If you’ve ever come home and seen lizards lounging on your patio furniture, or even worse, you’ve walked out to the pool only to be greeted by several of them sunbathing right beside it, you know how frustrating it can be.
No matter your attitude towards these creatures, it’s annoying when they start living in all kinds of places around our house that are actually ours. But don’t fret! There are plenty of things that you can do to keep lizards off your property and away from areas where they might cause a bother-such as your lovely outdoor patio furniture.
This blog post will help equip you with tips and tricks on how to keep lizards off patio furniture, from uncomplicated DIY solutions to ways that can make this problem completely go away without having to resort to lethal methods. Read on if you’re eager to learn more about how best to manage these pesky lizard intruders!
What Smell Do Lizards Hate Most?
To keep lizards away from patio furniture, it helps to know what smells they don’t like. Lizards dislike strong scents such as garlic, peppermint oil, and citrus oils. Cleaning the area with a solution of vinegar or bleach also works to repel lizards.
To make a homemade repellent spray, mix equal parts of water and vinegar in a spray bottle. Then add 10 to 15 drops of the essential oil of your choice. Shake well and spray directly on areas that lizards frequent.
Be sure to reapply the repellent every few days for the best results.
For an extra layer of protection, apply talcum powder or diatomaceous earth around patio furniture legs, windowsills, and cracks in walls. This creates a barrier that will keep out any unwelcome visitors!
Regularly check for open gaps or holes that could be used as entry points by lizards and seal them up with caulk to prevent further infestations. If you’re still having trouble keeping lizards away from your patio furniture, consider using sticky tape or glue traps to catch the lizards and remove them from your home.
Finally, it helps to keep your patio furniture clean and free of debris that can be attractive to lizards. Regularly sweep up leaves, grass clippings, and other debris to make it less inviting for these unwelcome guests. With a few simple steps, you can keep lizards off your patio furniture and enjoy peace in your backyard again!
10 Methods How to Keep Lizards off Patio Furniture
1. Keep Your Patio Furniture Clean:
Lizards are attracted to food scraps, crumbs, and other debris on patio furniture. Regularly clean your furniture to remove any food particles that may be attracting lizards.
Use a mild detergent or soap and water to clean your furniture thoroughly, paying special attention to cracks, crevices, and underneath cushions. If you need to use a brush to reach hard-to-clean areas, make sure it is soft and won’t damage the furniture. However, be mindful that strong smells such as bleach can also attract lizards.
2. Remove Hiding Places:
Lizards love hiding in dark and cluttered spaces. Eliminate potential hiding spots on your patio furniture by removing cushions, pillows, and other items that provide cover. Keep your patio area tidy and organized to discourage lizards from finding hiding spots. Once hiding places have been removed, ensure that the lizards won’t be able to return.
Store items in airtight containers and place them away from your patio area. To further discourage lizards from hiding, trim back any nearby trees or bushes that may be providing a place for them to hide. To keep lizards away in the future, make sure to keep any potential hiding spots away from your patio.
3. Use Natural Repellents:
Some natural substances can repel lizards. For example, citrus peels, such as orange or lemon peels, have a strong smell that can deter lizards. Place citrus peels around your patio furniture or rub them on the furniture’s surfaces to create a natural lizard repellent. Additionally, lizards dislike the smell of garlic, so you can rub garlic cloves or spray a garlic solution around your patio furniture to help keep them away.
Finally, mint and cayenne pepper are two other natural repellents that can be used near your patio furniture to deter lizards. You can sprinkle the pepper or mint leaves around your furniture or add them to a spray bottle and spray it on the furniture. With these natural repellents, you can create a lizard-free patio space.
4. Use Commercial Repellents:
There are also commercial lizard repellents available in the market. These repellents usually contain chemicals that are unpleasant to lizards and can discourage them from coming near your patio furniture.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully when using commercial repellents and keep them out of reach of children and pets. Make sure to reapply the repellent as necessary to ensure that it is working. You may also need to use an additional method in conjunction with the repellent to keep lizards away from your patio furniture.
5. Install Ultrasonic Repellers:
Ultrasonic repellers emit high-frequency sound waves that are inaudible to humans but can be annoying to lizards. These devices are easy to install and can be placed near your patio furniture to keep lizards away. However, their effectiveness may vary, and they may not work on all types of lizards.
Therefore, it is important to test the product before relying on it for long-term use. Additionally, some repellers can be quite expensive, so make sure to read reviews and shop around for the best option. If you find that an ultrasonic repeller isn’t working, it can always be removed or replaced with a different type of repeller.
6. Use Physical Barriers:
Physical barriers can prevent lizards from accessing your patio furniture. You can use mesh screens, netting, or cloth covers to create barriers around your furniture. Make sure the barriers are tightly secured and cover all openings to prevent lizards from sneaking in.
You can also use repellent sprays like garlic or cayenne pepper to create an additional layer of protection. Finally, you can try placing a few repelling plants, such as lavender, rosemary, or mint, around the perimeter of your patio to keep lizards away.
7. Adjust Lighting:
Lizards are more active during the day and are attracted to bright lights. Adjusting the lighting around your patio furniture can help deter lizards. Avoid using bright lights near your furniture, especially during the evening and night. Instead, use dim or yellow lights that are less attractive to lizards.
You can also install motion-sensor lights around the area, which will turn on when lizards approach. This may be enough to scare them away. Additionally, adding decorative lighting can make the lizards less likely to return. While these adjustments may not completely keep lizards away, they can help reduce the number of them on your patio furniture.
8. Remove Insects:
Lizards feed on insects, so reducing the number of insects around your patio can help keep lizards away. Use insecticides or natural insect repellents to control the insect population around your patio furniture. Keep trash cans sealed and clean up any standing water to prevent insect breeding.
If your patio is near plants, regularly check for insects and take appropriate steps to control them. Regularly cleaning up any dead leaves or debris will also help reduce the insect population. To further deter lizards from visiting your patio, try hanging wind chimes or other noises that may startle them.
9. Use Predator Deterrents:
Lizards have natural predators, such as birds of prey, snakes, and even some household pets like cats. Using predator deterrents, such as fake owls or snakes, can create the illusion of danger for lizards and deter them from coming near your patio furniture.
Place the deterrents in areas of your yard near the patio furniture and keep them on a regular basis to maintain their effectiveness. Additionally, you can use noise and lights to startle the lizards.
10. Create Lizard-Friendly Areas:
If you’re open to having lizards in your yard but want to keep them away from your patio furniture, consider creating designated lizard-friendly areas in your yard. For example, you can create a rock or gravel garden away from your patio furniture where lizards can bask and find shelter.
By providing an alternative habitat for lizards, you may be able to discourage them from using your patio furniture as their preferred spot.
Things to Consider When Keeping Lizards off Patio Furniture
1. Minimizing Food Sources:
One of the most important steps you can take to keep lizards away from your patio furniture is to minimize food sources. This means removing any standing water and trimming back any dense foliage that may be attracting insects that can act as a food source for lizards. You should also replace food scraps in your outdoor garbage cans with sealed containers to prevent smell and pests from accumulating near your patio furniture.
2. Setting Up Repellents:
There are numerous types of repellents you can set up around your patio furniture to keep lizards away. These include ultrasonic devices, chemical sprays, citrus oils, garlic mixtures, and more. Just make sure you’re using a product specifically designed to repel lizards in order to achieve the best results.
3. Providing Physical Barriers:
Finally, you can set up physical barriers around your patio furniture to keep lizards at bay. This includes fences and mesh screens that can physically block them from accessing your furniture. Additionally, try avoiding leaving any loose items on the ground that could provide a way for lizards to climb onto your patio furniture.
By taking these steps into consideration, you can effectively keep lizards away from your patio furniture. Keep in mind that most of these methods will require patience and diligence if you want to achieve long-term results!
Some Common Mistakes When Keeping Lizards off Patio Furniture
1. Ignoring the Problem:
If you have lizards on your patio furniture, it’s important to take steps to deter them and safely remove them. Ignoring the issue can lead to more lizards taking up residence in your outdoor space and create a bigger problem that is harder to solve.
2. Over-Relying on Chemical Repellents:
Chemical deterrents may seem like an easy solution for keeping lizards off patio furniture, but they can be dangerous for other animals, plants and people in the area when used incorrectly or too frequently. Additionally, some studies show that many chemical repellents are not effective at keeping away reptiles such as lizards.
3. Not Setting up Physical Barriers:
One of the best ways to keep lizards off your patio furniture is to create a physical barrier that makes it difficult for them to access it. This could include placing mesh screens around furniture or using other deterrents such as decorative fencing, plants with sharp leaves, crushed egg shells, and sticky tape.
By taking the right steps and avoiding these common mistakes when trying to keep lizards away from patio furniture, you can make sure that your outdoor space stays lizard-free while also protecting the health and safety of those in the area.
Conclusion
All in all, there are many ways to keep lizards off patio furniture. If you follow the easy steps mentioned above, you can quickly and easily protect your outdoor furniture from these quiet crawlies. Depending on your current situation, it may be necessary to develop more of a multi-pronged approach in order to keep the lizards at bay long-term.
Nevertheless, if done right and in a timely fashion, you can say goodbye to these tiny creatures and make your outdoor living space better and safer for yourself, guests included. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start applying some of these tried-and-true techniques on how to keep lizards off patio furniture today!
