What Attracts Lizards in Your Home?

Question: What attracts lizards in your home? Do you know the various factors that make your home look and taste attractive for lizards a lot more than others?

Of all common house pests found in Singapore, lizards are one of the least harmful on the list. They don't carry contagious and life-threatening diseases that could be passed on to humans like mosquitoes and flies, and they don't bite humans like bed bugs or ants.

Crawling Insects

The common house lizard is naturally insectivorous, insects are one of their favourite things to eat. They often eat spiders, snails, caterpillars, and all kinds of insect that they find crawling about. If your house has a secondary pest infestation of these crawling insects, they are what attracts lizards in your home.

House lizards often eat insects smaller than they are. What kind of insect lizards eat around your home will depend on its own size. While house lizards are harmless, they could ingest insects that have diseases and viruses which can turn the lizard’s stool or faeces hazardous later on.

Flying insects

Aside from crawling insects, lizards like to target flying insects like flies, mosquitoes, winged termites, and crickets. Since lizards are capable of scaling walls thanks to their ability to stick and climb walls, they can catch flying prey, especially those that fly close to light sources.

Lizards may prevent dangerous insects from breeding in your house, but they can be a danger when climbing up the ceiling, where they fall into unexpected places or get into electrical wiring thus causing damage. Lizards also drop their poop anywhere!

Fruits and Plants

Lizards are not limited to eating insects -- they eat fruits and plants, too. Some lizards, like the bearded dragon, eats vegetables and other vegetation as a substitute for insects.

Plant-eating lizards can become problematic for people who have gardens, especially when their population grows and begin eating your garden plants.  Reducing the number of insects around the area is one way of deterring lizards from going to your garden.

Some lizards are also known to eat and nibble on fruits, which could pose a danger to humans who eat a fruit that a lizard has nibbled on since lizards carry bacteria on their skin that can give humans salmonella and food poisoning.

Fruits help keep lizards nourished and hydrated while at the same time being a good substitute for insects. If your house is heavily infested with lizards, keeping your fruits stored in the fridge would be a good idea to avoid lizards from contaminating the fruits.

Water

Like most reptiles, lizards need water to stay alive. Water comprises roughly two-thirds of the body weight of reptiles and amphibians, making it essential for their health and well-being. A house with water, food and shelter are what attracts lizards in your home.

Water from leaking pipes, stagnant water from small garden ponds, and even water from the kitchen sink could keep lizards around your home. Different types of lizards need different amounts of water.  Avoid leaking pipes around the home and wipe water spills immediately to keep surfaces such as table tops, flooring and appliances dry.

Preventing Lizards from Invading Your Home

Due to their frequent invasion to homes, and their unexpected falls from ceilings, many Singaporeans have grown a phobia against lizards, causing many stressful situations when they encounter lizards in their home.

Sealing cracks, crevices, and gaps will help prevent lizards from slipping into homes. Keep secondary pest population down to make your home less attractive for lizards.

Proper housekeeping by preventing clutter and dirt built up is another way to prevent them from hiding inside your home. Seeking professional help is another valid option.

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Frequently asked questions on lizards

How do I get rid of lizards in Singapore?

There are two ways to get rid of lizards: DIY or employing a professional pest control service

DIY: Lizards love damp and dark places, such as the areas under bathroom and kitchen sinks, storerooms and basements (if your house happens to have one). As a result, it is important to keep these places clean and dry to reduce the chances of lizards nesting there. Moreover, maintaining the overall cleanliness of your home will also lessen the number of insects - which is the main food source for lizards.

Professional: If you do find number of lizards in your home, there may be a lizard infestation somewhere, and you are unlikely to get rid of them on your own. In that case, calling a professional pest control service in Singapore will be in your best interest.

Are house lizards dangerous?

No. House lizards are actually the least dangerous amongst all the common house pests in Singapore. They do not carry any diseases and often help to control the insect population in homes.

Do lizards bite?

Lizards can bite but that is usually the last resort. This happens when there is food competition or over lizard population. Their bites are generally not poisonous and might cause some pain, but more importantly, if a lizard has bitten you, remember to clean the wound and apply antiseptic cream to avoid an infection.

What smell do lizards hate?

Here are just a few examples of smells that lizards dislike:

• Egg shells
• Garlic
• Bleach
• Mosquito repellent
• "Spicy" and “pungent smell like pepper and chilli powder

While these smells can repel lizards, engaging professional pest control service in Singapore can get rid of them lizards in your home.

How long can a lizard live inside a home?

Lizards can live up to 5 years in their lifespan and may stay in your home for a long term without taking pest prevention measures. They are likely to be eradicated faster if there is no proper source of food, water and shelter.

What diseases do lizards carry?

While they do not carry any diseases, lizards do carry bacteria like salmonella that causes food poisoning among humans. They passed bacteria through their faeces, urine and their saliva. To prevent that, clean up any lizard droppings that you find and keep food in airtight containers, as lizards are known to nibble on them occasionally.

Exterminate the lizards before they multiply

Having one or two lizards around the house is no cause for alarm. However, when lizards start to increase in numbers, there can be a hidden nest somewhere for reproduction purposes. Knowing what attracts lizards in your home helps you to prevent unwanted attention. It’s still best to get a pest control specialist to help you manage a lizard infestation which is out of control.

Read Also: 4 Tips to Keep Lizards Out of Your Homes

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