Skinks are a type of lizard that’s native to Australia. They’re typically small and brown, with a long thin tail. In the wild, they live in trees or on rocks near water. Although skinks may appear innocuous at first glance, their presence can quickly turn your lovely porch into an infestation zone if you’re not careful about how much time you spend outdoors every day (or don’t close any doors!).
Skinks are a type of lizard that can be found in many parts of the world. They are often considered pests because they eat up all the food and leave behind waste, which is unsanitary. There are 5 ways to get rid of them using simple methods.
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Consider this scenario: you’re relaxing on your porch in the bright summer sun. Then you see something slithering near by out of the corner of your eye.
You scream and leap, fearful of the worst. “Could it be a snake?” you wonder. Is it a baby alligator? Worse?”
You take a risk and look inside. It’s only a skink; it’s not huge or terrifying.
You get out of the chair, exhaling a breath of relief. It’s good to know it’s not anything more nefarious. Having a skink anywhere near your property, though, is the very last thing you want.
Don’t worry; we’re here to assist you. Read our guide on removing skinks from your porch. We’ll also go over some precautionary measures you may take to ensure they never get near your property.
Let’s get started.
What Are Skinks and What Do They Do?
Garden lizards are known as skinks. Their brilliant colors and short legs make them stand out. Because their limbs are so tiny, they are often mistaken for snakes.
These little invertebrates are widely available at pet shops. If you see them in your yard, it’s possible that they’ve escaped from their tanks.
Another explanation is that their owners may get bored of looking after them. They just decide to let them out in the wild, otherwise known as their backyard.
Their sole benefit is that they serve a critical role in pest control. Crickets, cockroaches, and beetles are just a few of the creatures they devour.
Skinks on the Porch: How to Get Rid of Them
Skinks are reptiles that are normally non-aggressive. They’ll be more terrified of you than you are of them if you see one on your doorstep.
Skinks are slimy and slippery, but they don’t represent a serious danger. The only hazard is that they could settle on your porch and hide in the nooks and crannies. This may swiftly spiral out of control, particularly during breeding season.
As a result, we’ve all agreed that skinks ought to be chased off the porch as soon as possible. Check out some of the most typical methods for removing skinks off your porch.
1st, squirt Essential Oils
You’ve undoubtedly heard of citronella oil for mosquito repellent and eucalyptus oil for fly repellent. Have you ever heard of putting essential oils on skinks to keep them away?
The good news is that these oils will fill your house with a lovely scent. You’ll also be free of reptiles. It’s a win-win situation!
The following are some of the finest oils for skinks:
- Lavender essential oil
- Neem
- Oil extracted from onions
- Basil oil is a fragrant oil made from basil leaves
2 – Skinks Despise Other Aromas
There are other products you may use to assist get rid of skinks on your porch besides essential oils. Fortunately, they’re all items you’re likely to have on hand. As a result, you won’t have to spend extra to get rid of these troublesome reptiles.
Some may be put at the porch entry in a basin. If you want to hang flowers, put them in a hanging basket and carefully distribute them about the porch.
Others, such as spicy sauce and Water that is ice cold, will need to be placed in a spray bottle. Then, if you come across a skink, spray it immediately or close to it to frighten it away. As a precaution, you may also spray the porch’s entry.
Take a look at these:
- Eggshells
- cloves of garlic
- coffee powder or freshly used coffee grounds
- Mothballs, commonly known as naphthalene balls, are a kind of mothball.
- a mixture of hot sauce and tap water
- Water that is ice cold
3 – Remove all sources of food and water
Insects and other pests are eaten by skinks. As a result, the most effective technique to get rid of them is to eliminate possible food and water sources around your house. Keep in mind that skinks like to live in regions with a lot of vegetation. They also thrive in humid environments.
To get you started, consider the following suggestions:
- Remove or remove any plants or bushes that are known to attract pests from near your porch.
- Turn off porch lights to keep flies and moths at bay, which will keep skinks at bay as well.
- Remove any standing water, including puddles, birdbaths, and water fountains.
- Garbage cans should be placed far away from the porch.
4 – Place an Electronic Repellent on the Wall
These repellents are perfectly safe for people, so don’t be concerned. Insects, rodents, and lizards, on the other hand, despise them!
Why do they work so well? They emit high-frequency ultrasonic sound waves, according to scientists. The good news is that our ears are incapable of picking up these frequencies, therefore we are unaffected.
Even better, the obnoxious creatures can, and they can’t take it any more! They’ll come within a mile of your house if you hang one of them on your porch.
Here’s where current technology comes in handy: there are applications available for download on both Google Play and the app store. With the push of a button, you can keep unwanted reptiles at bay.
5 – Obtain a Cat
If you’re a cat person, this will only work for you. We couldn’t leave it out since it’s such a dependable approach.
For thousands of years, cats have hunted lizards. As a result, it’s only natural that these predators would work their magic to keep skinks away from your porch.
Having a cat nearby is so effective that if a skink detects their presence even once, it will not return.
Prevention is worth its weight in gold.
It was Benjamin Franklin who once said, “Prevention is worth its weight in gold. is worth a pound of cure.” In other words, preventing skinks from popping up on your porch is easier than trying to get rid of them.
Here are some methods for stopping skinks in their tracks and keeping them away for good.
1 – Clear Out Your Porch
Skinks, often known as garden lizards, are naturally timid creatures. They’re adept at digging and scavenging for safe havens.
Take a glance at the front of your house. Is it cluttered, with all kinds of things strewn about? Then you’ve got yourself the ideal hiding area for these reptiles.
They also like damp environments, which is why they’re more frequent by the shore. If your porch is chaotic, it will be wet and damp, with plenty of hiding spots. That’s precisely what they’re want.
The simplest approach to avoid this issue is to maintain your porch clean and clutter-free at all times. You’ll have a comfortable area to sit with friends and family, and the skinks won’t be able to find a way in.
2 – Fill up any gaps in the porch.
You’ve learned that skinks like digging and hiding. It’s reasonable to suppose that if your porch has any fractures or rifts of any type, they’ll take advantage of them.
Blocking up any holes they may crawl into for safety is one technique to keep these bothersome reptiles at bay. Examine both the inside and outside of the porch. You want to make sure you don’t leave any gaps that might create issues later.
Check all of the windows and doors, as well as the vents and utility pipes. You may always hire an expert to check over your work and make sure you haven’t overlooked anything.
3 – Keep Your Yard in Good Shape
Skinks, like any other species, are attracted to regions where they may find food, shelter, and water. There’s a good chance you have all three in your yard.
What if you have portions of your yard with standing water and edible plants? Then there are the year-round renters in your yard.
Most of these may be avoided by maintaining all areas of your yard on a regular basis. As a result, skinks will have no reason to reside in your yard or cluster on your doorstep.
4 – Plants that aren’t edible
A skink’s diet includes fruits and vegetables. So, if you live in a region where skinks are common, it’s best to put off planting that vegetable garden you’ve always wanted.
Instead, why not start an indoor vegetable garden? Some individuals grow vegetables in their kitchens in containers. Others construct modest greenhouses in their back yards. There are numerous additional choices to consider if you want to start a vegetable garden.
The goal is to get rid of any edible plants in your yard so that skinks don’t come in for a good lunch.
5 – Hang Feathers from a Bird
Birds, like cats, have been natural predators of lizards for a long time. Few individuals, however, can have birds fluttering over their porch frightening skinks away. So we’ve settled for the next best thing: bird feathers hung on the porch.
Hanging them low to the ground is the key. When the skinks detect the presence of birds, they will flee for safety.
You can always use feathers to create lovely wall hangings. This way, you won’t have any pesky skinks on your doorstep while still enjoying some trendy artwork!
Last Thoughts
Learning Skinks on the Porch: How to Get Rid of Them is vital for the safety of your home. While these little critters don’t pose any danger or threat, they’re considered a real nuisance.
Use our step-by-step instructions to get them off your property for good. Then, after they’ve left, make sure your yard and porch are constantly tidy and well-kept to keep them away for good.
The “how to keep lizards off patio furniture” is a question that has been asked many times in the past. There are 5 simple methods that can be used to get rid of skinks on your porch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of skinks on my porch?
A: Skinks are a type of small lizard that often inhabit the outdoors. They will not cause any harm to your home, but they could get into places you dont want them to be if left outside. In order for them to leave without harming anything in their path, simply pour boiling water over just the top part of their body. This will kill most or all of them instantly and scare off others from coming back around
What will keep lizards away from porch?
A: The smell of mothballs.
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