquid

Not only are mosquito repellent liquids effective for mosquitoes, but they can also be used to drive away lizards, or house geckos.

Like other house pests, lizards hate the smell of chemicals. Not only that, the use of mosquito repellent liquid will help in reducing the presence of mosquitoes, which is what lizards feed on.

To use, spray it in the places where lizards are often found. 

3. Lemongrass essential oil or tea bags

If you hate having the smell of chemicals, garlic, and onion inside your home, then you can try this effective method. Lemongrass essential oil and other tea bags are effective in repelling lizards.

To use, just place tea leaves in a small bowl and simply leave them in key places. It is easy to use as well since you will only need to replace them every few days.

Not only do you get to drive away lizards, but you also have a home that smells like a soothing and relaxing spa.

4. Cold water

woman holding a glass of cold water

Have you experienced having a lizard fall onto your body? It might be a frightening experience, but have you noticed that their bodies are cold?

That’s right, these cold-blooded creatures prefer warm environments, which is also the reason why we usually see them during summer.

Splashing or spraying ice-cold water at lizards is an effective and more humane way to get rid of them. Instead of using poisonous chemicals, cold water is surely a lot cheaper and easier to make.

5. Eggshells

Interestingly, lizards don’t like the smell of eggshells. Moreover, the pungent, eggy smell will deceive lizards into believing that they are in a bird’s territory. Birds are which are natural predators of these small lizards. 

With that said, the next time you make an egg omelet, don’t just simply throw the shells away. Wipe them dry, but don’t wash them, and then place them in the corners of the room where lizards usually pass by.

However, make sure to dispose of the eggshells the next day for hygienic reasons. Besides the lizards, it’s more dangerous to promote bacteria buildup.

6. Reduce the presence of fruits and potted plants

Leaving fruits on your table will attract lizards and other pests to creep into your house, especially during nighttime. After all, they will take advantage of this occasion where humans are asleep and they can freely nibble on that fruit.

Also, lizards are one of the culprits for those little rips and holes on your potted plant leaves. That said, it will be effective to hide your fruits inside the refrigerator or somewhere lizards can’t reach. It will also help to limit the presence of potted plants inside the house.

7. Spicy ingredients

pepper and powdered pepper

One of the things that lizards avoid is spicy ingredients, such as Tabasco sauce, ground pepper, and hot chili peppers.

To use as a repellant, combine all the spicy ingredients that are available in your house then add water. Transfer it into a spray bottle then spray it on areas where lizards love to hang out.

8. Coffee powder

While the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is enticing and good enough to wake us up in the morning, the opposite goes for lizards. They hate it as much as we love it.

You can prepare a deterrent by putting coffee powder in a bowl then placing it on the corners of your home, letting the aroma revolve inside your house.

You can also make a ball by mixing coffee powder and tobacco powder then place it in areas where lizards love to chill. This may either drive them away or result in their death.

9. Lower the room temperature

Unfortunately for lizards, they cannot regulate their own body temperature. And being cold-blooded reptiles, they like to hang out in warm places.

Ever wonder why they technically do not exist in Antarctica, and they are rarely found in countries with cold climates? Probably because they dislike the uncomfortable temperatures.

With that said, if you want to make lizards go away, you will need to turn your air conditioner down to at least 71°F (~22°C). This may cause your electricity bill to rise, so if you prefer this kind of method, it is recommended to do it only every night when you want to have a nice, deep sleep without the sound and presence of house geckos.

10. Regularly clean the cabinets under the sink

under sink maintenance

A damp and warm place, which usually happens to be the cabinets under your sink, is an area where lizards like to live and lay their eggs.

For this reason, you must ensure that the cabinets under your sink are always dry by using a newspaper to cover the base. Not only it will make lizards go away, but it will also help your cabinet last longer.

Also, if your pipe leaks even just a little bit, make sure to get it fixed right away since it will serve as a source of water for lizards and it also contributes to the moisture inside the cabinet.

11. Naphthalene balls

Naphthalene balls, or mothballs, are an excellent tool to drive away lizards and other pests and bugs.

However, it is advisable to use it only if you do not have pets and children in the house since ingesting them may cause health problems, such as nausea and vomiting.

You can place naphthalene balls in your cabinets, drawers, cupboards, or anywhere you think lizards are likely to come to. The pungent smell coming from these balls is something lizards cannot tolerate, causing them to leave your house.

12. Get rid of scraps and leftover foods

Since bugs and other house pests, such as lizards, need food to survive, they are most likely to inhabit places with a food source. Maybe it is a fallen crumb, or leftover food on the table, but these foods are definitely one of the ways to attract house pests.

With that said, make sure that your house is always clean, especially the kitchen and the dining area where most foods are left out.

Take out your garbage regularly and don’t let it stay uncovered overnight so as not to invite pests who love to lurk and forage inside the house in the middle of the night.

13. Peacock feathers

peacock feather

Birds, such as peacocks, are known to be natural predators of lizards. While peacock feathers won’t actually kill lizards, it’s an effective way to scare them off.

Place them inside your home as the smell of the peacock feather itself is enough to intimidate these small reptiles.

Therefore, if you want to drive off lizards without actually killing them, using peacock feathers is an excellent method!

And that concludes our informative topic for today. If we were able to answer your questions and you find this article helpful, feel free to share it with your family and friends, especially those who you think are also having problems with lizards and other house pests.

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