Bed bugs are evil little vampiric insects that feed exclusively on blood. They are small, reddish-brown, and oval-shaped, with the adult female about 1/4 inch in length. They have flat bodies and six legs. They are typically about 3/8 inch long and can be seen by the naked eye.
What defenses do you have to keep them from your home? Do lizards eat bed bugs?
- Some lizards including geckos, bearded dragons, and Gila monsters happily eat bed bugs
- There have been many reports of bed bug infestations in hotels, apartments, dormitories, schools, cabs and Ubers, and movie theaters all around the world.
- Lizards can help with bed bug control, but aren’t going to cure an infestation!
Here we take a look at whether lizards eat bed bugs, and if so, how you can use them in your home.
What Kind of Lizard is Best for Killing Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are a huge problem in the United States. The EPA estimates that around 30 million of them can be found everywhere, from homes to hotels. Lizards have been used for pest control for centuries, but which type is best for this specific job?
Numerous types of lizards will kill bed bugs, but the most common is the Gila Monster. They have a unique bite that kills their prey within seconds, and it has also been known to kill bed bugs. But Gila monsters are poisonous to humans and are not considered safe pets.
However, If you want a more aggressive lizard, then a bearded dragon would be better suited.
Lizards are an excellent and natural way to control a bed bug infestation. They are great at catching bugs and can eat up to 50 bugs daily. Lizards like garden geckos can be used as natural pest control for your home or business.
They hunt down insects independently, so you don’t have to worry about using chemicals in your home or office.
Don’t shoo those geckos away, they’re very beneficial! They eat roaches, bed bugs, mosquitos, and more!
Don’t shoo those geckos away, they’re very beneficial!
How Does a Lizard Kill a Bed Bug?
The lizard’s tongue is covered in tiny hairs with a sticky substance. The lizard sticks out its tongue to catch the bed bug, and then it pulls the bed bug into its mouth. A study found that lizards can kill bed bugs because they secrete an enzyme called hemolysin, which is toxic to the bed bug’s exoskeleton.
The University of California, Berkeley recently conducted a study that looked at how lizards kill bed bugs. The researchers found that when the lizards eat the bed bugs, the blood from the engorged bug oozes out of their mouths like a “blood-curdling scream.”
Researchers have also found that bedbugs will not drink lizard blood because it is too thick for them to suck up.
The lizard has a natural defense mechanism against bed bugs. The lizard’s skin is covered with tiny scales that the bed bug’s mouth can not penetrate. A lizard can also use its tongue to detect bed bugs in a specific area.
The Benefits of Using Lizards to Get Rid of Bed Bugs
This is a new approach to pest control that is being used in some parts of the world. Lizards are a non-toxic and humane way to get rid of bed bugs. Lizards are also environmentally friendly since they can be released back into the wild after eliminating bed bugs. In addition, they eat pests and can be used for other things, such as keeping mosquitoes away from a garden or small farm.
It’s pretty hard to use lizards like geckos or bearded dragons to handle a whole bed bug infestation. But as a preventative measure or as part of a remediation program, they can be helpful. They certainly don’t hurt!
It’s pretty hard to use lizards like geckos or bearded dragons to handle a whole bed bug infestation. But as a preventative measure or as part of a remediation program, they can be helpful. They certainly don’t hurt!
The benefits of using lizards to get rid of bed bugs include:
- They are cheap and easy to find
- The method does not require pesticides or chemicals
- They are non-toxic for humans
- They can be trained to eat other pests like cockroaches and spiders
- Lizards have been used to help eradicate the invasive brown tree snake population in Guam.
Conclusion
Some lizards will hunt and eat bed bugs. You definitely don’t want to get rid of small lizards like geckos from your home and yard, as these friendly lizards keep pests at bay.
But lizards aren’t going to be the centerpiece of your bed bug home remediation program unless you’re getting a T-Rex!
