If you’ve ever tried to kill a lizard, you know how frustrating it can be. They seem to be able to sense when you’re coming after them, and they always seem to escape at the last second. But why are they so hard to kill? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons.
Why are lizards so hard to kill?
Lizards are surprisingly difficult to kill.
They can lose their tails in an escape attempt and regenerate them over time.
Additionally, they have a row of spines down their back, making it hard for predators to get a good grip on them.
If a lizard does happen to get eaten, its stomach is lined with poison spikes that can harm the predator.
These adaptations make it difficult to kill a lizard – but not impossible. If you’re determined to get rid of one, the best way is to trap it and release it into the wild, far away from your home.
- Lizards are fast-moving creatures. They can run up to 20 miles per hour and have excellent reflexes. This combination makes it very difficult to catch them. Even if you do manage to catch one, it can often squirm its way out of your grasp.
- Lizards are also good at climbing. They have long claws that help them grip surfaces and quickly scale walls and trees. This makes it difficult to trap them in one place. Even if you think you have them cornered, they may be able to climb their way out of the situation.
- Finally, lizards have tough skin. This helps protect them from predators but makes them difficult to kill with conventional methods. Their skin is often too tough for knives and scissors to penetrate, and trying to stomp on them usually results in them simply squishing out from under your foot and escaping unharmed.
Ways to kill lizards
Killing lizards should be a last resort, as it can result in unintended harm to other animals, the environment, and even yourself.
The best way to get rid of lizards is to deter them by making your home less inviting: sealing cracks and crevices, removing food sources such as pet food or exposed garbage, trimming landscaping around your house, getting rid of plants that attract insects which in turn attract lizards.
If this doesn’t work, effective traps (such as Crisco grease-baited cylordrical traps) take advantage of their territorial behavior. An additional but less humane option is setting baits with rodenticide in them—which kill without necessarily posing any risk to pets or humans.
Keep in mind that if you choose “death by poison” for a lizard infestation problem, it will take a few days for it to die after coming into contact with the bait.
Conclusion
Lizards are difficult to kill because they are fast, agile, and have tough skin. So if you’re trying to rid your home of these pests, your best bet is to call a professional exterminator with the experience and equipment necessary to get the job done right.
