Pests/rodents and my yorkie

[Pammy2016]

I recently moved to Florida and the pest game down here is a whole lot different than up north.

My yorkie is just over a year old and she weighs a measly 2.5/3lbs. She's a little peanut. Lizards seem to be a problem getting in my apartment. I was thinking about getting one of them wall plugins to keep these small lizards and other critters from creeping in my apartment and having my family live on pins and needles, including our yorkie.

With her being so small, will one of them wall plugins hurt her or affect her health? I don't want to do ANYTHING that might hurt her or make her act differently. OR, for anyone that lives in Florida or down south, do you have any alternatives to a wall plugin to keep small lizards and other pests out? My yorkie and my family has been a nervous wreck since we found a nice sized lizard that snuck in the apartment yesterday afternoon and now we can no longer find it. We would like our peace of mind back!!

[matese]

I have a pest plug in for years, no rodents, no harm to my yorkie, I don't know if they will keep lizards out. Good luck.

[mrssabes]

It is my understanding that the plug-in pest controls work by sending electronic pulses through the wires in your home's walls. (Not just the particular outlet). Since your dog is so tiny, there could be a chance -- no matter how slight -- of accidental electrocution if the unit malfunctions or your dog licks an unprotected outlet elsewhere in your home. You should double-check with your vet, an electrician, and/or the manufacturer. (I do like how these devices seem to be an improvement over sprays and chemicals.)

My pest control company up here in NH knows I have a tiny dog and uses products that won't hurt him. (we're creative about repellent placement, not creating fumes, etc.) A good company will work with you and your unique needs.

[pstinard]

Here are some home remedies for getting rid of lizards: Easy ways to Get Rid of Lizards Infestation- Pocket News Alert

Some of them are dangerous to pets, such as moth balls and phenyl (phenol) tablets. Egg shells, coffee grounds, garlic, onions, and bird feathers are safe provided you keep them out of reach of pets. (Onions are poisonous for dogs to eat. Feathers could be a choking hazard. Coffee grounds contain caffeine, which is toxic in large quantities.)

There are a lot of different kinds of electronic devices for repelling pests, and not all of them work the same way, or are effective. The ones that emit high pitched sounds could irritate your dog's ears.

In tropical areas, lizards are often considered to be natural insect control, and people live with them and don't get rid of them. They are only really a problem in large numbers, or if they drive your dog crazy.

[yorkiemini]

We used to go to Florida every winter when my parents were Snowbirds. There were some tiny little lizards but they skedaddled when my little Cali was around. We even noticed the little lizards all sort of had shorter tails when she was around. She loved chasing them - kind of its own agility work out :PO
Most of them were in the patio room and rarely in the house.

[yorkietalkjilly]

More than likely she'll chase them, play with them until they are dead and try to eat them. Yorkies LOVE hunting and catching(ugh) critters.

[Lovetodream88]

We had those but I decided not to use them because I fear they can here or feel it. Have you told the land lord or whoever is in charge?

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by Pammy2016

I recently moved to Florida and the pest game down here is a whole lot different than up north.

My yorkie is just over a year old and she weighs a measly 2.5/3lbs. She's a little peanut. Lizards seem to be a problem getting in my apartment. I was thinking about getting one of them wall plugins to keep these small lizards and other critters from creeping in my apartment and having my family live on pins and needles, including our yorkie.

With her being so small, will one of them wall plugins hurt her or affect her health? I don't want to do ANYTHING that might hurt her or make her act differently. OR, for anyone that lives in Florida or down south, do you have any alternatives to a wall plugin to keep small lizards and other pests out? My yorkie and my family has been a nervous wreck since we found a nice sized lizard that snuck in the apartment yesterday afternoon and now we can no longer find it. We would like our peace of mind back!!

Uhh I doubt small lizards will do anything to her... I mean define "small lizards" -- how small are we talking about? Like those anoles? Anoles don't have the bite power to do much damage- if any.... the only thing ("lizard wise") that you should be cautious about is the nile monitor-- which is one of the species people were dumb enough to introduce to florida... maybe the "tokay gecko" if she ever managed to mess with a tokay lizard, maybe that will persist. They have a nasty attitude towards anything that gets close to it. They don't have the hardware to do much damage- but it still stings being bitten by one. If you mean the fence lizards or the scub lizards.. they cant do much damage to her either and lizards in general will leave you alone if you don't get close to them and start bothering them...

I will warn you, there are threatened species of reptiles over there... like the eastern indigo snake being one...

You do however have a few threats to your yorkie-- like real threats.. if he manages to find either the coral snake(the real one-- there's a fake one as well which is harmless - i.e. non venomous), cottonmouth, rattlesnakes, copperheads all of these are highly poisonous... you have 3 different species of rattlesnakes. The diamondback rattlesnake being the more aggressive and one of the more venomous ones... the coral snake is also highly dangerous and so is the cottonmouth and the copperhead.

As for a non-venomous but still highly dangerous snake that very "smart" individuals decided to release into the wild is the Burmese Python, which can grow to be 26 feet long and have more than enough muscle power (which is what pythons tend to rely on) to strangle the life out of a young child( about a 2 year old could easily be killed by a hungry burmese)... so that being said, a yorkie would be easy prey for one....

Overall, you should avoid handling any reptiles (especially the dangerous venomous snakes- one wrong move could cost you your life or end up at the hospital at the very least) and should call animal control to deal with it.

If you want to keep your place free of said reptiles.. I'd keep your yard(if you have one) clean of debris--- don't leave trash laying about-- snakes can make (and like to) a home out of lumber on the ground, tires, etc... anything big enough that a snake can get under will potentially make a snakes den'. In your garage(if applicable) keep it neat and organized. Don't leave things piled up.

Same thing applies to pest rodents. Like snakes, rodents hide underneath things like tires, logs, lumber in general, heck even a trash can turned upside down could make a potential home for a rodent....

Keep your grass short to discourage them from moving in. As for actual repellents...

If anything is coming inside your house-- usually there's underlying problems... Don't leave dishes unwashed, always eat in a designated area- keep it clean, and wipe it down(the table) to remove any smells. If anything spills, pick it up, mop if needed. Dry food should be kept sealed and stored in a container. Things like sugar, flour, etc should be kept in sealed containers.

The smell of food is a good enough reason for them to move in. Don't leave your dog food there for hours. If your dog doesn't eat when he's supposed to, throw it out. Make sure his dish is kept clean as well. Pet food will always attract rodents. By the way, don't be fooled into thinking that rats wont eat meat.... You'd be surprised what a hungry rat will eat...

Keep your living spaces clean, organized, and free of clutter. Rodents also like dark places to live in....

Even here up north we had a mouse find its way in our home once and was living under our stove. We found that if we left the door open even for a little moment during autumn unattended.. whatever was in the backyard would go in here. (Well not rabbits, but we had mice come in once, and another time a vole). If you want to set a mouse trap, you can always use peanut butter with potato chips mixed in or crackers(like the lays) for whatever reason... mice and rats seem to like PB a lot....

I would suggest leaving sticky paper anywhere near the entrances or anywhere they could get in... they'll be forced to go through the paper. Do check it often.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by yorkiemini

We used to go to Florida every winter when my parents were Snowbirds. There were some tiny little lizards but they skedaddled when my little Cali was around. We even noticed the little lizards all sort of had shorter tails when she was around. She loved chasing them - kind of its own agility work out :PO
Most of them were in the patio room and rarely in the house.

Probably a type of anole is what you mean... gecko perhaps.

[Wall-eWorld]

I've had those wall thingies with no effect on my pups. I get lizards too, especially on my screened in porch. They eat bugs so I let them be. If anything they'll be terrified of your dog and try to get away.

[FlyingNimbus]

Originally Posted by Wall-eWorld

I've had those wall thingies with no effect on my pups. I get lizards too, especially on my screened in porch. They eat bugs so I let them be. If anything they'll be terrified of your dog and try to get away.

Agreed, the only thing you could encounter that would harm your dog in florida is either of the 5 venomous snake species, the nile monitor perhaps, and definitely a burmese python (which like the nile monitor aren't native - but released by neglectful owners)... but most of these are unlikely you will meet... unless you live in any of their habitats, or near the glades... and even then as long as your yard, and the apartment lawns, etc are kept neat, tidy there should be little to no areas for them to hide under.

[MildredEdwards]

Same is happening with my yorkie too. I have even seen a sticky bug on her body. My aunt is suggesting me to go refer an animal doctor and to have an organic pest spraying at home to avoid the risk of further bug infestation. She is referring me to consult pest control Rocklin service, because she had a good experience with them. I really want to protect my yorkie from these creepy creatures.

[canana]

Originally Posted by yorkiemini

We used to go to Florida every winter when my parents were Snowbirds. There were some tiny little lizards but they skedaddled when my little Cali was around. We even noticed the little lizards all sort of had shorter tails when she was around. She loved chasing them - kind of its own agility work out :PO
Most of them were in the patio room and rarely in the house.

I have no experience with little lizards, but thought this was so funny.

[ritapatt]

My two are mesmerized by the anoles we have. My son often talks about getting an aquarium for them so Ziva and Abby don't have to stand in the heat to watch them. They occasionally chase but never catch them, I have to pay more attention to the slow frogs and remove them.

[TysonMyBoy]

I have a wall plug in for pests. It doesn't seem to bother my Yorkies; however, I'm positive it doesn't repel Florida lizards. Here's why


About three months ago, at approximately 1:30 am, Rin and Tyson decide they just have to go outside for a potty. The sleepy little buggers went out, did their business and quickly wanted to return to bed. I opened the slider to let them in. One by one, Tyson strolls in, looks around and walks towards the bedroom. Rin hops over the door sil and strolls across the dining/living room. A tiny albino lizard decides he needs new digs too. He strolls in right next to Rin. She turns towards the bedroom, he turns towards the couch. There I am, 1:30 am, chasing down a lizard for catch and release!!! and the dang YORKIES have gone back to bed.


Haha, they are worthless but I love them!! BTW, the lizard is harmless.