How to Remove Lizards from Your Screened In Patio

Are anole lizards really considered pests? That really is up to the individual. Some people like these little lizards and see no issues with them while others find them to be annoying and want them removed from their screened-in patio space.

It can be challenging chasing these little lizards around in order to catch them. This can be especially challenging if you have a lot of space to cover. They can be very quick and elusive.

The brown anole made its way up to Brevard County about 50 years ago or so. It’s an invasive species and is originally from Cuba and is even called by the name “Cuban anole”. It quickly displaced the native green anole and as a result you simply don’t see the green variety any longer.

The lizard eats bugs, small eggs, worms and pretty much anything smaller than itself. They are prolific reproducers and have managed to grow their number from a few hundred to many millions in the last half-century.

Lizard Removal

Like we mentioned earlier, you can chase each one of these lizards down until you can catch and release them. Cats also do a pretty good job at catching them.

There is another nifty way to snag some of these lizards for removal. If you place a few five gallon plastic paint bucket on your patio, lizards will tend to fall in and they cannot crawl their way out. Some people will even put a little dried worm or other snack in the bucket to lure them but we have seen them end up in the bucket with no bait used at all.

At minimum your efforts will help keep the population to a small number. As you are probably already aware, these lizards will dart into your patio area as soon as you open your screen door. They tend to make their way indoors as well where they almost always die of starvation and/or dehydration.

Pest removal companies currently do not offer lizard removal service. It’s really something that is up to the homeowner and is a challenge which will keep presenting itself every year. The very best advice we have if you do not want these lizards in your patio area is to make sure any access points are secure and that you catch and release one as soon as it enters. A single female can create 10 more lizards in a year.