Are you getting sick to death of having a home full of lizards? Every time you move a curtain or open a door, they seem to scurry out, running along the walls! If so, then you’ve found the right article. In this article, you’ll learn about the 15 best smells to repel lizards, as well as why they’re there in the first place, why you need to get rid of them, and other prevention methods!
So keep reading to find out everything you need to know!
First Of All, What Draws Lizards To Your House In?
If you want to get rid of lizards, trying to repel them alone won’t be enough. Knowing why they’re coming to your house in the first place can often give you insight into what you can do to get rid of them.
Here are some common reasons that lizards are attracted to your home in the first place.
They Can Smell Leftovers
One reason that lizards may be coming into your home is that they can smell leftover food. If you need to store food, avoid leaving in containers and when possible, store it in your fridge or in airtight containers.
There Is Easy Access
There are so many easy ways that lizards can get into your home. Leaving windows and doors open, ventilation systems, and any cracks or crevices. These are all going to look very enticing to lizards.
Your House Is The Right Temperature
Lizards are cold-blooded so they’re going to try and go somewhere that is nice and warm. If it’s warmer inside your house than outside, then it’s going to quickly become a lizard’s favorite spot.
Water
If there is open water in your home, then this can also attract lizards as well! After all, they need to drink too. And depending on the lizard, you’d be surprised how little will attract them.
What Smells Repel Lizards?
Now you know what’s attracting lizards to your home, it’s time to get rid of them! Here are all the different smells that lizards absolutely hate, and which will repel them from your home!
Exterminators Choice Lizard Defence
Of course, at the top of the list is something that was specifically made for repelling lizards. It’s made from a blend of peppermint, clove, and cinnamon oil, all of which lizards absolutely detest.
And contrary to the name Exterminators Choice Lizard Defense is actually non-toxic. So you don’t have to worry about it causing any damage.
Garlic
Lizards are going to absolutely detest the smell of garlic, and placing a few cloves around your home is a great way to help repel them. However, one of the biggest problems with garlic, is just like lizards don’t like the smell, the chances are you won’t either.
So if you have some handy it can be a great choice, otherwise, keep reading to find out other scents you can try as well!
Onion
Another not-so-great smelling repellent you can use if you have some handy is onions. Just like garlic, onions have a strong scent that lizards absolutely hate. The reason that lizards hate both onions and garlic is because of the high sulfur content inside each of them.
One great way to get rid of lizards is to mix garlic and onion together in water. And then spray it in the area you keep noticing lizards. However, remember, you’ll need to reapply the spray every few days to keep it up to date.
Peppermint
If you want to try something that smells a lot fresher, then peppermint is a great choice. If you’ve got a green thumb, you can grow peppermint around your windows and doorways, as well as in your garden.
Otherwise you can buy peppermint essential oil, mix it with water and spray the solution around all the entrances to your home, and areas where you see lizards frequently.
Vinegar
Lizards also hate the smell of vinegar as well! And some of the most potent vinegar you can use is apple cider vinegar. If you want to try apple cider vinegar you can mix it with water in a spray bottle and once again spray it over all the areas you notice the lizards going frequently.
Lavender
Another smell that lizards absolutely hate is lavender. And as well as repelling lizards it will also repel mosquitoes, moths, mice, and even rats!
If you want to use lavender, you can either start growing it in your garden, on your windowsill, and even keep it in vases in areas you notice lots of lizards.
But if you don’t want to grow it, you still have options. One great option is to buy lavender essential oil and mix it with water. Generally about 30 drops in 50ml of water is going to be enough.
Then you can leave the solution in areas where lizards frequent, or you can put it in a spray bottle and spray it around your home.
Lemongrass
Lizards hate any kind of citrus smell, so it’s no wonder that lemongrass is going to be so good at repelling them. To use lemongrass, you can use a whole bunch of different mediums including essential oils, tea bags, and fresh leaves.
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is another great-smelling plant you can use to repel lizards as well. And if you can’t get hold of the plant, essential oils and other eucalyptus products are going to work great as well.
Lemons And Lime
Just like lemongrass, the citrus from lemons and limes is going to repel lizards as well. And to use lemons and limes you won’t even need to use that much. You can just cut them in half and scatter them around your garden, and areas of your home that lizards frequent.
Or you can try squeezing them into the water and using a spray bottle as well. To do this, squeeze 10 lemons into a liter of water and then boil it for an hour. Once done, you just need to spray the solution where the lizards are.
Citronella
Citronella is another citrus-scented plant that lizards are going to absolutely hate the smell of as well. And not only will it repel lizards, but it also repels insects as well. So you’ll be getting rid of their food source too!
Again to use, citronella you just need to mix 1/4 teaspoon of citronella oil with a cup of water, shake it up and spray in the area you notice lizards the most.
Pine Scents
Anything with a strong pine scent is also effective at repelling lizards. And once again, not only will pine scents repel lizards, but they will also repel insects as well, even mosquitoes! The easiest thing to use is Pine-sol thanks to how readily available it is. And all you need to do when you get it is mix with water and spray it where you notice lizards.
Camphor
Camphor is another great lizard repellent that is completely non-toxic to humans as well. If you’re going to use camphor, just stick a few camphor balls in a pot and place them where lizards go.
However, if you do plan on using camphor, you’ll have to replace the balls every few days as they lose their smell. And lastly, the best part about camphor is it will also repel insects as well!
Black Pepper
Black pepper is another smell that will irritate lizards to the point they’re going to do everything they can to avoid it.
If you plan on using black pepper to repel lizards, you can either sprinkle it in small piles where they go most often, or you can buy black pepper essential oil. Once you have the oil, mix it with water and spray it around your home.
Just make sure that you’re topping it up frequently as the smell will fade over time.
Tabasco Sauce
On the subject of spicy scents, tabasco is another smell that lizards absolutely hate. To use tabasco in your home, just add two teaspoons to a spray bottle filled with water then shake it well.
Then just spray it on the areas you want to repel lizards, and reapply every few days. It’s best to do this outside, as the smell might irritate you too!
How To Prevent Lizards In The Long Term
While using a variety of different scents can repel lizards temporarily, you’re still going to want a permanent solution for getting rid of them. So here are a few of the best ways you can prevent lizards from coming back for good.
Get Rid Of Bugs Too
If you want to get rid of lizards, then you need to get rid of their food source too. So as well as taking steps to remove lizards, you should also be taking steps to remove bugs from your home as well!
So make sure you’re keeping food stored properly, you’re removing waste frequently, you’re removing any standing water, and if necessary try using insecticides or hiring a professional to remove them too!
Seal Any Gaps In Your Home
While lizards aren’t always entering through gaps and cracks, you can drastically reduce the amount that do get in by following this simple step. So, if your house needs it, try caulking any gaps you see, as well as adding drafts guards to your door, and checking any other entrances for signs of disrepair that need fixing.
This is going to be a big task, but it’s also one of the best long-term solutions.
Drop The Temperature In Your House
Lizards are cold-blooded animals, so they’re going to search for warm areas to help them conserve and utilize as much energy as possible. By dropping the temperature, your house will become inhospitable to them and they’ll be forced to move to warmer areas.
Get A Cat
Cats are natural predators to lizards, so getting one will help keep their numbers low. Not only will cats kill lizards inside your home, but if you let them out, they’ll also prey on any lizards around your home as well.
Try To Attract Birds
Birds are one of a lizard’s biggest natural predators. By attracting more birds to your garden, you’ll start to notice the lizard numbers around your home dwindling. Simply installing a bird feeder will be enough to do the trick in most cases.
Remove Areas They Seek As Shelter
Lizards tend to hide under lots of things in your garden when they want to take shelter. By removing these from your home, they’ll be forced to move too. Not only will removing their shelter make them more exposed to the elements, but it will also make them more vulnerable to predators as well.
FAQ
Here are some more frequently asked questions that people have about repelling lizards from their homes!
Do Eggshells Repel Lizards?
No, eggshells will not repel lizards. In fact, some lizards may even see egg shells as a potential food source. However, crushed egg shells may attract birds which are lizards’ natural predators.
Do Spices Repel Lizards?
Yes! Most spices are going to repel lizards and deter them from entering your home! Tabasco, black pepper, and chili plants are all great choices!
Recap
As you can see, there are plenty of smells you can use to repel lizards! And using them around your home frequently is one of the steps that can help get rid of lizards. However, using smells alone won’t be enough, and you’ll need to work on other ways to remove lizards as well!
If you liked this article, make sure you check out the rest of the website! Otherwise, have a great day!
