One thing you would notice about lizards is that they appear once in a while inside your house oblivious to all that is happening around it. They usually crawl on walls, looking for food to eat. These lizards, though peaceful, can be a frightening and terrifying sight, especially for kids. They can also be such a nuisance. By simply being present inside the house, they can be pests. Aside from houses, they usually invade offices, warehouses, restaurants, and factories.
Sometimes, it is fun to watch lizards in action. It is nice to see them feed on ants, aphids, grasshoppers, and wasps. They can be really helpful in controlling the numbers of all the other pests. They look different - like small monsters - but are generally harmless to humans and do not bite. They do not live indoors nor infest houses, they just take time to pay you a visit. They are among the most common household pests but are easily one of the most harmless. Out in the garden, they do not care about the plants and would simply bypass them without inflicting any damage. They do not transmit deadly diseases like mosquitoes and roaches and do not destroy properties like termites and ants. They are just simply annoying.
Overview
Of all the reptile species, the lizards are the most plentiful. There are around 6,000 of them worldwide. Their sizes differ, with the largest being the komodo dragon which can grow to as long as 10 ft and weigh 176 lbs. The smallest is the tiny dwarf gecko, which is just .6 inches in length. Their most common features are their scaly skin, a tail that is longer than their bodies, small heads, long nails, clawed feet, four legs, eyelids that close, and external ear openings. Most of them feed on insects; only a few feed on plants. Those that feed on insects usually eat beetles, bugs, wasps, ants, spiders, aphids, and grasshoppers.
Most lizards lay eggs, but a few lizards like some species of horned lizards produce their offspring alive. Lizards usually lay eggs during the months of May to August and hatch during the months of July to September. When the eggs hatch, baby lizards do not require the care of their mothers. They are self-sufficient and can feed on their own. They become mature at the age of 18 months to 7 years. Since there are many different types of lizards, lifespans would naturally differ. Some lizards can live as long as 50 years.
Here is an interesting trivia about lizards: when faced with threats or handles roughly, lizards have the ability to detach from their tails as they escape. This tail acts as a form of smokescreen and continues to wiggle as they continue to run away. This does not do any harm to the lizards and is their way of self-defense. They will grow another tail soon after. They shed their scales in large flakes as they grow older. These scales do not grow along with them.
Habitat & Habits
Lizards can be found all over the world. Aside from visiting human dwellings, they also live in trees, some live on rocks in the desert, and some prefer to live on the ground where they can be near vegetation.
Since lizards are cold-blooded animals, making them active during the day. They use the heat of the sun to raise their body temperatures. They are active when their bodies are warm. You would normally see lizards sun-bathing or hunting for prey.
Why Are They In Our Homes?
There are many reasons why they are in our homes, but all of them are related to food and water. Their presence actually presents an underlying problem that you may have in your home: pests. Below are some of the reasons why lizards are attracted to our homes.
Presence Of Flying Insects
A lizard diet is composed of insects, insects, and more insects. If you have flies, mosquitoes, winged termites, and other flying insects, lizards will definitely take notice. Lizards can stick to the walls and crawl, so they can really get access to these flying insects as they too sometimes rest on these walls. Lizards prefer being near the light, that is why they can easily capture insects flying near the light source. In this way, lizards help in controlling the population of pests. If you actually see them in action, you would be thankful to them for eating those insects. The danger here would be that since these lizards are up there, they could easily fall off anywhere. They might fall on your glass of water, on your food, or into electrical wiring where they would cause damage. Lizard feces falling all over is also another cause for concern for homeowners. This normally happens when you have heavy lizard infestation; you would see them being physically aggressive with each other.
They Are Attracted By Crawling Insects
Aside from the flying insects, lizards also sometimes stay grounded and look for insects crawling on the ground. Usually, they find spiders, grasshoppers, snails, caterpillars, and any kind of insects they could find there. If these insects are inside your house, it is highly possible that the lizards will follow. Again, the lizards are helpful this way; the danger here though is that they might eat insects that have bacteria and diseases. This, in turn, can turn their feces more hazardous later on.
Water
Lizards need water too. It is essential for them to live, as ⅔ of their body composition is made up of water. Our houses can provide water for them when we have leaky pipes, dripping faucets, and stagnant water.
Even Plants & Fruits
There are some lizards who feed on plants. They also come to nibble on the fruits laid on your table. Therein lies the danger, because if humans eat fruits that have been contaminated by lizards, they could get infected with various diseases like salmonella. To prevent this, it would be better if you store your fruits in sealed containers.
Lizards As Pests
Lizards do not bite nor transmit diseases. They are not noisy, and would rather be left alone. They are almost similar to having spiders in the house, the difference though is that lizards crawl all over the place while spiders stay still. And like spiders, lizards are helpful in controlling the population of other pests as they eat mosquitoes, flies, winged termites, ants, and bugs. Even though they do not cause any physical harm to humans, they are a nuisance. Their droppings often stain walls, ceilings, furniture, picture frames, clothes, and even contaminate food. The type of lizard we normally see in our homes is called the house lizard, also known as a gecko. Geckos are known to change their body color; it can be white or beige, depending on the surface they are sticking on. Food contamination is a possible occurrence with lizards. You might find them inside an opened bag of chips that you forgot on the table. They might be nibbling on your bread, fruits, and vegetables. They might be drinking your water or soda. If they contaminate your food with their feces and you ingest the contaminated food, you can be infected with salmonella.
Lizard Control
It can really be very annoying to see lizards crawling on our walls. Yet there are ways to get them out ourselves. Here are some of the things you can do.
1. As we have discussed, lizards are in our houses because they can spot food. Cut off their food source by killing insects that may have infested your home. Use your mosquito repellent spray to destroy the mosquitoes.
2. Remove standing water. This attracts both mosquitoes and lizards. Remove items that can hold water, like old cans, old tires, abandoned birdbaths, and old gutters.
3. Keep your food inside sealed containers, including fruits and vegetables.
4. Regularly dispose of your garbage since this will attract ants which in turn would attract lizards.
5. Wipe of drink spills and food debris. Mop and sweep the floor to remove food residue that may have fallen off the floor.
6. Regulate the temperature. Lizards hate cold temperatures since they are warm-blooded animals.
7. Regularly check the cabinets under the sinks. This is their favorite hangout because it is dark and damp there.
8. Use naphthalene balls. Lizards hate them. Be careful though if you have kids.
9. Seal cracks, crevices, and holes by caulking, these may be used as entry points by these lizards. Check the corner of doors and windows, around pipes, and ventilation screens.
10. Sticky tapes are effective in trapping lizards. Once you catch them, set them free outside the house.
These are a few tips to help you get rid of lizards. However, if the infestation is heavy, you can count on the best pest control company in Apex, Go-Forth Home Services.
Go-Forth Home Services is a name that is trusted by residents and businesses in Apex. For more information, call us now!