How to Keep Lizards Away from Patio: Without Killing Them

Imagine a T-Rex moving on your patio and scaring you. Although it might seem unrealistic, the presence of a lizard in the patio and porch can be terrifying too. Also, most people dislike lizards despite their nonaggressive characteristics- especially when you have to sit next to them on your favorite patio. 

That’s why you should know how to keep lizards away from the patio and enjoy your free time with fun and relaxation. The tackling of a lizard will mostly depend on its numbers, whether your patio has one, two, or more lizards or if it has been infested with a lizard colony. 

But don’t worry.

We will cover all the probable ways to keep the lizards away from the patio, home, garden, and yard- in both natural and commercial methods. 

So, are you ready?

Know the Lizards:

Before we proceed further, we apologies early to you since we will be using a bit of jargon here, it might seem a bit tricky. However, for now, know that scientific and Layman terms apply different definitions to the unpopular word. Lizard.’

Scientifically, a lizard is a reptile species that has four legs (mostly), external ears, and scaly skin. The size variation ranges from a few inches likewise, the Common Lizard to the giant, few feet long Komodo Dragon. 

Nonetheless, note that despite having a striking resemblance, not all reptiles are considered lizards. 

Now, let’s see what Layman’s term has to say about the lizard. 

According to Layman term, any species with four legs with long body shape and scaly skin are called a lizard. Thus, according to scientific and Laymen terms, slowworms are also lizards- sounds creepy! 

However, normal people don’t call them lizards. How Intelligent! 

A good thing to know-

Did you know that dinosaurs are closely connected with the word lizard too? In fact, dinosaurs mean fearfully great lizards.  Nonetheless, science tells us that dinosaurs were closely related to birds and T-Rex have signs of developing feathers even. 

But for now, let’s see the effective ways to get rid of the unpopular lizards from your patio. 

How to Keep Lizards Away from Patio: 8 Exclusive Ways

Bugs in the home are attracted to the clutters, dirt, and mess that often accumulates around the patio, especially at the corners. These bugs then invite lizards for a free feast. Hence, you must clean the patio floor and edges clean. 

Often patio furniture and floor can catch up with leftovers food, the pile of magazines that you read on the patio, and other messes. Removing the clutters and leftovers will discourage the bugs and lizards for a free meal attraction. 

Hence, your patio area should be free from lizards.

1. Keeping the Patio Area Clean:

Bugs in the home are attracted to the clutters, dirt, and mess that often accumulates around the patio, especially at the corners. These bugs then invite lizards for a free feast. Hence, you must clean the patio floor and edges clean. 

Often patio furniture and floor can catch up with leftovers food, the pile of magazines that you read on the patio, and other messes. Removing the clutters and leftovers will discourage the bugs and lizards for a free meal attraction. 

Hence, your patio area should be free from lizards.

2. Remove Hiding Space:

Hiding spaces such as shrubs and thick grasslands encourage lizards to live around the garden and lawn at home. Eventually, they will start residing close to your patio. 

Thus, you shouldn’t place any such types of shrubs and small grasslands space near the patio. Once you can do it, the lizards won’t find a natural hiding space near the patio. They will probably look to find another suitable area.

3. Blocking Cracks, Gaps, and Small Holes:

Likewise, the natural hiding spaces, structural faults such as cracks, gaps, and tiny holes around the patio floor and fencing encourage the lizards. However, if you can fix those cracks and holes, two things will happen instantly-

1. Lizards won’t get an entry point 
2. Even if they somehow enter the patio, they won’t find hiding space. 

So, find the cracks and holes around the patio and fix them. You may use concrete or setting material such as sticky glue to repair the faults.

4. Mopping After Each Meal:

During weekends you will most likely arrange a family gets together or friend’s party around the patio area. During those times, the area becomes clingy with food ingredients such as oil, grease, gas residues from grills, and so on. 

Additionally, when you eat, food leftovers will be on the patio floor. Always sweep and mop the patio floor to remove these food spills. Thus, lizards won’t find any food source for survival and are compelled to leave the space. 

5. Remove the Water Source

Like most reptiles, lizards naturally thieve in desert areas. So, these are adapted better to live with little or no water for a long time. But the Common Lizards are a bit exception to it. 

They dislike going without water for a long time and will look for a water source when thirsty. Hence the lizards will most likely follow a water source trail around the patio and porch area. Also, they stay close to the water source. 

So, if you can remove the water source from around the patio area, lizards won’t be able to fulfill their thirst. Consequently, lizards will say GOODBYE to the porch and patio.

6. Eliminate Light Source:

Lizards are nocturnal creatures and so, become hyperactive during the nighttime. Since lizards are cold-blooded animals, they like warm areas. So, in the daytime, they will be found basking underneath the sun, and at night, they will seek for light sources for basking. 

Sometimes, homeowners love decorating the outdoor patio area with solar light or fixtures. At night time, these fixtures are lighted to decorate and illuminate the porch and patio space. These lights are thus a free invitation to lizards. 

Therefore, when you head to bed, switching off the outdoor porch, light and fixtures will reduce lighting sources around the patio. So, lizards won’t feel encouraged to go and live around the space.

7. Cool off the Surrounding:

Lizards are cold-blooded animals. So, their activity depends hugely on the external temperature. Consequently, lizards hate cold places and become lethargic. 

Hence, if you use a fire pit around the patio to keep yourself warm during the wintertime, make sure the area cools off when you leave it. You may use a fan system to cool down the patio area right before you leave it after a worm and fun time. 

As the patio area remains cool, lizards develop a distaste for space.

8. Pet a Cat:

Cat is loved for its natural hunting ability and the joy it brings to owners. So, you can pet a cat, and it will eliminate the lizards away from the patio. Also, the feline friend will bring immense joy to you with his little paws and naughtiness. 

3 Proven Ways to Remove Lizards from Patio:

Let’s admit it. Even after all the proven methods described above to keep away lizards from the patio, sometimes the area can be infected with the unpopular sight. So, what do you do when the patio gets infested with a lizard colony or several lizards?

At these moments, you can use the following tricks-

1. Coldwater Spray

Lizards become lethargic when the external temperature is cold. So, if you throw cold water on them, these will limit the movement. The more chilled the water, the limited their action will be. 

Once the lizards become immobilized, you can easily remove them from the patio and porch area.

2. Use of Cardboard and Bowl:

You can trap the lizard underneath a small bowl. Then place cardboard underneath it and hold the lizard. This way, you can easily remove the lizards. 

However, the technique is fruitful only if the patio has a few numbers of lizards. For multiple or large quantities, you can’t apply the cardboard and bowl technique.

3. Use of Natural Repellents

While you might opt for commercial bug repellent to remove the lizards, most of them aren’t handy to remove lizards. Also, these are pricey. Instead, you can use homemade and natural repellents to remove lizards. 

• Onions with a strong odor keep bugs and lizards away. You can use a few minces of onions to remove the lizards effectively. 
• Similar to onions, garlic also has a strong odor. So, it works against the liking of a lizard. 
• Sometimes pepper spray also works brilliantly to repel lizards. You can use both hot pepper and cayenne for the purpose. Firstly, boil them and use a sprayer to use the combination right on the problematic areas. Also, you can add garlic and onion for better results. 
• In the natural habitat, peacocks are the best predators of lizards. Hence, lizards stay away from the peacocks. Although you can’t bring live peacocks in the patio, we recommend you using peacock feathers. It will terrify and repel lizards- magically.

Wrapping Up:

Lizards, despite being unpopular, won’t cause you any harm. So, instead of killing them after patio infestation, always seek ways to keep them away. Also, it promotes nature. Thus, knowing the guideline on how to keep lizards away from the patio will be beneficial for you. 

Nonetheless, if you observe a large infestation, you may see help from professional bug repellent agents or use commercial pest repellants. In these ways, your patio, porch, and lawn area will remain lizard-free, and you will enjoy evening breezes or joyous nighttime seating on the patio space. Rejoice!