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How To Get An Iguana Out Of Your House?

If you live in an area with a lot of iguanas, then you probably know that they have a tendency to take over. You may have entire families of iguanas living in your backyard, and some may have even grown bold enough to slip inside the house. Is there anything you can do to get rid of them? In this article, we’ll talk about how to get an iguana out of your house or yard, as well as how to keep them away.

How to Remove an Iguana from Your House or Yard?

How to Remove an Iguana from Your House or Yard

According to experts, the best method for removing iguanas from your house or yard is to use a trap. 

There are different types of traps you can use for capturing iguanas–cage traps, snare traps, adhesive traps. Cage traps are the most humane type, so that’s what we’ll be talking about in this article.

As you can see in the video below, a cage trap allows the iguana to walk into the trap at its own pace, then the door springs shut, capturing the iguana inside. The iguana may be frightened, but it remains unharmed and uninjured.

To trap an iguana with a cage trap, follow these steps:

  1. Choose an area:

    If trapping an iguana in your house, set it up in an area where you see the iguana frequently–under a table, perhaps, or near a source of pet’s food. If setting up the trap outside, set it up near areas of tall grass or thick shrubbery where the iguana may hide, or look for holes that have been recently dug by iguanas. You may also want to set it up along a fenceline if there is evidence that the iguana frequently travels that way.

  2. Set and bait the trap:

    Set and bait the trap: Open the door of the trap, securing it in place. If desired, place pieces of fruit or greenery inside the trap to attract the iguana to it.

  3. Check the trap often:

    Iguanas are diurnal, meaning they are most active during daylight hours, so you are most likely to capture an iguana during the day. Check your trap several times throughout the day; the sooner you discover a trapped iguana, the less time it will have to spend in the trap.

  4. Call wildlife removal services:

    In many areas, iguanas are considered invasive species, making it illegal to catch and release them back into the wild. If you capture an iguana, turn it over to a local wildlife service as soon as possible. 

Iguana Removal Tips

If you don’t have access to a trap, or you simply don’t want to use one, there are other methods you can use to get iguanas out of your house or off your property. These methods include:

  • Making noise: If you have unwanted iguanas in your house, try blasting your favorite music; if the iguanas are outside, you may want to invest in a motion detector that makes noise. Iguanas don’t enjoy loud noises and are likely to leave any area that isn’t calm and quiet.
  • Spraying them with water: Much as you might spray a pet cat that is misbehaving, you can spray iguanas with water. Most wild iguanas don’t enjoy getting wet and will head for the nearest exit if you spray them.
  • Using a lizard repellent: Commercial lizard repellents can be found and purchased online. These repellents produce an odor that iguanas and other lizards find extremely repulsive, and many of them can be used both indoors and outdoors.

How to Keep Iguanas Out of Your House and Yard

So, once you’ve removed iguanas, how do you keep them from coming back? Let’s take a look at some tips below:

  • Clean up food and trash: Iguanas are attracted by the smells of food and trash, both in your house and your yard. Be sure and keep your trash in closed dumpsters and don’t leave food sitting around inside or outside.
  • Get a cat: Iguanas are afraid of cats, so they will likely stay away if you have a cat wandering around. Cats may also catch and kill any iguanas they find, which may be a good thing or a bad thing–on the one hand, you’ll be getting rid of any invading iguanas, but on the other hand, you’ll have to clean up the mess.
  • Keep your house cool: Iguanas prefer a warm environment. If you keep your house much cooler than the great outdoors, this will likely discourage any iguanas who may be thinking about going inside.
  • Seal windows, doors, and other cracks: It doesn’t take a very large opening for an iguana to slip inside your house. Make sure any gaps under your doors and windows are sealed with weather stripping or caulk, and also check for other gaps around your houses that iguanas may be able to squeeze through.
  • Don’t feed pets outside: Again, the smell of food tends to attract iguanas, and pet food can produce some pretty strong aromas. If you leave pet food sitting around outside, it may attract more iguanas into your yard.

How Much Does Iguana Removal Cost?

How Much Does Iguana Removal Cost

Perhaps you don’t want to try getting rid of iguanas yourself but would rather leave the job to the professionals. But how much can you expect to pay for a professional wildlife removal service?

It’s hard to say exactly what iguana removal could end up costing you. The final price will vary depending on a number of factors, including:

  • The company: Different wildlife removal services will charge different rates. Two different companies in the same town may charge much different fees for the same type of removal.
  • The region: In areas where iguanas are common, the price may be a little lower than in regions where iguanas are rarer. 
  • Severity of infestation: As you might imagine, it will cost more to remove a bunch of iguanas than to remove just one. If you have a large number of iguanas that have taken up residence on your property, having them removed may end up costing you quite a bit.

Regardless of these factors, you can expect a wildlife removal service to cost more than if you were to trap the iguanas on your own. Once you have them trapped, you will still need to call animal control or some other service, but in most cases, there won’t be any fee if they are simply taking away the iguanas you have already removed.

Conclusion

Iguanas are seen as pests in many areas, and if you have them digging up your yard or even coming inside your house, then you probably want to get rid of them. Cage trapping is the best method of removing iguanas, but you can also try repelling them with loud noises, water, and lizard repellents.

2 thoughts on “How To Get An Iguana Out Of Your House?”

  1. I’m now discovering more and more iguanas on my enclosed patio and one even penetrated my house. What else works to rid of them?

    Reply
  2. While doing a home check for a neighbor I encountered a iguana . It’s been a week since I set a live trap still nothing. Can’t figure out were it came in or if it’s still there. Help?

    Reply

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