11 Simple & Natural Ways To Get Rid Of Lizards At Home

There’s one common house guest in all of Singapore that we’ve all seen yet can’t get rid of despite our best efforts. We wish we could get them to pay rent but they’re just too sneaky and quick to catch.

Well, not anymore.

If you’ve been a victim of lizards, or house geckoes, frightening you in the middle of a random house chore by sprinting across your walls and floors right as you walk by, this is your chance to put a stop to the endless jump scares they give you. And to keep your house safe and free of pests, of course.

Here are 10 sure ways to get rid of house lizards

#1: Get rid of the insects (mosquitoes or flies) at home

The best way to get rid of lizards at home is to not give them a reason to come in in the first place. You can do this by getting rid of their primary food source: insects. If you can lose the insects, you can lose the lizards. 

To keep away insects such as mosquitoes and flies from entering your home and attracting lizards in the process, you should:

• Wash your dishes immediately; don’t let them sit in the sink for too long
• Always clear your trash
• Add liquid soap (any kind will do) to any stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your home
• Store your leftovers immediately in the fridge when you’re done eating; don’t keep them out in the open for too long

#2: Clean up, organise your things, and reduce clutter

Lizards love to hide behind picture frames, hanging art or portraits, bookshelves, and even cupboards. So make sure to clean any of their possible hiding places by tidying up around the house:

• Throw away or donate any personal items you no longer use or need
• Always clean your shelves, cabinets and cupboards
• Arrange your things in an organised manner 
• Don’t let junk collect in any area of your house
• Clean behind any art work or pictures hanging around your house

Any food crumbs, milo or coffee spills, or just plain ol’ dirt in your home will attract insects and, as a result, lizards. So clean up after yourself as much as possible, and remind those who live with you to do the same. 

#3: Lay out essential oils such as citronella

Citronella is known to be an effective essential oil that keeps away mosquitoes, which will also ensure that lizards are not drawn to your home. They don’t smell too bad either, so it could be a win-win situation for you.

#4: Mix coffee powder and tobacco to make lizard-repellent balls

Whether you drink coffee or you don’t, you’ll probably be familiar with its strong smell. It’s what fuels most coffee drinkers and, in this case, drives lizards away. 

To be permanently rid of lizards, you can mix moist coffee grounds with tobacco powder. Here’s how:

1. Get some coffee powder from your nearby supermarket
2. Mix it with tobacco powder and water — a combo that gardeners use as natural pesticide
3. Shape it into tiny balls and stick it to the end of a toothpick
4. Place these coffee-tobacco balls in the places where your house lizards usually frequent

#5: Place naphthalene balls in drawers, cabinets, and cupboards

Even if you’ve never heard of naphthalene balls, or mothballs, we’re sure you’ve seen them before. They’re the small white balls you may find in your dresser drawer, probably placed there by your mother. 

Naphthalene balls have a distinct chemical odour that will drive lizards away, so you can consider keeping them in your closet, dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets and cupboards, and shelves.

However, do practice caution when you place these around the house if you have small children. Though it’s generally safe for use around adults, young tots may think it loose Mentos and eat it. Or even just taste it. This can cause nausea and vomiting, so keep an eye on your kids and warn them not to touch it. 

#6: Mix hot sauce and pepper to make a spray solution

You can use any type of hot sauce — though we heard Tabasco works best — and mix it with either black pepper or cayenne pepper. Lizards are said to hate spicy smells, so you can try mixing hot sauce with pepper powder and use it as a spray when you encounter a lizard at home. 

#7: Place chopped onions and garlic cloves wherever lizards usually hide

Much like vampires, garlic can repel lizards. Onions too. Chop some of these two up and place them around the house (if you don’t mind the strong smell) to ward off your unwanted house guests.

We do have to say, though, that it may be too strong even for you. So try it out and don’t keep the garlic cloves and chopped onions out in the open for too long. 

Some sources say you can make a spray solution out of garlic, or onions, so you can spray your counters with them and drive away lizards. Or you can have it on standby so you’re ready when you need to deal with a lizard immediately.

#8: Trap lizards with sticky flypaper 

Here’s a non-scented trick to catch lizards. If you’ve read all of the above and find it a little bit “too much”, you can start with sticking flypapers on your walls, ceilings, or floors — especially in nooks and crannies where they tend to hide. They’re sticky enough to trap insects such as flies, and work well enough to trap lizards as well.

#9: Lay out some egg shells in the kitchen

The next time you make scrambled eggs, keep the egg shells and lay them out in your kitchen counters, on the floor, or window sills. And leave them unwashed. Their subtle odour has been said to keep lizards away.

#10: Ventilate your under-sink cabinets 

As mentioned earlier, insects such as mosquitoes, flies, and lizards are attracted to moisture, so make sure to patch up any leaking pipes if you have any, ventilate them regularly, and try to keep them dry.

You can line the base of your under-sink cabinets with newspapers — this can also help prevent wood rot so your cabinets can last longer.

Some other tips:

• Keep your doors and windows closed as insects and other pests can easily come in through these openings.
• Patch up any cracks or holes in your windows, walls, doors, and other structures that lizards can squeeze through.
• Try to keep your living spaces well-ventilated either via a fans or air conditioner as lizards tend to stay in warm places. And in sunny Singapore, there’s no escaping that your home can get pretty hot at certain times of the day.

#11: Splash cold water on the lizard

Cold water has been said to hinder a lizard’s mobility. So when you splash some on it when you see it skittering across your walls or ceilings, it will be easier for you to catch and dispose of it.

Have you seen or found lizards at home? How did you manage them?

If you haven’t been able to get rid of your house lizards, try out any of the 10 DIY lizard-repellent tricks we mentioned above and let us know in this Facebook post if any of them works. 

You can also join our editorial newsletter for more home living tips and tricks, and property insights. If you’re looking to buy, sell, rent or lease a property, visit Ohmyhome, Singapore’s one-stop shop property portal. You can drop us a message on WhatsApp to book a non-obligatory chat with any of our Super Agents, and we’ll be in touch with you in less than 15 minutes.