Finding a lizard indoors can be startling, requiring immediate action to remove the animal. Safe, non-lethal methods are necessary to prevent harm, whether relocating a misplaced reptile or protecting the homeowner. This guide focuses on humane capture and successful release back into a natural environment.
Quick Non-Lethal Capture Methods
When a lizard is visible and moving quickly, slowing its movements increases the chance of a successful capture. Lizards are ectotherms, meaning their body temperature regulates their speed. A light spray from a misting bottle filled with cool water can mimic a sudden drop in temperature. This mild shock reduces the animal’s speed, making it easier to approach without causing undue stress.
The most common and effective technique involves using a clear cup and a piece of stiff cardstock or thin cardboard. Gently place the cup over the lizard, ensuring the rim is flush against the surface. Slowly slide the card underneath the cup’s rim, sealing the lizard inside the container. Patience and a slow approach are required to avoid startling the animal into an inaccessible area.
Setting Up Effective Baited Traps
For situations where active capture is difficult, a simple live trap can be constructed from common household materials. A plastic shoebox or a two-liter plastic bottle with the top inverted can serve as an effective container. The container should be placed along a wall, as lizards naturally travel along vertical surfaces for security and navigation. A small ramp or piece of wood should lead up to the trap’s opening, allowing the lizard to easily enter but preventing an easy climb out.
Lizards found indoors are typically insectivores, making a small amount of live bait highly attractive. Crickets or mealworms placed inside the trap are effective lures, often proving more successful than fruit or vegetable scraps. The bait should be placed in a small container or dish within the trap to prevent its escape before the lizard enters. Fresh bait should be used daily to ensure the strongest possible scent trail is maintained.
Commercially available glue traps should be avoided due to the risk of serious injury to the reptile’s delicate skin and limbs. If a lizard is found stuck to an adhesive surface, vegetable oil or mineral oil should be used immediately to safely release it. Carefully soak the areas where the lizard meets the glue with the oil, which breaks down the adhesive bond. This process requires care and should be done slowly to ensure the lizard is freed without tearing its skin.
Safe Handling and Relocation
Once captured, the lizard should be transported in the same container or transferred to a ventilated box. The temporary container must be kept out of direct sunlight and away from extreme temperatures to prevent heat stress or hypothermia. Minimizing handling time is important to reduce the reptile’s stress response before release.
The best time for release is during the morning or late afternoon when temperatures are moderate, avoiding the midday heat. The lizard should be relocated at least 100 feet away from the structure to reduce the likelihood of it finding its way back inside. A suitable release location includes areas with natural cover, such as dense shrubs, rock piles, or wood debris, which provide immediate shelter from predators.
Sealing Entry Points
Preventing future indoor occurrences requires identifying and sealing the small gaps that lizards use to enter a home. Lizards can flatten their bodies and squeeze through openings as small as 1/4 inch, meaning even minor cracks present an opportunity. Common entry points include gaps beneath exterior doors, openings around utility lines, and cracks in the foundation or stucco.
Weather stripping should be applied to the bottom of all exterior doors to eliminate space between the door and the threshold. Small foundation cracks or gaps around piping can be sealed using exterior-grade silicone caulk. Larger openings, such as weep holes or vents, can be blocked using copper mesh or hardware cloth, which the animals cannot chew through.