Selena from Tampa,fl. writes
I live in Florida and I am terrified of lizards, snakes and frogs. How do I keep lizards out of my house? I had one in here today at the bottom of my sliding glass door and after my panic attack. I was able to get my neighbor to catch it and take it outside. Please help. I heard that moth balls keeps them away, some mixture of hot sauce, and water. But I need something. I'm terrified to leave out of my front door. I only use my garage door. PLEASE HELP ME.
There are no toxic products labeled for lizards, geckos or any reptiles or amphibians, and given the highly beneficial nature of these creatures there is not likely to be any products for them any time soon. The reason they are on your property is because they can find food and harborage. Take away their food and they will forage somewhere else. Take away the conditions they need for hiding and they will seek refuge someplace else. You really have two options here: 1.Exclusion. Total exclusion can be hard to achieve particularly around the roof-line where there are going to be gaps that would be very hard to close off, but there also could be some obvious flaws such as broken vent screens, holes around cables, pipes or wires, or gaps under doors. All of these can easily be closed with brush strips, caulking, copper mesh (Stuf-fit), or some other suitable material. Exclusion is the best choice, because it is permanent, and eliminates or reduces the problem in the future too. 2.Outdoor habitat modification. In short get rid of the reasons lizards are there in the first place. They are there because they are finding the food they need to survive (insects) and a place to harbor. If you can eliminate either of these essentials, you can get rid of the lizards. Spray a good residual insecticide such as Cyper WP around the outside of your home to help cut down on the number of insects the lizards are eating. If lizards cannot find enough food they will either move on or starve. Eliminate as much clutter and debris around the outside of your home as possible to eliminate the places lizards like to hide. Rake back mulch or rocks at least 6 inches from the structure If you need to get rid of the lizards that are already indoors the only options are catching them by hand or using glueboards placed in areas where the lizards travel.
Answer last updated on: 11/01/2011
