How to Catch Lizards in the House

Whether it’s a pet you’re keeping that escaped or an uninvited guest entered your home, you should capture it safely and humanely. Lizards often hide when scared, so you need to find it first. When the lizard comes out, lure it to crawl into the box. Your pet lizard will return to its home, but the wild lizard must be released back into the wild. If it’s a large lizard or if your home is invaded by lizards everywhere, don’t forget that there’s also a pest control company you can call to get them taken care of.

Table of Contents

Find lizards

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Close the door to the room you last saw the lizard in. Close both doors and windows so the animal can’t escape. Maybe you should also tuck a towel under the door to prevent it from getting out. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Check for dark, enclosed spaces to see if the lizard is hiding there. Lizards like to hang around in tight, tight crevices. Check under the sofa, armchair, desk, or bookshelf in the room. Wall cabinets, vents, baseboards, cushions and planters are also favorite hiding places for lizards. ^{[2] X Research Source}

You may need to use a flashlight to find in dark places.
Lizards often like to hide behind objects hanging on the wall, such as picture frames. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Put the pet in another room. If you have a pet at home, the lizard will probably hide well. Keep the dog and cat in another room until the lizard is caught. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If you have a cat, there is another way to catch a lizard: let the cat handle it. However, be aware that cats will often kill their prey, so you should only consider this approach when dealing with wild lizards.

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Turn off the lights in the room. The lizard can crawl out of its hiding place if it sees that it is dark outside. Pull down the curtains to block the sunlight outside. You can use a flashlight to track. Usually it will crawl out within half an hour. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Wait for the lizard to appear. The lizard will only crawl out when it feels safe. If you can’t find it, prepare items to catch the lizard. Leave it there until the animal crawls out.

If you can’t find a stray wild lizard in your home, it’s probably easier to scare away the lizard with eggshells, mothballs, and other household items than to find a way to catch it.

Catch the lizard

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Find a container to catch the lizard. Most house lizards are only about 5-8 cm long. Old food containers like full-size butter or yogurt containers are usually suitable. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Slowly approach the lizard. If you startle the animal, it will run to its hiding place. Instead, go back slowly. If you see the lizard start to move, stop and stand still for a second until it calms down.

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Trick the lizard into the box. If the lizard clings to the wall, use a magazine or piece of paper to lure it toward the box. If the animal is on the floor, you can use a broom or ruler to guide it into the box. Usually the lizard will run into the box because it thinks it is a safe place. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Try not to let objects touch the lizard. You should only move the object in your hand towards the lizard to scare it away from the box, avoiding touching it.
Do not catch or chase the lizard with your hands. This action can cause the lizard to lose its tail, it may even bite you.

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Spray cold water on the lizard if it continues to run away. If the animal refuses to crawl into the box, try spraying it with cold water. This can slow down the lizard and even paralyze it for 1-2 minutes. So you can place the box face down on it. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Thread a piece of cardboard or paper underneath the box. Once the lizard is in the box, you can lock it in there. Cover the mouth of the box with a piece of paper or cardboard. Confine the lizard there until you can release it to the wild or to its cage. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Release wild lizard

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Take the lizard out. You should release the lizard to allow it to return to the wild. Do not drop it right next to the house or right outside the door, as it may run straight into the house again. Take it a few meters away from home. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Open the cover piece over the top of the box. Grab the low box near the ground and take out the cardboard. The lizard will rush out. If not, step back and leave the box there for a few minutes. The lizard may only come out when you’re gone. ^{[11] X Research Source}

You can also tilt the box slightly to let the lizard crawl out, as long as the box is close to the ground.

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Do not keep the wild lizard as a pet. Most wild lizards do not do well when kept in cages or aquariums. These wild creatures must be released into the wild in a humane manner. ^{[12] X Research Source}

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Call a pest control company if you believe your home is infested with lizards. They can check the whole house for lizard entrances and help get rid of large numbers of lizards in the house. Call the pest control company to see if they have this service. ^{[13] X Research Source}

This is a good option if a giant stray lizard enters your home.

Advice

Lizards are generally quite gentle. If you let it stay indoors, it will help you kill harmful insects.
You can buy glue traps to catch the lizard, but this will kill the animal slowly. That is inhumane.
Lizards often enter your home through small cracks near home entrances, windows, and gutters. You need to seal these areas to prevent lizards from entering the house. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Warning

Even pet lizards can bite if they are cornered or frightened. Although most lizards are non-venomous, the bite can still be painful. Do not touch or catch the lizard with your bare hands.
Do not grab the lizard’s tail, or it will lose its tail.

Steps

Find lizards

Catch the lizard

Release wild lizard

Advice

Warning

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