Lizards lounging on your patio furniture can be an annoying and unsanitary problem. This guide covers 12 of the easiest, most effective methods for repelling lizards and keeping them off your outdoor living space using natural remedies.
Why Lizards Are Attracted to Patios and Outdoor Furniture
As you relax in your favorite patio chair, basking in the warm sun with a cool drink in hand, the last thing you want to see is a small, quick-moving lizard darting across the pavers. Unfortunately, patios and outdoor furniture provide ideal conditions that attract several common lizard species. Understanding why they infiltrate this space can help you take steps to evict these uninvited guests.
Warm Surfaces for Basking
Cold-blooded critters like lizards rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. By climbing onto warm, sun-drenched surfaces, they can effectively “solar charge” their bodies to optimal operating conditions. The cracks between patio pavers, bricks or concrete soak up sunshine and hold heat for hours after sunset. Your patio chairs, tables, benches and other furniture do the same, creating an enticing heat map for local lizards seeking a perfect basking spot.
Certain species like green and brown anoles, fence lizards, alligator lizards and house geckos are particularly prone to targeting patio areas to soak up the radiant warmth from hard surfaces. On cooler days or during winter in warmer climates, the temperature difference between patio elements and the ambient air is even more pronounced. This makes your patio furniture and surfaces even more desirable as solar loungers.
Who can blame them? If I was cold all the time, I’d also be compulsively seeking out the best sunbathing nooks. But knowing they’re drawn to the patio’s warmth at least allows you to take countermeasures to discourage them from moving in.
Plentiful Insect Food Sources
Lizards are carnivorous and insects make up the bulk of their diet. Crickets, grasshoppers, flies, beetles, caterpillars, ants, termites, earwigs, centipedes and spiders are all on the menu. As luck would have it, patios provide an all-you-can-eat bug buffet for lizards seeking to fatten up.
Outdoor lighting attracts nocturnal insects, while flowering potted plants draw in pollinators. Spiders spin webs in porch corners to snag aerial insects. Dropped fallen fruit or spills attract ants and other scavengers. Long grass and plant debris harbor insect eggs and larvae. Compost piles are like an insect breeding facility. And gaps under doors or cracks in walls give free access to bugs from indoors.
For resourceful lizards, your patio’s insect abundance signals an open invitation to move in and dine at will. Trimming back vegetation, cleaning up clutter, sealing gaps and otherwise controlling bugs on your patio strips away this tempting food source. A lizard stomach that’s rumbling from hunger is more likely to hunt elsewhere.
Access to Shelter and Hiding Spots
Lizards aren’t just drawn to patios for the warmth and grub. They also provide shelter. Porous brick or rocky walls offer crevices to slip into and avoid predators. Dense shrubs, flower pots and overgrown vegetation provide cover. Furniture with open hollow legs or undersides creates protected nesting sites. Flat rocks that can be lifted provide quick escape hatches. Wood or debris piles grant concealment.
Lizards feel safest and most at home when they have ready access to multiple hiding and shelter spots. A tidy, sparse patio leaves them too exposed. Eliminating clutter like piles of bricks or stones, unused flower pots, weedy overgrown planters and furniture with open undersides provides fewer refuges. Without abundant options to duck out of sight, lizards will seek sanctuary elsewhere.
Understanding the key reasons lizards infiltrate the patio – warmth, food and shelter – allows you to mitigate these attractants. Starve them of food sources, eliminate cover and hiding places, and make the environment cooler and less hospitable. When the patio no longer caters to their survival needs, the lizards will gradually depart in search of more accommodating habitats.
Now that we know why they come, we can move on to proactive and reactive measures to actively repel and discourage lizards from patio living. A multi-pronged strategy of preventative deterrents, physical barriers and natural repellents will soon have your outdoor space lizard-free. Then you can get back to relaxing in the sun, without the panic of unexpected reptilian encounters.
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- Natural Repellents to Keep Lizards Away
- Physical Barriers to Prevent Access
- When to Call a Professional Exterminator
- Maintaining a Lizard-Free Patio and Yard
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Natural Repellents to Keep Lizards Away
Prevention is ideal, but sometimes a few rebellious lizards still persist in lounging on your patio. When they refuse to take the hint, it’s time to bring out the big guns – natural repellents. Many herbs, plants, oils and scents naturally irritate, confuse or deter lizards. Deploying these organic weapons persuades stubborn lizards your yard just isn’t worth the discomfort.
Strong Scented Spices and Herbs
Lizards have a keen sense of smell for detecting food and predators. Certain pungent spices and herbs can overwhelm their nostrils and trigger avoidance behaviors. Sprinkle, scatter or spray these aromatic repellents across your patio and yard:
Pepper
Black pepper, cayenne powder, crushed red pepper flakes, jalapeño or habanero pepper juices – lizards hate the sharp bite of all peppers. The spicy vapors irritate their nasal passages. Douse cotton balls with hot sauce and place them in lizard hideouts. Mix 1 part pepper with 10 parts water in a spray bottle for a diy repellent. The punch of pepper signals it’s time to clear out.
Garlic
Garlic emits a robust, sulfurous odor as it decomposes. Lizards steer clear to avoid the eye-watering smell. Scatter crushed garlic cloves around known lizard paths and entry points. Make a paste of minced garlic, water and flour to “paint” onto surfaces. The potent garlic fumes clog lizard nostrils, rapidly sending them running.
Onion
Like garlic, decomposing onion gives off an unpleasantly strong odor. Dice onions and spread the pieces in areas frequented by lizards. The tear-inducing vapors will make them scatter. For longer repellency, puree onions and water in a blender and spray the liquid around your patio perimeter. Your eyes may water too, but the noxious smell means no more lizards!
Ginger
Ginger root oil contains antioxidants that repel and irritate crawling insects. Lizards aren’t fond of it either. Make a strong ginger tea, cool it, and apply as a spray. Grate fresh ginger root and sprinkle it dry around known lizard entry points. You can also plant ginger in pots – the sprouts and leaves exude the repellent oils.
Mint
Mint’s refreshing smell is nostalgic for us but torturous for lizards. The menthol in mint overstimulates lizard’s scent sensors. Plant mint in garden beds around the patio’s edges. Crush fresh mint leaves and rub them onto furniture legs and surfaces. Lizards will avoid the eye-watering vapors. Spray a mint oil and water mixture in hiding spots. The crisp smell of your mojito garnish sends lizards packing.
Essential Oils
Concentrated essential oils derived from certain plants have potent lizard-repelling properties:
Peppermint Oil
Mint’s main active compound, menthol, is amplified in concentrated peppermint oil. Dot cotton balls with a few drops and tuck them wherever lizards lurk. Make a diluted 10% solution of peppermint oil in water and spray patio corners and crevices. The intense minty smell forces lizards to cease minting their own patio coins.
Citronella Oil
Famously used in insect and mosquito repellents, citronella oil also deters lizards. Dab some onto cotton balls and place them around your patio. Make a citronella candle by adding a few tablespoons of oil to melted wax. Burn it on porch steps where lizards pass by. The lemony citronella scent makes your patio an unpleasant place to laze about.
Cedarwood Oil
Cedarwood oil shares many of cedar’s natural pest-repelling qualities. Dip cotton balls into cedarwood oil and position them along known lizard paths. Or mix a few tablespoons into a 16 oz spray bottle of water. Mist this onto patio plants, walls, steps and furniture. The woodsy cedar aroma discourages lizards from sticking around.
Clove Oil
Clove oil’s intense, spicy, anesthetic qualities make it a potent lizard deterrent. Soak cotton balls in clove oil and tuck them into patio crevices. You can also mix 10-15 drops of clove oil with water in a spray bottle. Spritz this near lizard hiding spots. The clove fumes irritate lizard nostrils and overwhelm their sense of smell.
Soaps and Scents
Want an easy lizard repellent using common household items? Try these soaps and scents:
Irish Spring Soap
Budget-friendly Irish Spring soap bars contain fragrant oils that deter snakes, mice, squirrels, insects and apparently lizards. Simply grate some soap shreds and scatter them around known lizard entry points or suspected nesting sites. The vivacious scents send lizards darting away.
Mothballs
Mothballs fumigate fabrics and repel moths. But lizards dislike their unnatural chemical smell too. Distribute mothballs around the patio perimeter, under furniture, or around garden beds. Replace them regularly as the smell fades. Caution – keep mothballs away from children and pets when applying them outdoors.
Ammonia-Soaked Rags
Ammonia’s harsh, nose-wrinkling odor drives away lizards, snakes, rodents and other wildlife. Soak some rags or paper towels in ammonia and place them in sheltered spots, garden bed corners, or under furniture. The fumes irritate lizard nostrils and overload their sense of smell. But avoid contact with plant foliage which can be damaged by ammonia.
With so many fragrant, plant-based options, you can assail lizard’s senses using whatever smells best to you! Rotating repellents keeps them confused and unable to acclimate. Soon they’ll decide to split before getting another noseful of your patio’s putrid perfume.
Physical Barriers to Prevent Access
Sometimes lizards are undeterred by smells, spices and repellents. When they continue lingering where they’re not welcome, it’s time to get physical! No, not with a broom – physical barriers provide a more humane approach. Deploying slippery, spiky or sticky obstacles foils lizards attempting to scale your patio terrain and furniture.
Apply Petroleum Jelly to Furniture Legs
Petroleum jelly’s thick, greasy texture makes it impossible for lizards to cling to. After cleaning furniture legs, apply a thick coating of petroleum jelly. Use an old cloth or paintbrush to liberally slather legs, rails, feet and surfaces. The slick jelly causes lizard toes to slip and slide uncontrollably. They eventually associate your furniture with slippery peril to avoid. Reapply after rains or dust buildup.
Place Rough Surface Materials Around and Under Furniture
Lizards rely on grip and traction to clamber onto furniture and navigate your patio. Removing that traction with abrasive surfaces deters them.
Crushed Eggshells
Loosely scatter crushed eggshells around furniture legs and patio corners. The jagged, pointy shell fragments snag tender lizard bellies and feet, preventing access. Their discomfort sends them packing to softer surrounding terrain.
Sandpaper or Rough Fabric
Cut sheets of coarse sandpaper or burlap fabric to fit underneath furniture and into corners. Lizards avoid the rough abrasion on their delicate underbellies. The prickly surfaces poke and prod, quickly convincing lizards to avoid these unpleasant areas.
Use Double-Sided Tape on Furniture and Railings
Sticky surfaces baffle lizards and ensnare insects. Apply weatherproof double-sided tape to chair and table legs, balcony railings, or anywhere else lizards traverse. The tape’s clingy grip immobilizes lizards that attempt to cross it, discouraging future crossings once unstuck. Long strips also trap crawling insects, removing a tempting food source.
With tacky, slippery, scratchy or sharp obstacles at every turn, your patio furniture and surroundings become hazardous for lizards to the point of avoidance. Much like a cat learning to avoid the sticky tape protecting new furniture, lizards will quickly relate your patio’s barriers to danger. Soon they’ll seek alternative basking and living arrangements devoid of peril.
If lizards stubbornly persist after olfactory, topical and physical deterrents, it may be time to call in professional reinforcements. With their advanced tools and targeted treatments, seasoned exterminators can evict holdout lizard populations and prevent their return. But for most homeowners, a diligent combination of smell, feel and touch repellents convinces lizards that your patio just isn’t hospitable anymore.
When to Call a Professional Exterminator
With diligence and persistence, most homeowners can evict small lizard populations using natural remedies and prevention. But severe, recurring or inaccessible lizard issues may require calling in professional pest control reinforcements. Knowing when to enlist an exterminator’s skills and powerful deterrents ensures you permanently reclaim your outdoor living spaces.
Severe or Repeated Infestations
Natural lizard remedies work well for minor infiltrations of 1-2 rogue reptiles. But large colonies with 20+ lizards or repeat infestations after removing prior lizards indicate a severe pest problem. In these cases, consider hiring professional pest control.
Why? Large lizard hordes can rapidly reproduce, laying up to 20 eggs every 2-3 weeks. This overwhelmed reproductive capacity quickly replaces any lizards that are repelled or leave.
Professional exterminators have commercial-grade repellents and targeted delivery methods to effectively chase away every last lizard. They can also identify and neutralize factors that enable large swarms, like expansive insect food sources, plentiful breeding habitat, and concentrations of warmth and moisture.
With advanced techniques, bait traps, targeted spraying and exhaustive removal, they can swiftly abolish the existing armada. Ongoing quarterly maintenance visits also prevent large-scale reinfestation.
For serious lizard infestations, professionals have the tools and tenacity to wholly eradicate colonies and inhibit their return on a level far exceeding DIY efforts.
Allergies to Venom or Bites
Some lizard species like Gila Monsters and Mexican Beaded Lizards emit mild venom when they bite. While not medically serious for most, people with allergies can react severely.
Additionally, common species like green iguanas have serrated teeth that inflict painful bites. Their needle-sharp claws also scratch deeply.
For homeowners with known allergies or accessibility issues that limit evasion of aggressive lizards, professional removal is safest. Exterminators have protective equipment, grasp handling skills, and completely secure the reptile’s removal.
Rather than risk exposure to venom, bacteria or injury trying to personally catch problematic lizards, sensitive individuals are better calling in the pros.
Hard-to-Reach Areas of Home Exterior
The nooks of a home’s exterior siding, roofing, openings and infrastructure provide sanctuaries for secretly residing lizards. You may not even realize your lizard issue is rooted in obscure external niches until spotting one peering from an obscure crevice.
Unfortunately, safely accessing such lofty refuges situated stories above ground is realistically impossible for homeowners. The risk of falls or unstable footing on ladders trying to personally evict exterior lizards is too great.
In these cases, enlist professional pest control equipped with extended ladders, safety harnesses and means to securely treat inaccessible areas you simply cannot reach yourself.
With specialized equipment and skills honed by experience to safely treat exterior hideaways, they can methodically remove entrenched lizard colonies you cannot. Renewed enjoyment of your outdoor living space requires banishing every last exterior lizard – even crafty ones intentionally beyond your grasp.
Knowing when to call for professional assistance enables stubborn lizard issues to be resolved where DIY efforts hit limitations. But for most minor infestations, consistent prevention and natural home remedies gently convince lizards your home is no longer hospitable without causing them harm. With the right tools and techniques, anyone can reclaim their outdoor space and patio furniture from the pesky whims of opportunistic lizards.
The key is diligently maintaining an environment thoroughly inhospitable to lizards by removing survival necessities they depend on. Keep at it, and soon your patio will transition from their domain back to your own personal paradise.
Maintaining a Lizard-Free Patio and Yard
Congratulations, your diligent prevention and control efforts have successfully evicted those invasive lizards! But don’t prematurely rejoice – maintaining your reclaimed outdoor space requires ongoing diligence. Staying alert to potential reinfestation risks and proactively safeguarding your territory keeps it clear of recurrent lizard squatters.
Ongoing Treatment and Reapplication
Depending on climate, season, recent weather and surrounding habitat, the effectiveness of lizard deterrents varies over time. Reapply treatments at the recommended intervals to maintain protective potency:
- Refresh natural oil and spray repellents after 2-4 weeks or heavy rains. Oils dissipate and smells fade over time.
- Replace used mothballs with fresh ones every 4-6 weeks, more frequently in rainy conditions.
- Check petroleum jelly, glue or tape barriers every 2-3 weeks and patch or recoat areas needing renewal.
- Scatter new eggshells, sandpaper and other abrasive barriers monthly to replace debris that blows away.
- Rotate the types of repellent used over successive treatments. Lizards may adapt to any single smell or texture over prolonged exposure.
Vigilantly maintain deterrents at full strength. Any lapses in treatment create opportunities for renewed lizard incursions and recolonization. Mark your calendar with reminder dates to reapply treatments.
Checking for and Sealing Entry Points
Preventing access is the first line of defense. Frequently check areas susceptible to new entry points:
- Inspect door and window seals for any gaps or tears and repair them.
- Make sure pet doors, vents and utility openings remain tightly sealed.
- Check foundation walls and siding for new cracks or holes and patch them.
- Ensure drain pipes, hoses and irrigation systems don’t leak moisture that attracts insects.
- Confirm gutters remain clear and drain runoff at least 3 feet from the patio’s edge.
- Ensure foliage doesn’t contact the home’s exterior, allowing lizards to bridge the gap.
- Keep tree branches trimmed back from overhanging too close to the roofline.
- Talk to neighbors if abandoned nearby properties harbor lizard populations that could source infestations.
- Monitor garden beds and landscaping borders for snake holes or gaps under fencing lizards could exploit.
Dedicate 5-10 minutes during your weekly patio upkeep to proactively check for and fix new access vulnerabilities. Eliminating entry prevents needing to expel lizards already comfortably inside.
Keeping the Yard Clean and Landscaping Trimmed
Maintain your home’s exterior just as vigilantly as the patio itself. Don’t overlook the adjacent perimeter as a vector for reinfestation:
- Regularly mow, weed, rake and groom landscaping and lawn areas.
- Keep tree branches pruned back 6-12″ from the home and windows.
- Sweep patios, sidewalks and driveways often to keep insect food sources under control.
- Clear out accumulated debris piles, leaf litter and other hiding spots.
- Store any lumber, bricks, and construction debris away from the home’s perimeter.
- Move compost bins and garbage cans as far from patios and decks as possible.
- Keep outdoor pet food and water bowls indoors when not in active use.
Don’t give lizards any foothold by allowing your home’s exterior grounds to become overgrown with protective vegetative cover. Well-maintained landscaping leaves lizards too exposed, driving them away.
Staying vigilant to proactively treat, fortify, patrol and maintain your perimeter thwarts renewed lizard encroachment. Consistent diligence over time engrains in local lizard populations your yard is no longer suitable habitat. Then you can relax and enjoy your outdoor living space without scaly interlopers disrupting the peace.
Key Takeaways: Enjoying Outdoor Spaces Free of Lizard Pests
Getting rid of pesky lizards on your patio or outdoor furniture entails understanding why they’re attracted in the first place. Warm surfaces, insects to eat, and hiding spots draw lizards in.
Effective prevention measures involve keeping your patio and yard tidy, eliminating standing water, installing physical barriers on furniture, sealing off hollow furniture cavities, and replacing problematic wood furniture.
Natural repellents like strong spices, essential oils, and pungent scents can irritate lizards’ senses and drive them away. Peppers, garlic, mint, citronella, cedarwood, clove oil and mothballs make good options.
Physical barriers like petroleum jelly, abrasive surfaces, and double-sided tape prevent lizard access and movement. They hinder climbing and deter crossing.
For severe infestations, venomous species, or hard-to-reach exterior areas, professional pest control provides commercial-grade elimination services and ongoing prevention.
Maintaining a lizard-free patio and yard requires diligent reapplication of treatments, sealing entry points, and keeping landscapes clean and trimmed. Ongoing vigilance prevents reinfestations.
With a little effort using humane home remedies and modifications, you can reclaim your outdoor living space from opportunistic lizards seeking comfort and survival.
Frequently Asked Questions About Deterring Lizards
Q: How do you keep lizards off patio furniture without hurting them?
A: Use natural repellents like essential oils, ammonia, garlic, onion and hot peppers to irritate their senses. Install physical barriers like petroleum jelly, double-sided tape or abrasive surfaces on furniture to prevent climbing. Eliminate food sources and hiding spots by keeping your patio clean and tidy.
Q: What scent keeps lizards away?
A: Strong spices like pepper, cloves, onion, garlic and ginger effectively repel lizards when applied around your patio. Concentrated essential oils like peppermint, citronella, cedarwood and clove also deter lizards with their intense aromas.
Q: What plants keep lizards away?
A: Mint, garlic, onion, aloe vera, peacock flower and marigolds release smells that naturally repel lizards. Plant them around patio borders to deter lizards from approaching.
Q: Will bleach keep lizards away?
A: No, bleach is highly toxic and ineffective against lizards. Avoid using it. Stick to natural remedies instead.
Q: Will mothballs or eggshells get rid of lizards?
A: Mothballs emit a strong odor that can deter lizards. Crushed eggshells create an abrasive, uncomfortable surface for lizards. Both can be useful as part of an integrated pest control plan when applied correctly.
Q: When should you call an exterminator for lizards?
A: Severe infestations involving dozens of lizards, recurring lizard problems after removing prior ones, venomous/aggressive species, or exterior nesting areas beyond your reach require professional pest control for full removal and prevention.