Do lizards eat plants, is a worry amongst gardener, because if you have probably seen lizards in your garden and are wondering, do lizards eat plants?
Whether you want to keep lizards as pets or are simply curious about what they eat, this guide will provide you with all the info you need.
It’s worth mentioning that the lizards you see in your garden rarely eat plants. Here’s a comprehensive guide about what lizards eat.
Contents
Do Lizards Eat Plants?
Yes, most lizards are omnivores, they eat both plants and meat at the same time. However, most of their diet is based on meat, and the only time that they don’t find meat, they will be mulching on grass instead.
Generally, there are different species of lizards, and all have varying food requirements. Some eat vegetables, fruits, and meat, while others eat insects. In most cases, the size of the lizard determines what it eats.
The larger the reptile, the more likely it’s herbivorous and the smaller it is, the more likely it will cause any harm to your garden. Garden lizards are beneficial since they prey on harmful insects in your garden. However, it’s important to know that these reptiles can also be a risk to your plants.
It’s easy to assume that the lizards in your garden are to blame for the ripped leaves in your garden. However, this isn’t always the case since lizards prefer feeding on insects over plants, on the other hand, when they do not find any pests, they will eat the greens. Of course, this will depend on the lizard species in your garden.
– Omnivorous Lizards
Most of the lizards found in your garden don’t eat plants. Instead, they feed on insects. Therefore, having them in your garden is beneficial since they are a natural pest control for your lawn.
Baby lizards in your garden will help you get rid of insects that do more harm than good. These lizards often hunt for lawn grubs, beetles, earthworms, etc. This means your plants stand a better chance of surviving when you have the right type of garden lizards around.
But it’s not always the case, so you should be wary of instances where lizards are hazardous to your plants. Baby garden lizards are the type you should be worried about if they are on your lawn. Some lizards are insectivorous, whereas others are largely herbivorous. Baby lizards are more inclined to feed on your plants.
– Herbivorous Lizards
The green iguana, cyclura Iguana, and rhinoceros Iguana feed on plants. Arguably, these are the lizards you don’t want in your garden since they will cause harm to your plants. Use the recommended tips to get rid of such reptiles from your garden.
A garden lizard might cause little harm in your garden, but you should be wary of the lizards that prefer eating plants only. These are the herbivorous types, and they usually survive on plants.
What Do Lizards Eat?
Lizards eat other reptiles, pests and animals in addition to some plants and fruit. The reason why they eat them is that they are omnivores, and this means that their diet would include both meat and vegetation at the same time.
– Other Reptiles
In the family of lizards, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that some feed on other lizards. It sounds strange, but it’s their nature.
Most lizards that feed on other lizards are the wild ones found in forests.
– Pests
It’s also important to note that the reptiles in your garden are largely omnivorous lizards. They will eat anything they find on their way, including worms, crickets, mice, and even plants.
Most garden lizards prefer eating insects like grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, and other bugs. They would eat in a quick manner, any animal that has proper meat for them and even if they have blood. Furthermore, you may even see them eat little birds, if the reptile is big, of course, and these animals would be devoured in a quick manner.
– Plants and Fruit
While they might feed on plants at times, they’d rather eat insects over other things. These reptiles can also eat fruits like guava or mangoes. They would also eat bananas, and yams, in addition to peppers, carrot, and even strawberry when they don’t find any insects to devour.
How Do You Keep Lizards Away From Your Garden?
To keep lizards away from your garden, you must control and inspect the inspects that they might come to eat, you can use hot sauce spray and repel them, or even spread some commercial repellents. In addition, you can even plant lavender.
While lizards might not be the animals causing harm to your plants, it’s still important to learn how to keep them off your lawn. Especially if there’s one baby lizard in your garden, you don’t have to panic about it. However, if there are many of them, they might do more harm to your plants. Here are a few tips to help you stop these lizards.
– Control the Insects
Most lizards will be looking to hunt insects in your garden. Hence, your garden can be their feeding ground if you don’t get rid of insects. To ensure you can control the population of lizards in your garden, you’ll have to start with getting rid of the insects.
There are countless ways to get rid of bugs from your lawn. You can use chemical sprays or ultrasonic repellents. You can either do this on your own or call the exterminators to help you.
– Use Hot Sauce Spray
Hot sauce spray will easily scare away most of the lizards in your baby garden. The best part is you can make a simple pepper spray that these reptiles will abhor. They will avoid your garden at all costs.
For a DIY pepper spray, mix cayenne pepper and water. Spray this mixture in your garden, where lizards often hide or gather. You can also spray specific plants you want to protect. This will ensure the plants aren’t bothered.
You can also use different hot sauce to make lizard repellent. These are natural ways to scare lizards away from your small garden. Keep in mind that the pepper spray will weaken after some time, especially if it rains. Consider frequently spraying if this happens.
– Get Rid of Hiding Spots
Another trick that can help you deal with stubborn lizards is to get rid of hiding spots. Clearing the cover of your garden will make these reptiles feel unsafe. Usually, lizards use cover to hide or run around in your garden without getting noticed.
Clean up your garden by removing fallen leaves, wood, and other debris. Once your garden has open spaces, you’ll realize that lizards don’t hang around anymore. Ensure you maintain the tidiness, so you don’t attract these reptiles in the long run.
– Use Commercial Repellents
Commercial repellents from the best brands in the market will do a good job keeping away lizards from your garden. There are many options to choose from, meaning it shouldn’t be challenging to find a good product from online retailers or local stores.
Using commercial repellents is an easy way to deal with garden lizards. Most of these commercial products don’t cost that much. The only issue with commercial repellents is that they expose your plants to chemicals.
– Plant Lavender
Lavenders planted in flowerbeds or in pots will help to repel lizards from your garden. This plant will also repel the insects that lizards hunt.
Lizards hate the smell of lavender and will stay away from your garden. Other plants that lizards hate include laurel, thyme, painted daisies, sage, rosemary, lemongrass, and peppermint.
Are Garden Lizards Beneficial?
Yes, they are, and the benefit of seeing lizards in your garden is that they will eat the pests that are in your lawn, and when these pests are gone, the plants or even the grass will not but harmed, on the contrary, thy will stay spotless and healthy.
Lizards will help you eliminate unwanted pests from your garden. Apart from this, these reptiles will only live in your garden if there are no chemicals or metals. For that reason, seeing lizards in your garden is a clear sign that your plants are doing well in an organic and healthy environment.
Well, the reality is that garden lizards are beneficial to your lawn. Lizards eat plants, but they rarely do this. Evidence suggests that they only eat about 10 percent of plant foliage, which shouldn’t worry you.
How Do You Attract Beneficial Lizards to Your Garden?
To attract beneficial lizards to your garden, you must first include some buddies to them, and use national pest control method. In addition, mulching would help also to invite them in, and make sure you have some hiding places too.
For a lizard-friendly garden, the most important thing is to create a conducive environment for these reptiles. Since thousands of lizard species are out there, the first step is to learn which lizard species you’re dealing with.
– Include Some Buddies
Ideal buddies to have in your garden include some skinks, blue tongues, and water dragons. Others, like the bearded dragons, are omnivorous.
They feed on plants and animal-based foods. Sure, they might help you to get rid of insects, but you can’t be certain that they will stay away from your plants.
As you include these buddies to your garden, they won’t harm it again, on the contrary they will be the ones to eat the pests instead. However, when you do this, you be attracting lizards, and they will stay together and eat the bad insects which would damage your garden.
It sounds strange, but since garden lizards eat only 10 percent of plant leaves and are good for your garden, you should know how to draw them closer to your lawn.
– Use Natural Pest Control Methods
Lizards will keep off your garden when you use commercial pesticides. Most gardeners might not be aware of this, but natural pest control methods will help to create a lizard-friendly environment.
Use natural predators, companion planting, and insecticidal soaps to control pests in your lawn. Doing this will attract the right type of lizards to help you hunt the pests causing harm to your plants.
– Mulching Helps
Besides helping you to control weeds, mulching helps to conserve moisture and maintain a humid environment for these reptiles.
– Create Hiding Places
Other natural predators feed on lizards since they are low on the food chain. To ensure they live comfortably in your garden, create plenty of hiding spots. Planting bushy perennials is a great idea, or you can have rock piles where lizards can shelter from time to time.
With these tips, you should see friendly garden lizards hanging around on your lawn. You should also bear in mind that there are lizards that eat plants only, as explained in the following lines.
Conclusion
Do lizards eat plants? You now know that some lizards eat plants while others don’t.
Here’s a quick reminder of what you should remember about garden lizards:
- Garden lizards are beneficial for your garden since they eat insects that cause harm to your plants. To attract these reptiles to your lawn, create a lizard-friendly environment by using natural pest control measures, create hiding spots, and use mulching to create a moist environment.
- If you want to do away with lizards in your garden, use natural methods like planting repellants or pepper spray
Essentially, garden lizards might look scary in your garden, but these small animals are good for your garden. Seeing them in your garden is a clear indication that your plants are doing well. Use the pointers discussed herein to create a lizard-friendly garden.
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