Yes, as a matter of fact, lizards do eat cockroaches. Cockroaches and insects are what make up a lizard’s diet so it goes without saying that Roaches are a major nutritious food source for some lizards.
The only drawback is that Lizards cannot eat Roaches that are bigger than the span between their eyes.
Lizards tend to hate eating roaches that feed on sewers and shrubs like the Florida wood cockroach as they tend to be bitter. Their favorite roaches for meals are the Madagascar and Dubia cockroaches because they are naturally sweet and tasty to the lizards.
Some lizards like the Iguanas are unable to digest roaches’ proteins because they are mainly hence they do not eat them, they would rather eat plants or other insects rather than eat Roaches.
The protein in the Roaches causes’ severe stomach upsets for herbivorous lizards like the Iguana.
The number of roaches a lizard can eat depend on the lizard’s species, the species of the roaches, and also on the size of the roaches.
The juvenile leopard geckos can get to eat 5 to 10 small Dubai roaches in a day, whilst Adults can eat 20 or more roaches at a time, 3 to 4 times in a week.
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Kind of lizards that eat Roaches
While Roaches are an integral part of a lizard’s diet, it is not every lizard that feeds on them this is as a result of their eating habits and their species.
For instance, Lizards like the iguana will rather feed on plants and crickets than feed on roaches. But lizards like Monitors, Panther Chameleon, Bearded dragon, and leopard geckos are the species of lizards that readily relish a meal of roaches. They are leading when it comes to comfort eating roaches.
Some species of lizard that eat roaches are:
- Panther chameleon:
- Bearded dragon:
- Leopard geckos:
Types of Roaches that lizard likes eating.
There are many types of roaches out there, and their habitats play a vital role in how they will taste. Their taste determines if the lizard will prefer eating it or not.
Top on the list of roaches a lizard finds delicious to eat is the hissing roaches, they have a chicken taste to them and you will find lizards around the habitat that these roaches live in.
These roaches are popularly called the Madagascar roaches because they are popular in the Madagascan highlands.
Both pet lizards and wild lizards love a good taste of protein that is the reason you will see them hunting for these kinds of roaches.
Another type of roaches that lizards like to eat is the Dubia roaches. The reason is that they are healthy, contain a lot of protein, calcium, and these are major things needed in a lizard’s diet.
Any lizard eating the Dubia roaches will always stay hydrated because the dubia roaches are full of moisture.
Another one is the German roaches, these roaches are commonly found indoors, they will live anywhere in the house as long as it is warm, moist, and dark. Most times house lizards tend to hunt after the small ones because they are easy to catch and feed on.
Old German roaches are not that tasty that is why most times you can come across half-eaten roaches within the house.
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Finally, lizards like to eat baby roaches as they are easy prey to them, with their wings not developed fully, it makes them fleshy and easy to be eaten and digested by the lizard.
Is it safe for lizards to eat roaches?
Yes, it is fairly safe for lizards to eat roaches; it’s all dependent on the size and species of both the roaches and the lizards. Lizard species like the iguanas can’t eat roaches because it gives them indigestions and they are primarily vegetarians.
Do Blue Belly Lizards eat Cockroaches?
Yes, they do. Blue belly lizards will eat cockroaches if available.
Do house lizards eat cockroaches?
The answer is yes; house lizards will hunt and eat roaches. However, their success depends on the size of the roach.
House lizards are categorized into main types and they are the omnivores and the insectivores.
The omnivore’s house lizards tend to eat insects and fruits for their nutritional requirements while the insectivores depend solely on eating insects for their nutritional requirements.
House lizards tend to be non-venomous and an example of a common house lizard is the Gecko.
The house lizard for instance will find it difficult to eat a big roach like the parcoblatta or the American Roach.
But as for pet lizards, it is not recommended to feed them with roaches found in the wild, unless it is bought at a known registered breeder store or you start your own breeding.
What house lizards do not eat includes; bread, eggshells, garlic, onion, and dried chili.
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Do small lizards eat Roaches?
All kinds of lizards eat roaches no matter the size of the lizards, so yes small lizards eat roaches; the only exception is that the roach should not be big in size. And the only lizard that does not each roach is the iguana. And this is as a result that iguana tends to be more into trees and other insects.
The only thing that might hinder a small lizard from eating a roach is the size of that roach. So for a lizard to successfully eat a roach the size of the roach should not be bigger than the span between the lizard’s eyes.
Does iguana Eat Roaches?
No. primarily Iguanas are herbivorous meaning they eat plants, some eat leaves, they are Folivores. In the wild, you will tend to see iguanas eating leaves of vines and trees.. Additionally, they also eat some fruits and flowers.
Things that contribute to health problems in an Iguana include an improper diet, so it is very essential to keep note of what you feed your pet Iguana.
Normally, Iguanas have specific microbes that inhabit their gastrointestinal tracts that are used in fermenting the high fiber food they take in, so the nutrients in the food can be absorbed in their intestine and ultimately be used by their body.
Do Lizards Keep Cockroaches Away?
Lizards although they are a natural predator of roaches they can hardly battle a roach infestation.
Adult lizards tend to eat about 7 to 10 roaches in a day and it still depends on the roach’s size. Having a lizard in your house won’t really make a dent in your roach problems. Roaches have a way to hide and breed in places that predators like lizards might not be able to reach.
Having lizards run around your house can cause more harm than good, as it might lead to you having a severe case of salmonella on your hands.
Can a Cockroach Kill a Lizard?
No. a cockroach cannot kill a lizard unless when it’s a case of food poisoning or any other form of poisoning.
For instance, eating an infected cockroach by a lizard can give the lizard discomfort, severe case of diarrhea, and death in the worst-case scenario.
But one thing that is certain to kill a Lizard is a Cockroach spray. So the better question is can a cockroach spray kill a lizard?.
Can a cockroach spray kill a lizard?
Yes. Cockroach spray can end up killing a lizard but the death won’t be immediate, before it can lead to its death, it must have inhaled a large quantity of the roach spray.
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The immediate death of a lizard depends on the brand of the roach spray, some are strong that when they get sprayed in close proximity to the lizard, they develop a breathing problem and instantly dies.
In order to get them killed, spray it directly on them in large quantities.
Using cockroach spray to kill lizards
Since lizards are fast, they won’t be sitting around waiting for you to come and spray them, so you have to be smart about it.
To be successful in killing them, you will need to spend time in:
- Be a good timer as they are fast, you need to be faster in order to kill them.
- Take note of where they spend their time.
- Do make sure you spray them directly to be more effective. You can as well target their eyes when spraying, this will decapitate them and they will be unable to feed. Note, lizards cannot survive without food for 4weeks.
One place you can always find lizards is your kitchen in the night, they lie in wait for insects that are attracted to the light and of course roaches they can feed on. This is the best time to go spray them.
How long does it take for a cockroach spray to kill a Lizard?
It takes approximately between 6 to 12 hours for a lizard that got sprayed by a cockroach spray to die.
This will all depend on the kind of brand and how close you get to the lizard to spray it. Some brands are far stronger than others. They are several brands of cockroach spray out there that can do the job; we have brands like Raid and hit spray that will kill them instantly if sprayed closed to them enough.
Is it safe to use cockroach spray to kill lizards at home?
It is not safe to use cockroach spray to kill lizards at home most especially if you have pets at home.
Lizards tend to have liver fluke infection which can be a dangerous parasitic infection to your pets, most especially if they get to eat a dead infected lizard. This will cause inflammation to the liver which might turn deadly for your pets. So it is advisable you take your pet from the environment after spraying cockroach spray-on lizards.
It is not advisable to use cockroach spray if you have an underlying breathing condition like asthma
Do lizards like cockroaches?
Well, I would like to think they do, although there is no information backing that. But from my understanding of the kind of relationship between the lizard and the roach, lizards do like cockroaches.
Who will not like their meal?.
Do lizards eat Lizard?
Lizards eat many things in the wild and they are species of lizards out there that eat other lizards.
These species feed on other types of lizard species including their own specie.
While others just eat lizards from specie different than theirs, although this is unusual it is not impossible.
Lizards that each other lizards as part of their main diet also tend to eat other insects like rodents, small snakes, small mice, birds e.t.c.
An example of such species of lizards that eat lizards is the collared lizard, The Anguimorpha Lizard, and Gekkota Lizard.
Advantages of using lizards to get rid of roaches
Using lizards as a pest control have more drawbacks than doing well. The only thing is that they help in killing Lyme disease from ticks and you can use them as a green method in killing roaches rather than resorting to using insecticides. But the method in itself is not that very effective as the number of roaches to lizards is like 20:1. Unless you will want to have an infestation of lizards running around in your house.
Why you should not use Lizards as Pest control on Roaches
Some of the reasons why you should not use lizards as pest control for roaches include:
- Lizards’ tails can drop off, this can be as a result of self-defense or in the case of a severe case of stress.
- Lizards are found of leaving droppings and poops behind. Their poops can be found between appliances, on the wall, within cabinets. Etc. these reptiles carry diseases like salmonella. With their droppings contaminating your food and drinks you are at risk to get infected. Symptoms include stomach cramps and vomiting, diarrhea, and for other pests that feed on feces and decaying matter like cockroaches, you will get to have bigger problems at hand.
- You will find it difficult to get rid of lizard infestation effectively. They are fast and can hide effectively amongst your things making it difficult in getting rid of them.
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Other natural ways to get rid of roaches from your property
When you see roaches crawling around your property, your first thought is either to squash them or better still get an insecticide that may be helpful in getting rid of them. But most times it is not that simple; apart from exposing your family to the toxic chemical, they may really not do much good.
There are roaches like the German roach that are becoming difficult to kill, these disease-carrying insects are developing resistance to many insecticides out there. And worst still they are the most common species of roaches found around the world.
As a result, they are becoming nearly impossible to kill just with chemicals alone.
Getting rid of roaches naturally is the best method as this will stop the issue from reoccurring, it can be slow but it is the best possible way to go.
Listed below are some of the best and natural ways to get rid of roaches from your property:
It is a faster and easier method to get rid of roaches from your house. And most importantly, it is something you can do yourself.
To begin dice some onions, sprinkle them with baking soda, and place them where you have noticed roach activity. When they eat this it causes them to burst by causing gasses in the roaches stomach. This method is effective, non-toxic, and affordable. The only drawback is that pet-like dogs may consume the onion mixture and it is toxic for them.
This is another fast and instant method you can use in getting rid of roaches. Boric acid is harmless to both humans and pets, but when roaches get in contact with boric acid, it sticks to their wings and legs and when ingested it kills them rapidly.
Boric acid is a compound that occurs naturally and is found in plants and fruits. To use boric acid to kill roaches, sprinkle a little onto a paper plate, add orange peel or a spoon of butter onto the middle of the plate, and then place where you have noticed roach activities.
Citrus is repellent to roaches, most specifically lemons, add a few drops of citrus oil to the water you use in mopping your floor, the scent will send roaches packing, although the scent won’t be detectable to people.
Using a glue strip will help you in identifying the affected area. The smell of the glue strip will lure them in and once they step on, the glue will trap them. It is safe, effective, and safe for pets.
Bait stations are very fast and effective. For fast results, set them in where you have noticed roaches activities, the smell will draw roaches in, after eating the poison they go back to their hiding place then die if it gets eaten by other roaches, the same thing happens.
Other methods you can use in getting rid of roaches from your property are;
Clean up your Environments as roaches most times get attracted to dirty environments. And then caulk all entry points. It won’t do you any good getting rid of roaches if new ones are finding their way in.
With over 5+ years of experience in pest control and a PhD in Entomology, our author brings a blend of scientific knowledge and practical expertise to Pestifier.com. Passionate about creating pest-free environments, they provide effective tips and strategies for managing and preventing pest infestations. Connect on Facebook for the latest updates and insights.