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  • Getting Rid of Raccoons- Disadvantages of these Cuddly Bandits

    Getting Rid of Raccoons- Disadvantages of these Cuddly Bandits

    Raccoons are not animals that are very personal. They’re at night and during the day they’re sleeping. They tend to sleep more during the winter, but in the traditional sense they don’t hibernate. You can learn general facts about raccoons from different articles but in this article you will know ways of getting rid of raccoons.

    Before we get into the ways of getting rid of raccoons, let’s first know the different habits of raccoons so that it can be easier for you to inspect and choose the best possible way of getting rid of raccoons.

    Habits of Raccoons

    Raccoons are present in Europe and Japan, North and Central America. They are very adaptable, so they survive in a wide variety of environments and habitats. They typically make houses, called dens, in trees or caves, but also in barns, abandoned vehicles and other man-made areas.

    Although raccoons are more than happy to make human areas their homes, if confronted by humans, they can be aggressive. According to The Human Society, humans should be particularly careful to handle raccoons as they are common carriers of rabies, roundworms and leptospirosis. It is not recommended by most experts to have a raccoon as a pet and if you are suffering from this problem, read this article and learn the ways of getting rid of raccoons.

    Getting rid of raccoons.

    Before moving towards the ways of getting rid of raccoons, we first discuss that why it is necessary to getting rid of raccoons.

    Here’s what we covered earlier in previous articles:

    How to get rid of Ants

    How to Get Rid of Mice and Rats

    How to Get Rid of Lizards

    How to get rid of chipmunks

    Why is it important getting rid of raccoons?

    Raccoons start leaving their den when they are able to prey and can live on its own. Raccoons are moving to humans living area and start hurting them and damaging their areas. They can be the cause of major disease in humans.

    Raccoons causes diseases to humans

    These diseases include:

    – RABIES: It is the virus from mammals which affect the humans and badly damages their nervous system.

    – LEPTOSPIROSIS: Leptospirosis is a human and animal-affected bacterial disease. It is caused by Leptospira bacteria. Leptospirosis can result in kidney damage, meningitis (membrane inflammation around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

    – Roundworms, especially the small intestine, may infest the human digestive tract. Also ascariasis is sometimes known as roundworm infection.
    Immediate and proper treatment is required after raccoons attack because it is very poisonous and can causes different types of diseases. It is necessary to think about getting rid of raccoons to prevent yourself from all these diseases.

    Damaging your home and garden

    Raccoons eat plants and food like omnivores. Cherries, apples, acorns, persimmons, berries, peaches, citrus fruits, plums, wild grapes, figs, watermelons, beech nuts, corn and walnuts are the vegetation in their diet. So they sometimes make their den in your garden.

    Raccoons destroy the gardens, chewed fruits, vegetables, plants and flowers. This will irritate the gardeners because they would not be able to work properly in this gulp down garden. To protect your gardens put pet food some seeds inside your home if raccoons became your uninvited guests.

    They destroy your belonging as they own sharp teeth. They gnaw on almost everything to make their teeth sharp. So if you see holes on your sofas or bitten wires, they are the little creepy reasons behind the damage. They can bring quite a greater amount of damage if not controlled and this is why you need to know the ways of getting rid of raccoons.

    They are the root cause of some life-threatening diseases and infections as discussed above. Their feces, urine and even saliva fulfill the purpose of transmitting diseases other than their own bite. However, some people like them and are most attracted to their owners but the wild ones would attack and bite you in their defense if bothered.

    Most surprising thing is that raccoons live in dirt-free area even they make their den where there is no dirt. That is why they prefer to make their shelter near lawns, gardens, parks and wooden area. If these areas are near to your house, then definitely you will find any make den near to your living area and in your backyard. Raccoons need it for shelter and to store their food. If trees and bushes are close to your house, then you are simply providing them easy entrance to make a den. After this you will start rushing to find ways of getting rid of raccoons.

    When you know what kind of harm raccoons can do, you don’t want them to stick around, it’s no surprise. It is not limited from time to time to a tipped over trash can. In pursuit of a nesting spot, female raccoons can pull off shingles, fascia boards or ventilators on the roof to get into your attic.
    They’ll tear up insulation once they’re inside, go to the bathroom and take a host of worms with them. Then again, all together they could escape the attic and bring themselves into your chimney, crawl room, or under your deck or porch at home. And they’re going to want a treat that can be easily accessed from a nearby yard, decorative fish pond, pet food bowl or trash can.

    Now that you know how dangerous the rats and mice can be, you probably are now curious to know the ways of getting rid of raccoons. Well, the wait is over and you are ready to know the ways of getting rid of raccoons.

    Ways of getting rid of raccoons

    There are many methods of controlling raccoons, including taking preventive, trapping, and releasing measures, and using raccoon’s repellents from home. Because raccoons are animals, many of the same techniques are comparable to those used in rats, mice, and birds to regulate raccoons. But avoidance and exclusion are the most humane and often the most efficient techniques.

    Near possible den sites, the abundance of food sources causes female raccoons to nest. The availability of food sources is one reason why raccoon populations in urban and suburban areas can grow rapidly and become very large. The first step to discourage raccoons is to reduce food sources.
    If you live in a densely populated area with a documented raccoon issue, getting rid of the problem may be beyond the reach of the individual homeowner. In these instances, to solve the problem, a collective effort is needed. This is why it is so important to detect early.

    Repellents

    Repellents alone are not efficient for removing raccoons, but they can be a further step towards making your yard less attractive to the small criteria. This will help you in getting rid of raccoons. When used along the perimeter of your estate and close to your vegetation, because of the smell, raccoons will remain away. But after a while, these repellents will wash away, so eventually the animals will come back. Eventually, raccoons can also get used to them, so you should switch it to distinct repellent kinds to maintain the criteria on your toes.

    Most repellents purchased from the store come in the form of liquid spray or granules. Usually they contain either natural substance with their smell that repels raccoons. These include some essential oils or traces of urine from predators. The latter is much more efficient as raccoons understand how to remain away from certain creatures, such as coyotes and foxes that feed on them.

    Trapping

    Trapping can be an optimal way to remove them rapidly if you’re only dealing with a few raccoons on your estate. With a big infestation, this technique will be much harder, and it will not ensure that other raccoons remain away from your yard but this technique will surely help you in getting rid of raccoons. You will need to combine trapping with other techniques such as repellents and fencing to eradicate raccoons.

    Usually a live trap includes a one-way or spring-loaded door. There are advantages and disadvantages for each of these traps. A live trap is regarded more human and ethical, but before it dies or hurts itself, you will have to remove the raccoons. It can be risky to release raccoons from live traps if you don’t understand what you’re doing because they’re dangerous when they’re scared and can also transmit illnesses when they bite.

    Snap traps are not regarded human, and a rapid clean-up process is also required. Otherwise, a host of other pests may be attracted by the dead raccoons in your yard. You are also susceptible to infection by cleaning up after and around the raccoon’s carcass.

    Basic Tips for Trapping

    – Choose a small trap with a small wire mesh (about 10 to 20 inches long) so the raccoons can’t escape.

    – Place the trap in renowned raccoons regions, including traffic lanes and near den (if you can locate them). Undercover locations are better than fields that are exposed.

    – Bait the trap so raccoons won’t be able to get it out of the trap. It often operates well to apply peanut butter straight to the trigger plate of the trap.

    – Frequently check the trap and move the animal as quickly as it is caught. Release at least five miles from your home or as indicated by local law in an appropriate habitat.

    The above two ways are the major ways of getting rid of raccoons. Some other prevention and treatments are:

    Protect the trash bin

    A good way to attract raccoons is to leave garbage out that is easily accessible. Whether collecting your garbage and leaving it outside, make sure that it can be in a heavy trash with a sturdy lid. You may also consider placing cans in a rack or securing them to a stable post and using a bungee cord or wire to hold the lids in place.

    Pet Food

    Until nightfall, pet food that is put outside should be carried in to stop raccoons from discovering and eating out of the bowl of your dog.

    Construct a Fence

    First of all, excluding raccoons from your yard is the best way of getting rid of raccoons. You can generate a perimeter around individual crops, your garden, or your whole estate by using hardware cloth or wire mesh.

    An easy privacy fence around your yard is unlikely to maintain out raccoons as they are generally not very deeply dug into the floor and often have cracks and spaces that can pass through raccoons. Your fence should be at least eight inches deep to prevent them from make a den underneath.

    Keep your Backyard Clean

    The first step to discourage raccoons from making den in your yard is to eliminate as many possibilities as possible for feeding and nesting. This is a significant step you can take towards preventive approaches, but if you are already dealing with a raccoon issue, it should also be your first step towards remediation.

    As raccoons feed on fruits and vegetables, pick up as they mature your fruit trees and bushes.

    Quickly rake any fruits or vegetables that fall to the floor before they can be sought out by raccoons.

    Use bird feeders that are not simple to spill and are not as simple to get into for raccoons.

    Raccoons enjoy making den in regions covered by predators such as near shrubs, trees, brush piles, tall grasses, or piles of leaves and logs. Monitor your yard frequently and maintain it as tidy, open and tidy as possible to decrease raccoon’s coverage.

    Finding a den implies you have discovered a tunnel system that can stretch more than 30 feet. A large subterranean network can be supported by your garden, lawn, or estate. Keep two habits in mind when repeated tourists are raccoons.

    Never touch an animal that has been wounded or ill. A raccoon that is injured or scared can bite and spread a disease through its saliva.
    If portion of your property is used for gardening, you might need to look for exclusion measures to safeguard your crops, flowers, and vegetables while maintaining raccoon in the bay.

    Moreover, never feed in the wild rodents.

    You shouldn’t try to feed raccoons, and your neighbors should be prevented from feeding raccoons because this will attract them and cause bigger problems.

    Do not camp or rest close to den of animals.

    Call A Professional to Get Rid of Raccoons

    If none of these methods works for you then you need to call the professional raccoons control to take care of it and help eliminate them from your location so you are not getting exhausted from trying many ways of getting rid of raccoons.

    So, these are the ways of getting rid of raccoons. Hopefully, you found this article helpful so do share your feedback. Also, do not forget to share this piece of the information who might be struggling with getting rid of raccoons.

  • How To Get Rid Of Ants? Tried And Tested Methods Which Works

    How To Get Rid Of Ants? Tried And Tested Methods Which Works

    Ants are small tiny creatures that are one-eighth to nearly half an inch depending on its kind. Despite their size, they are the most annoying living insects in this world and irritates more when invades in our properties. You are most probably reading this article to know how to get rid of ants? Well, we have some amazing and effective treatments to answer this question: how to get rid of ants?

    You must be tired of seeing ants crawling in trails all-around your house or outside in your yard and disrupting your daily routine. You might also feel them on your body crawling and be itchy thinking about them. And what is worst is when they attack your food sources. Before you get straight into how to get rid of ants, you need to know the different types of ants so you can identify and prepare for the best solution to get rid of ants.

    Types of ants

    There are three different types of ants that you can find in your house or your yard area. Ants are very common in the USA, actually all over the world. These are three types of house ants that you need to look for in order to choose and apply the treatments to get rid of ants accordingly. 

    Black Ants

    Black ants are the most common ants you will find in your homes. They have a distinct smell. If you encounter them off or if they invade your house in crowds, you will smell a sharp astringent (acidic-pungent) odor. These ants are also called odorous ants due to their earthy smell. 

    Black ants make their living outdoors but travel inside the houses in search of food (sweet and sugary food) and water. You can easily recognize these black ants by their one-eighth inch of size and dark brown or dark blue-black hairless bodies. If you sense an unusual and unpleasant smell and see them crawling, you know the black ants are on the march. 

    Sugar Ants

    Sugar ants resemble black ants and you can be confused while trying to figure out the exact kind but what mainly the difference between them is that these sugar ants are nocturnal. These ants usually feed on to fruit nectars or on sugary foods like candies, syrups, jams, jellies, honey, etc. They can make their colonies inside the house as well as outdoors. They have similar size and color to black ants. They can be seen on your plants too so if you see them feeding merely on sugar-like stuff, they are sugar ants.

    Carpenter Ants

    You probably are thinking that the other two kinds of ants are the most irritating ones but you will change your mind after knowing how destructive the carpenter ants are. Carpenter ants are ones you should be very careful about so that they do not invade your house. Why is that so? Well, these ants are not fond of the usual food items rather, they feed onto rotten wood. They nest into wooden planks, trees, inside house structures, burrows, or any moist wood. They can do structural damage to your house and should be treated as soon as they are seen. If you see the ant bodies of the size around the quarter of an inch to nearly half an inch and see the wooden powder, rotten wood then there is a need to call in an emergency for an urgent treatment to get rid of ants.

    In case you missed; we covered how to get rid of rats and mice, lizards & chipmunks. Follow the tips and tricks to get rid of the trouble.

    Why do ants invade your house?

    Ants have very strong instincts and can sense the sources from far and so march to scavenge for it. There can be a lot of reasons ants can invade your house’s exterior or interior and we have classified these reasons into three categories. If you will learn the reason for ants invasion it will be easier for you to identify the right method from how to get rid ants that are mentioned further in this article.

    Seasonal Factor

    Queen ants began their search for mates in late spring starting in April and spend the early summers in building their colonies in warm and moist locations. As soon as they find a suitable location to nest near food sources, they start mating and form their colony that can be inside or outside depending on the kind of ants and their requirements.

    The cycle continues to take place as the already nested colonies produce new reproductive female queens that again move out and find the new locations to start nesting their own colonies. Even if the ants nest outside, there are chances that they move inside the houses if they found a suitable environment and moisture there with ample food and water source.

    Water Sources

    Like every other living creature needs water, ants also need water supplies to survive on. Even though ants do not need a lot of water so they avoid running water and instead nest around areas they can have standing/still water puddles or water sources. It is mainly the bathtubs, sinks, water pipe leakage and pet’s water-holding trays that attract ants to come and feed onto it to relieve their thirst. Ants when moving in order to search the water, produce a sensory smell for other ants to detect where the exact location of water is through trails and then the whole colony follows the trail to get water.  This is when a human eye detects the arrival of ants inside the house by the trails of ants. Even the wet clothes, mats, and kitchen towels can be the reason for their water source. 

    Food Sources

    Till now you are already aware that how food sources are the main cause in welcoming ants inside the house or in your yards. Ants with their hypersensitive sense of smell can detect even the tiniest bit of food particle. They are most attracted to sugary and starchy food that mostly found on dining tables or kitchen and if you like munching snacks in your room leaving the crumbs behind, do not worry, ants can clean that up for you. They also crawl onto the food bags that are not tightly sealed or foodstuff that is not packeted properly inviting the ants to dine onto it. Even if you clean the food particles and tightly pack the food into containers, the sinks can also become the food source for them so you should also keep a check if your sinks are clean and it is not the reason for the ant’s invasion. Garbage cans can also provide ants with an opportunity to hunt the food. 

    Methods for how to get rid of ants

    Getting rid of ants can be a fuss when they are not treated the right way. Here are ways for how to get rid of ants. You can choose a method you find most convenient or can also use several methods at a time. Below the methods of how to get rid of ants are categorized into two sections; treatments for indoors and treatment for outdoors that are further sub-categorized to choose the best-suited method according to your needs. 

    Methods for how to get rid of ants.

    Treatments for how to get rid of ants- Indoors

    Before you look further into how to get rid of ants that are nested inside the house, it is very important to track their locations for treatments to be effective. To track the ants nesting, you need to place food crumbs or sugary food particles like a drop of honey where you see the ants movement regularly. The ants will come to the rescue hunting for food and you can track their trail and find their location. You can use this technique all-around your house to track ant colonies and then use below-mentioned methods for how to get rid of ants

    Natural Home Remedies To Treat Ants

    Natural home remedies are very convenient to use and are quite accessible that you can use to get rid of ants. Let’s look into some of these natural treatments to know how to get rid of ants.

    1. Vinegar: Vinegar is a powerful liquid that has a strong taste and smell that can help eliminate ants. Spray vinegar several times in a day for about a week on places where you see ants like in the kitchen; counters, shelves, stoves, marbles, in cracks and opening as well as is bathrooms to get rid of ants.
    2. Boric Acid: Mix this boric acid with honey or sugary food that ants are feeding on in your house and place them near their trails or in problematic areas or just near the cracks etc. Boric acid kills slowly so ants can take back the bait to their nest and share it with their colony. It is slow-acting acid and eventually, the ants will be eliminated.
    3. Liquid Dish Soap: It is a very common substance that everyone has in their homes. Mix the liquid dish soap in water and spray this solution on affected areas or where you see ants to kill them.
    4. Cucumber peel: Ants do not like cucumber and so you can squeeze its juice and spray into cracks or areas where ants pass by to get rid of them. They cannot stand the smell of cucumber.
    5. Lemon Juice: Similar to cucumber juice, lemon is also a vegetable that ants cannot stand due to toxic oil. Squeeze the lemon juice directly into cracks to get rid of ants.
    6. Turmeric and Cayenne powder: Ants do not cross paths that have these spices so you can sprinkle either of these spices on areas ants are seen and directly near cracks to stop there further invasion. This will help in getting rid of ants.

    Commercial Methods To Treat Ants

    Sometimes you need a stronger treatment when the natural ones do not work in stopping ants into your house. Well if natural remedies failed for you, commercial methods are the next best option that is more effective. Here are four commercial methods for how to get rid of ants.

    1. Ant Dust: Ant dust can easily be found at any store near you and is a very common treatment used by most people to get rid of ants. Well, ant dust has a very strong smell that kills the ants on contact so you can sprinkle this dust around your house or in cracks or where the area is affected by ants. The disadvantage is that it kills ants on contact and is not a permanent solution to getting rid of ants as the colonies will get aware of not passing the sprinkled area and can search for different routes into your house. Be careful if you have any pets or children in your house as they may come in contact with the ant dust and can be ill.
    2. Ant-repellent spray: This spray just works the same way as ant dust do and the only difference is that it is in liquid form. It kills the ants on spot as soon as you spray on them. You can spray directly into cracks but be careful not to spray in areas where you keep your food supplies to avoid the toxic and harmful chemicals on food sources. You can use them on window ledges, bathrooms or kitchen corners where the spray does not contact food. It has the same disadvantage as ant dust, it does not kill the whole ant colony and just make ants aware.
    3. Non-repellent ant spray: To overcome the limitation of ant repellent sprays and ant dust, non-repellent sprays are introduced. These sprays act slowly in killing ants as when you spray directly on ants, the spray sticks to their bodies. When the ants return to their nests, their contact with the colony helps kill them all. This is one of the best methods for how to get rid of ants.
    4. Ant baits: Ant baits are also best-known methods and the most effective commercial method for how to get rid of ants. Ant baits come in two forms, semi-solid that can be broken down into liquid form by ants when taken back to their colonies and gel form that are mostly taken by sugar ants. You can use both these methods at the same time as well as some ants are fond of only one of these forms. These are slow-release methods to kill ants. Place the gel bead or the semi-solid bait near the trails of ants, near the cracks, in corners of the house on affected areas and track their activity. You will see the effect in a few days as this is slow killing treatment and also it is a highly effective method in getting rid of ants.

    Pest Controls To Treat Ants

    Sometimes professional help becomes very important to seek when things are not in your command. You might think this method may be costly but sometimes it is necessary to call pest controls as only professionals can get the job done right. Here are some issues you may face that makes it mandatory for you to call professionals in getting rid of ants.

    1. Carpenter Ants: You can not get rid of ants using commercial or natural methods when you are dealing with carpenter ants as they do not feed on to baits rather chew on woods. In this case, seeking professional help becomes necessary.
    2. Kids and Pets: If you have kids and pets in your house, there is a fear and risk of getting their lives in danger using natural or commercial methods to get rid of ants as they might come in contact to these methods like your child or pet may lick cayenne powder or can consume the bait. Moreover, someone could be allergic to these chemicals so it is better to call in for professional help.
    3. If none of the above methods work: If both the natural and commercial treatments fail in getting rid of ants, it is then the time to call pest control. Pest controls are however expensive but it is the best answer to how to get rid of ants permanently.

    Outdoor methods to get rid of ants

    Ants are not always bad as they help in controlling other pests populations in your yard or outdoor areas. If the ants start populating then there is a need to find a way to get rid of them before they enter your homes too. So how to get rid of ants outdoors? Well, the answer to this has already been discussed. The methods used indoors can also be applied to outdoors too. You can use these treatments around your house, in the yard, near the plantation, etc. Here is the list of methods you can use for effective results for how to get rid of ants.

    1. Non-repellent sprays
    2. Ant dust
    3. Ant Baits (liquid/gel ant bait and a granular ant bait)

    How to prevent ants from invading again?

    If you fear that ants will come running again, you need to take measures to prevent ants from invading your place again. Even though if you never had ants near or inside your house, you should always be careful and use these simple tricks to avoid any risks of ants arrival. 

    1. Move the recycling bins and wash them with an ammonia solution: You should always keep your trash in airtight bins or at least secure them tightly so ants can not sense the garbage. It is also recommended to keep the garbage cans clean by washing them often with an ammonia solution.
    2. Keep a check on plants: Wash or clean your plants often by spraying the leaves with water to avoid ants crawling and nesting on them.
    3. Use home cleaners and appliances frequently (Eliminate food particles): Keep your house clean by packing all your food supplies in containers. Wash the dishes and pet trays before going to sleep. Vacuum the house daily to remove any food particles and keep the cabinets, counters, and slabs clean. Also, use home cleaners that contain lemon to avoid ants.
    4. Eliminating Water sources: Fix any water leakage and dry water patches from bathtubs, showers, sinks, etc. Removing the source of water will help to avoid ants attraction.
    5. Seal the openings and cracks: Search for any cracks and holes in your house and seal them with caulk, heavy-gauge or copper mesh to close any gateways to ants. This is the main reason why ants are able to invade the houses as they find openings to get in. Sealing these openings will help in avoiding ants entrance.
    6. Trim the trees and shrubs: There is a high possibility that you have ants outside your house in your yard or gardens so it is better to take precautions by trimming the tree branches and shrubs to avoid them touching your house walls and giving ants a chance to crawl inside.
    7. Reduce moisture retentions: Regularly mulch the soil in your garden to keep your soil neat and clean and to maintain the moisture. It helps to avoid ants nesting.
    8. Clean gutters and downspouts: Ants often see gutters and downspouts as an opportunity to nest near it so if you have gutters and downspouts, keep them clean to avoid ants nesting.
    9. Mow your lawn often and keep the grass short: This precaution has been overlooked by many but to avoid ants, it is very important that you mow your lawns and trim your grass short.
    10. Remove grass clippings, leaf piles, stacked wood, and other lawn debris: It is important to clean up these piles before ants crowd themselves on it. 
    11. Pick ripe fruits from trees and pick up the fruits that fall on to the ground: As you are already aware that ants are fond of sugary food items and they have hypersensitive sense of smell to detect food, it is always recommended that you pick fruits as soon as they ripe from trees in your lawns and remove the fruits from the ground that might have fallen before ants can attack.

    These are all of the methods of how to get rid of ants. I hope this article is helpful for you and you will be able to get rid of ants by applying these methods. If you find this article: “How To Get Rid Of Ants?- Try These Effective Treatments” effective, be sure to share your experience in getting rid of ants and share with them who are struggling with the same problem.

  • How to Get Rid Of Lizards – A Guide to Make Your Home Lizards Free

    How to Get Rid Of Lizards – A Guide to Make Your Home Lizards Free

    Lizards are commonly found roaming around on the walls, floor and even on the ceiling of your home. Especially in summers, they are found everywhere. A lot of people are scared of their appearance and sounds, despite the fact that they are harmless. The question is how to get rid of Lizards? In this article you will get to know about all the proven tricks and techniques used to get rid of lizards.

    There is a difference between how science defines lizard and how layman defines it. Scientifically, a lizard has scaly skin, external ears, and most of them have four legs. Its sizes range from being very small to very large. Not all reptiles are considered lizards, despite some having a very strong resemblance.

    While Layman applies the word ‘lizard’ to any creature that has a long body, four legs, and scaly skin. Thus, slow-worms and other legless species are considered lizards in scientific terms, but not by the average person.
    Humans dislike lizards, especially in their home. When guests are there, enjoying the tea and suddenly a lizard pops up out of nowhere, it becomes a reason of shame for the host. A lot of people fear lizards too, maybe because of their texture and color. In most of the severe cases, people may experience the phobia of lizards that can bring a lot of issues and differences in normal life.

    This phobia is known as Herpetophobia, which is a common phobia in which people fear the reptiles specifically lizards and snakes. The severity of this relatively common specific phobia can vary drastically, making it difficult to decide without guidance from a mental health professional whether you have a clinical phobia or simply a fear.

    Therefore, it is important to get rid of lizards, before the condition gets severe. The main motive is that how to get rid of lizards? There are many ways through which you can get rid of lizards. Let’s discuss few ways through which you can avoid and even get rid of these walking cringes on your floor.

    How to Get Rid of Lizards

    Keep Your Home Clean

    The most important solution to almost every such problem in the home is to keep it clean and tidy. You should know that lizards go to places in search for their food. Small pesky insects are its food so if your home is full of thousands of such insects and flies then they will surely enter your home and won’t ever leave easily.

    You should make sure that you sweep or vacuum every day in order to get rid of lizards. Don’t let dust clutter and dirty dishes pile up too much. You should also take care of garbage, piles of magazines and storage boxes. This will not only help you get rid of lizards but also make you feel good when you are at home because who doesn’t love to live in a clean place with a peace of mind?

    Seal the Entry Points

    You should know that these creepy crawlers can squish their scaly bodies through very small openings so even small holes and cracks become their private doorways. Lizards and other insects usually get in alongside of windows and underneath the doors. You can use multiple techniques to make sure that your home is sealed enough to stop lizards from coming in and simply get rid of lizards. Using hardware cloth to patch holes is a good idea.

    This can stop lizards from coming in your home. Apart from this you can also use door seals and caulk making it more difficult to enter. Another thing you need to take care is of screens on your windows. You should make sure that they close tightly leaving no space to let lizards get in your home.

    Expose Problematic Areas

    It is useless to chase a lizard when it has multiple places to hide. Lizards are not only habitual of hanging on the walls but also underneath the objects so if you have rooms with less furniture then it will automatically make lizards feel unwelcome because it won’t be getting a space to hide.

    If you have a lot of furniture then you should try to move it time to time in order to expose their hiding places. If you have a lot of shelves in your room then do yourself a favor and take that away so the lizards won’t get any space to hide in your books or other stuff.

    Keep the Temperature Cool

    Remember the biology lesson that we learnt in school? Lizards cannot regulate their own body temperature. They can survive everywhere in the world except Antarctica, therefore, you must keep the temperature inside your home cool, as lizards prefer warm environment. Just fan and keeping the windows open won’t help, you must also turn on the air-conditioner at least at night.

    Get Rid Of Their Food Sources

    Any creature needs food to survive. So, cutting down their food supply is one of the best answer to the question of how to get rid of lizards. Do your best to keep your insect-free. When lizards don’t find their prey, they will naturally go somewhere else in search of their food.

    Use Decoys

    The effectiveness of using a decoy against any pest is still debatable, but sure worth trying out. You can skip having ceramic predators littered around your home, unlike larger critters, in favor of more suggestive evidence and simply get rid of lizards. There are quite many potential remedies, although some are more popular than others.

    Removing Left Over Food and Standing Water

    Remove standing water sources, which serve as a breeding grounds for insects that attract hungry lizards. Put away any open or leftover food you have got around your home and get rid of lizards. Also, clean up food crumbs as soon as possible. Ensure that you don’t keep trash cans for too long, as these attract lizards so take out the trash on regular basis. You should also avoid leaving pet food for too long.

    Use Simple Cardboard Traps

    Using homemade or commercial traps are a good way to get rid of lizards. However, for this particular method to work, you must identify how and where the lizards are getting into your home. This is important so that you can place the traps near those specific places which are usually their entryways. You can also get lizard traps easily in the market and they are not very expensive.

    Cardboard traps come with attractants that lure the lizards in and sticky surfaces that prevent them from getting out, once caught, and dumped the trapped creature outside. If you are smart enough then you can make your own lizard traps using shoe boxes and water bottles. Put food and a sticky pad in the traps. If you have too many lizards in your home that you need to catch then you will be needing multiple traps over a few days of trapping and removing.

    How to catch Lizards? Keep the Lights Off When Chasing

    You might not know that light attracts lizards so it is recommended to keep the lights off when you discover any lizards. It’s best to chase lizards at night as most of them prefer to come out in the evening.

    Electronic Past Repellent

    If you are always in war with lizards then you may need to buy an electronic past repellent because its sound, vibrations and ultrasonic waves that they produce keep lizards at bay.

    how to get rid of lizards in home

    How to Get Rid of Lizards – Home Remedies You Must Try

    Just like you have remedies for every other problem you face every day, there are a few home remedies you should try to get rid of this reptile and its poo in your home.

    • Coffee Balls

    You would be surprised to know that making small balls of coffee mixed with tobacco and placing these balls in every corner of your home can help you get rid of lizards. Balls are very easy to make as you just have to mix the coffee powder with some tobacco powder. When you keep these balls in the places where lizards tend to hide then it will benefit you in a better way because when the lizards eat these balls, they will most probably die or leave your home.

    • Garlic

    We all use garlic very commonly in our kitchen because of its strong smell and pungent taste. These two properties of garlic can keep lizards away from you as lizards hate the smell of garlic. You can place garlic cloves in the corners or the main entrance of your home and get rid of lizards. The smell will drive them away. You can also put it near a small table fan, to blow it across the room. You can use the same method with garlic sauce or juice by mixing it with water and spraying it.

    • Remove Fruits and Plotted Plants

    You will not be very happy to know that lizards like fruits and plotted plants, so if you have them in your home, then expect a family of lizards living nearby and you won’t ever be able to get rid of lizards.
    Therefore, you must never leave fruits open on the table, or else there are chance they will take small bites from them. You might as well notice little holes in the fruits as well as in the leaves of plotted plants, and hear their annoying chirping at night. Therefore, you must avoid keeping them in the open.

    • Black Pepper Spray

    You can also crush black pepper, mix it with water and spray the solution around your kitchen racks, corners, under the stove, windowsills, behind furniture and anywhere else you have seen lizards. Repeat once daily for a few days until you get rid of lizards. Lizards have an allergy with pepper and this remedy will definitely help you get rid of them. There are only a few pests that can bear the burning sensation that pepper spray causes, and lizards are no exception.

    • Cayenne Pepper

    Cayenne pepper is another popular repellent spray in order to get rid of lizards. Simply mix hot sauce or crushed red pepper to water and spray it in places the lizards are most likely to be found. The residue will irritate their feet and other wide range of pests, encouraging them not to come back and not harming them at the same time.

    Both sprays are excellent for home and garden applications. As dew and rain can wash them away, just make sure to respray every couple of days, when using outdoors.

    • Red Chili Powder

    Chili powder is another effective remedy to get rid of lizards. Their spicy scent can make the lizards stay away. Apply chili powder on the areas where lizards are found, you can also spray it by mixing it with water.
    Dried chilies can also be used if you do not have red chili powder, since they are easier to find in the market.

    • Cold Water

    Have you ever noticed that lizards are not found in cold climate? Yes lizards are only found in warm temperatures because they love warmth so we can use the spraying of cold water as a remedy to get rid of lizards. When you spray cold water on a lizard its mobility will be hindered. They are shocked when they are exposed to an entirely different climate. In other words, they are sensitive to the temperature and fail to adapt.

    You will have to keep an eye out for lizards and spray the cold water on them as soon as you see them. As their movement slows, trap them in a cardboard box. After that you can release them outside your home.

    • Pet Cat

    We all know that cats love to catch rats but what we don’t know is that cats are also fond of nabbing lizards and rodents. If you are having a pet cat in your home then you are already in the win situation and if you don’t have a cat then it’s time to pet one and you would definitely get rid of lizards. Your cat will be the predator and will surely manage the lizard population in your home. With little training, cats will work on your behalf to keep your home free of pests.

    According to a study of 2014 it was observed that in areas where cats were plentiful, lizard population were almost half those of areas where there were no cats.

    • Flypaper

    Flypaper are the strips of sticky poisonous paper. These are hung on dark sides of the walls where lizards usually hide. They will stuck in the flypaper and thus you will get rid of lizards easily.

    • Tabasco Sauce

    You can mix one or two tablespoons of hot tabasco sauce with water and spray it on the walls of your home or places where you often find lizards. It might hide under the stove or fridge, behind the shelves etc. You just have to figure out all the places where they hide and spray there in order to get rid of lizards. After that you just have to spray which will repel them and they will be having no option instead of leaving your home.

    • Mouse Trap

    Mouse trap is one effective way to trap rats and mouse but it might help you trap the lizard as well. You can keep the mouse trap where lizards hide and find a dead lizard anytime soon which you just have to throw out of your home and finally get rid of lizards.

    • Onion

    Just like garlic, onions also have a pungent smell which is intolerable to lizards. You just have to cut some slices and place those slices all around your home and simply get rid of lizards. If you don’t want to do this then you can also mix onion juice with water and spray.

    • Naphthalene Balls

    If you do not have kids or pet animals at your place, naphthalene balls are a must try. You can place these balls around your home and when lizards smell these balls, it run away. These balls drive lizards and other kinds of bugs crazy. So, you will not only get rid of lizards but also other bugs. That is why this remedy is best but if there are kids or pets in the home, you must avoid this remedy because the changes are, you’ll find them playing with one.

    • Egg Shells

    Egg shells are one of the most effective remedy that you must try in order to get rid of lizards. You have to keep egg shells in the corners and the windows but make sure you change the egg shells after every three to four weeks. Lizards will assume that some other organism is there so it will avoid entering your home. Moreover, lizards dislike the smell of eggs so they will stay away from such places. Keep the egg shells at the places where you find lizards most frequently, this sure helps.

    • Bird Feather

    Birds usually make meals out of a lizard so when lizards see these feathers in the home, they feel scared and run away.

    • Phenyl Tablets

    Placing these phenyl tablets around the home is also a good option. It will help you drive away all these lizards from your home. Therefore, having birds as pet can also help you get rid of lizards.

    • Peacock Feathers

    You can scare them with peacock feathers. It has been found that lizards are afraid of peacock feathers while the reason is still not known. Some experts believe that these pesky pests associate or link these large feathers with birds who prey on lizards. Many people have used peacock feathers to get rid of lizards from their homes.

    If you are thinking that from where you can find these peacock feathers then you really don’t need to worry about that because these feathers are accessible in local markets and also online. You can put these on walls with the help of tape or even put them in a flower vase or in the corners where you see the lizards. This will cause the lizards to evacuate your room.

    • Lemongrass

    Insects and pests hate the strong smell of lemongrass. It works as a great lizard repellent as well. Put a few drops of lemongrass essential oil in different areas of your home where you spot lizards frequently and you will simply get rid of lizards.

    Another option in to hand used lemongrass teabags in areas where you find lizard droppings. Replace every few days. Alternatively, you can burn lemongrass and walk around your home with it to spread the smell to help repel lizards. Do this every couple of days.

    • Camphor

    The strong smell of camphor can also help you drive away lizards from your home. Place camphor balls in different corners of your home. Where you usually spot these creepy crawlers. Another option is to put a few drops of camphor oil in areas of your home where you find lizards most.

    • Keep the Cabinets Clean

    Keep all the cabinets clean and dry, check them regularly, especially the ones under the sink. This is one of the favorite places for lizards to hide and lay their eggs. They like it because it is usually warm and damp. Cherry on top if you have pipes that leak, it becomes a source of water for them. We do not realize that small things matter a lot and you must pay attention to them.

    • Spray Mosquitoes Repellent Liquid

    You must have mosquito repellent spray at your place. You must apply it at the places where you find the lizards. This will make them run away because they hate the smell of chemicals. Moreover, they love eating mosquitoes. Such spray will kill the mosquitoes, as a result, fewer lizards will roam around in the home.

    • Bleach

    As talked earlier, they hate the smell of chemicals. So, you can clean the affected areas with bleach. Its smell can be very foreign to them and they might as well think of it as dangerous to them.

    Conclusion: How to get rid of lizards

    Lizards are the reptiles that are found almost in every home. Not a lot of people like their presence, also your home isn’t for them. You must get rid of them, without worrying about how. There are many home remedies from natural repellents to electronic repellent to kill the lizard or make them stay away from your home.

    Using natural insect killing balls that are made up of tobacco and coffee can kill or make lizards stay away from you home. Cold water and other natural remedies are also available. Using naphthalene balls, onion, garlic, pepper spray, egg shell and Tabasco sauce can prevent the lizards from entering your home. Now it all depends on you what method you choose to keep the lizard cocks away from your home.

    We hope this article “how to get rid of lizards” will help you make your home lizards-free. Read how you can get rid of rats and how to get rid of chipmunks.

  • Five Effective Ways of Getting Rid of Rats and Mice – Easy DIY Solutions

    Five Effective Ways of Getting Rid of Rats and Mice – Easy DIY Solutions

    Mouse and rats in the USA are very common and here we will identify its different species and discuss five effective ways of getting rid of rats and mice. After reading this article you would not want to see any rats and mice roaming in your house as they are dangerous and carry feces that can do greater damage not only to your health but also can be destructive to your place and property. Well, before we get into the ways of getting rid of rats and mice, lets first know the different types of rats and mice so that it can be easier for you to inspect and choose the best possible way of getting rid of rats and mice.

    Types Of Rats

    There are two different types of rats, Norway Rats, and Roof Rats. Both of them are equally filthy and reason to spread infections like salmonellosis, Hantavirus, leptospirosis, tularemia, Lassa fever or even plague if you touch their saliva, urine or feces. Not only this but you can also catch a disease by the fleas, mites, and ticks who feed on the diseased rodent. If these insects bite you after they feed on to them, you can fall sick and catch diseases like Colorado tick fever, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, typhus, etc.

    Norway Rats

    Norway Rats are also known as a Sewer rat, Brown rat, House rat, Wharf rat, Water rat, and Gray rat. They are healthy, strong and bigger in size than the Roof Rats weighing between 12 to 16 oz. They have a furry body and are of a reddish and brownish color with a usually gray colored belly. They have small ears above their heads that can not reach their small eyes if folded and have a blunt nose. They live in colonies usually nested in burrows. Norway Rats are excellent swimmers and climbers. 

    Roof Rats

    Roof Rats are also known as Black rats and Ship rats. They are covered in grayish-black or deep black, sleek and shiny fur with a gray or white-colored belly. They are smaller in size than Norway Rats weighing between 5 to 9 oz. They have long ears that can reach their big prominent eyes if folded with a pointed head and a pointed nose. They can swim as well and are excellent climbers too. They have their nestings by Walls, attics, vines, on trees and may extend to burrows too.

    Types Of Mice

    Just like rats, there are also two types of mice that you can find around your house. These are House Mouse and Deer/White Footed Mice. Mice are quite smaller in size than of rats but are equally annoying. Both of the species of mice have similar qualities and features. Let’s look into both of them briefly.

    House Mouse

    House Mouses are very common in the USA and are 2 to 3.5 inches long and weigh between 0.4 to 1 oz. They are less than half the weight of the Roof Rat. They have a blunt nose, large ears and small eyes like Norway Rats. The color varies from brown to grayish. They nest usually in rural and suburban areas and inside the building where the human filth is found the most. 

    Deer/White Footed Mice 

    Both Deer and White Footed Mice resemble each other with their average length of 6 inches twice the length of House Mouse. They have darker colored bodies from the upper side while lighter from the belly. They usually nest outside the houses and buildings like in garages and are found in rural areas. Sometimes they move inside houses when it is cold. There urine and feces can spread diseases like hantavirus and Lyme disease.

    Before we start to discuss the ways to get rid of rats and mice, lets first know why it is important to eliminate rats and mice from your life. 

    Why it’s important getting rid of rats and mice?

    1. They are destruction for your belonging as they own sharp teeth that grow up to 5 inches a year continuously. They gnaw on almost everything to make their teeth sharp. So if you see holes on your sofas or bitten wires, they are the little creepy reasons behind the damage. They can bring quite a greater amount of damage if not controlled and this is why you need to know the ways of getting rid of rats and mice.
    2. The second reason why you should get rid of rats and mice is that they are the root cause of some life-threatening diseases and infections as discussed above. Their feces, urine and even saliva fulfill the purpose of transmitting diseases other than their own bite. The pet rats and mice, however, are most attracted to their owners but the wild ones would attack and bite you in their defense if bothered. Their teeth are extremely sharp and strong that they can cling and shred the metal sheets and electrified wires causing hazardous accidents.  

    Now that you know how dangerous the rats and mice can be, you probably are now curious to know the ways of getting rid of rats and mice. Well, the wait is over and you are ready to know the ways of getting rid of rats and mice. 

    Five ways of getting rid of rats and mice

    Well, it is quite a difficult job to get rid of rats and mice as they are tough survivors to different survival conditions like as mentioned above, they are good swimmers but what is more interesting is that they can swim for days without drowning. Moreover, they can breed just after three months of their birth and can give birth to 12 pups at a time, not only this but also that they can give birth six times in a year that makes it 2,000 descendants in just 12 months. So even if they have a very short life span that is a year, they leave behind their next generation for us to deal with. Do not stress out because here are the five effective ways of getting rid of rats and mice:

    Note: Before you use any of these ways of getting rid of rats and mice, be sure to inspect their location. You can Inspect their locations by the rodent stains on walls or any surface that comes from the oil present of their body, their feces/ filth or urine and you may also find the gnaw clues. Once you find them, you can easily track their location and start the mission to eliminate them by using these ways of getting rid of rats and mice.

    One: Close the gateways to entrance

    Rats and mice have flexible cartilages and bones that give them the ability to squeeze and pass through a small opening. To avoid their arrival, you need to cover up all the openings that might be the reason for rats and mice invasion. Mice can easily slide through ⅜ inch of the opening while rats need ¼ inch of an opening, so make sure to find the gaps and holes and secure them with heavy-gauge, hardware cloth or copper mesh finishing it with foam insulation and caulk.

    Two: Keep the tree branches and shrubs away from the house

    As the title itself is self-explanatory, this way of getting rid of rats and mice will help avoid them jumping or climbing into your house. Make sure the branches of trees or shrubs are not touching the exterior of your home as this may result in mouses crawling in your house.

    Three: Clean up the food residue

    Rats and mice nest themselves not farther than 400 feet from the primary food source. They might be close to food supplies you have like near the kitchen area or food cabinets or anywhere near food. Make sure you clean up all the crumbs of food and pack your leftovers, bird seeds, pet foods into airtight containers or rodent resistant containers to avoid rats and mice invading and chewing on your food supplies. If you will snatch or remove their source of food, rats and mice will leave the place due to scarce resources. Moreover, throw your trash away from your home or keep that in rodent resistant garbage boxes to avoid rats and mice into or around your house as they love human filth.  Also, check for water leakage if any as rats and mice also nest near water supplies.

    Four: Use the trapping method

    You probably have seen Tom and Jerry, it is a cartoon based on a cat and a mouse. The trapping method is most seen in this cartoon. The traditional trapping or old school trapping method can be the best solution to trap rats and mice if you want any evidence of their presence in the house. But it is investigated that mouse is not fond of cheese but peanut butter so get the peanut butter on the trap to catch some rats and mice. It might take several trials to catch rats as you might have to adjust and strategize to get to the right locations of their nesting. To make the trapping method more effective, keep the traps against the walls and draw the illusion hole with black paint as when rats try to escape, they search for the holes instead of running towards the open area. 

    The disadvantage of this way of getting rid of rats and mice is that it would not kill the rat or mice but instead, they set free to invade other areas. 

    Five: Getting rid of rats and mice with Rodent Bait

    Out of all of the ways of getting rid of rats and mice, this is the best and most effective method. Rodent baits are poisonous baits that are left for the rats and mice to feed on. It might take a few days to see the results as it takes 1 to 2 days to kill rats and mice. Rats do not start feeding on to new foods suddenly, they check if the food suits them and then they start feeding on it otherwise none of the rats feed on that food if it does not suit one of them. That is the reason rodents baits purposely made to take time to kill the rats and mice otherwise if killed on the spot, no other rat or mice will feed on it. 

    The disadvantage of Rodent baits is that the rats and mice will return to their nest and you will only know they are dead when the dead odor will start spreading and you will have to search the actual location of the dead rodent for cleanup. 

    Note: If none of these methods works for you then you need to call the professional rats and mice control to take care of it and help eliminate them from your location.

    These are five ways of getting rid of rats and mice. Hopefully, you found this article helpful so do share your feedback. Also, do not forget to share this piece of the information who might be struggling with getting rid of rats and mice.

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