You said you couldn't find a single repellent that works. The evidence agrees with you. Most sprays found have both "lizards disappeared" reports and "lizard sat in the sprayed spot" reports for the same bottle — the exceptions are noted below (Repl has no failure quote yet, on only 3 ratings; Mikado's has no success quote at all). The only approach every credible source agrees on isn't a spray at all — it's sealing the gaps and removing their food.
1) Seal + mesh + starve them — best mechanism. 2) If you want to test one spray, test the cheapest best-of-weak one for 7 days. 3) Remove single lizards by hand. Everything else below is ranked by how weak its proof is.
Generic praise — "great product", "good quality", "fast delivery" — was not counted. A product only counted when a real user specifically said the lizard left / stopped coming / disappeared / was found dead because of it. Those exact quotes are shown below, for and against.
Ratings are the research report's own. "Weak" doesn't mean "maybe good" — it means the evidence is limited and inconsistent: for most sprays, a few specific success quotes that are contradicted; for naphthalene, only blog/anecdotal claims with no specific "lizard gone" quote found (see §5). Nothing on this list earned "Strong".
| # | Option | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical prevention — seal 0.4 cm gaps, mesh, remove insects, yellow/amber light | Weak–Moderate — best | Only method every credible source agrees on; removes the cause |
| 2 | Herbal Strategi / bb home spray | Weak — strongest weak | Most "disappeared after 5–7 days" reports of any spray; also many failures |
| 3 | HIT / Mortein direct spray + cold water to slow, then trap/remove | Weak — one lizard only | Paralyses/kills on direct contact; doesn't stop the next lizard |
| 4 | Liz No More, OXILY, Repl, Cleno, Dr.PestGo, PESTERO | Weak | 1–3 success quotes each, outweighed or contradicted, 3.2–3.5★ mostly |
| 5 | Naphthalene balls — closed cupboards only | Weak • Toxic | Report's rating: only blog claims that the smell deters in enclosed spaces — no specific "lizard gone" quote found; poisonous — avoid with kids/pets |
| 6 | Eggshells | Weak — anecdotal | 2 forum "gone next day" claims; no science; hygiene risk |
| 7 | Garlic / onion / black-pepper spray | None found | Only blog claims; no specific success quote located |
| 8 | Coffee + tobacco balls | None • Toxic | Blog claim it kills if eaten; no user "found it dead/gone" report found |
| 9 | Ultrasonic plug-ins | None | Consensus: no reliable effect; habituation; FTC action |
| 10 | Peacock feathers | Myth | Direct user failures — lizard walked over the feather |
Lizards in Indian homes are a symptom, not the disease — they're telling you there's an insect problem and an open entry. As pest firm Pointerz puts it: "Home remedies such as eggshells or onion slices don't stop lizards for long. Removing the insects they eat, and the gaps they use, does." Pointerz Safe Home · LivSpace
Geckos squeeze through gaps as narrow as 0.4 cm. Seal cracks with 100% silicone / aquarium-safe caulk; pack larger gaps around pipes and cables with fine copper mesh or steel wool, then caulk. Fit door sweeps and weather stripping. Don't forget AC pipe gaps. Source: EngineerFix
Fine mesh on windows, vents, chimneys and exhaust openings does double duty — it blocks lizards directly and blocks the insects they hunt.
"The primary reason lizards enter Indian homes is to hunt insects" (LivSpace). Keep the kitchen clean at night, cover food, fix leaks and standing water, clear clutter behind cupboards, keep furniture ~6 inches from walls.
Geckos aren't drawn to light itself, but to the moths and flies around it. Use yellow/amber / warm-white bulbs (2,000–3,000 K, >550 nm) outdoors and near windows, switch off unneeded lights, use motion sensors. Source: EngineerFix
Honest limit: no source gives a before/after count proving sealing alone cleared a Hyderabad flat. It's rated Weak–Moderate because the mechanism is sound and universally endorsed — but it's slow, needs the whole flat done, and shared walls/ducts mean new lizards can still arrive from neighbours and common areas.
Herbal Strategi — and bb home on BigBasket, which is the same maker (Herbal Strategi Homecare Pvt Ltd, Malur, Karnataka) and the same formula — has the most specific disappearance reports of any product found. It is still only Weak, because the same product has direct contradictions.
Sources: BigBasket — Strategi · BigBasket — bb home · Shopsy
The pattern for most of them — a couple of "gone" quotes, equal or stronger failure quotes, low ratings. Two exceptions: Repl has a success quote but no failure quote surfaced (only 3 ratings, too small to trust), and Mikado's / the "Gecko" spray have no qualifying success quote at all. One OXILY reviewer warns the good reviews are "all fake". A MyLot user from Calcutta summed up the category: "I once bought a lizard repellant spray on Amazon... didn't work... when I sprayed it, they would hide in nooks and crannies and then come out again."
Evidence: None The scientific and regulatory consensus is near-unanimous against them.
"The research is nearly universal: Ultrasonic pest repellers are not an effective option" — animals "seem to habituate to the sound over time." A Journal of Pest Science study on lizards specifically found repellers "did not significantly reduce their presence." The US FTC has warned makers since the 1980s–90s and sent warning letters to 60+ makers in May 2001; the EPA does not register these devices, so makers need not submit efficacy data. Sound is blocked by walls and furniture and loses ~half its energy within 15 feet.
Directly falsified. A Threads user tested it: "Jab yahi maine kiya toh lizard feather ke upar se chalkar andar kamre mein aa gyi hai" — the lizard walked over the feather and came into the room. An Instagram reel on the same belief has "dozens of users reporting lizards sitting on or near the feathers", and even a pro-feather site concedes "The probability of it working is uncertain."
MythTwo forum claims: "My maid gave this remedy… From the very next day the lizard will be gone." and "This is a trick that always works." No scientific mechanism; replace weekly to avoid decomposition and bacteria.
Weak — anecdotalNo specific success quote was located — only generic blog claims. In a Facebook comment thread, users reported "pepper sprays had no effect on lizards" and onions were eaten by rats rather than repelling them.
None foundNo specific "lizard gone" user quote was located — only repeated blog claims that the smell deters them in enclosed spaces. One pest site: effectiveness "is not scientifically proven." See the safety warning below before considering them at all.
Weak • ToxicThe Better India quotes one person in Mangaluru vouching for them; HomeLane claims lizards that eat the mix "would soon die due to the caffeine and nicotine." That's a claim, not a user outcome — no report of finding a dead lizard / lizards gone was located. Toxic — see below.
None — claim onlyMixed comments only: "some claim success while others say lizards remained unaffected." On a kapoor+Dettol reel, commenters report "is not working" / "Fake bro i tried".
None / WeakNot a repellent — a capture aid. "Cold water does not usually kill them, but it can immobilize them long enough to trap or remove them." Effect lasts minutes; the lizard returns if entry and food remain.
Weak — removal onlyThis works on that lizard. It does nothing to stop the next one — only sealing and starving do that.
Spray cold water to slow the gecko, then trap it with a jar and cardboard and release it outside.
IndiaStudyChannel users: "Using HIT or mortein spray on them… second and third worked." PestClue: pyrethroid sprays "will usually be immobilized in seconds" on direct spray. No product is labelled for lizards — see safety below.
What they actually do is not a lizard-killing treatment. HYD Pest Care is explicit: inspection first, then treatment of insect attractants and entry conditions — "The approach focuses on reducing the conditions and entry opportunities that attract or support lizard activity." In other words, they kill the lizards' food.
| Provider | Price (index) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GetPestControl / MovingSolutions | 1 BHK ₹700 · 2 BHK ₹1,200 · 3 BHK ₹1,500 · +18% GST | "spray chemicals, pesticides, and insecticides… prefer non-lethal methods" |
| HYD Pest Care (Adibatla, +91 79899 80326) | From ₹1,299 | Inspection-first, follow-up where applicable. Serves Gachibowli, Madhapur, HITEC City, Kondapur, Kukatpally, Banjara Hills. |
| TechSquadTeam | General pest control ₹950 (listed ₹1,900, 50% off) · inspection ₹150 | Covers house lizards, flies, ants, spiders; eco-friendly chemicals claimed. |
| ServizMate | Lizard control from ₹500 · general ₹500–₹1,500 | CIB-registered chemicals claimed. |
Herbal essential-oil sprays (Strategi, Cleno, OXILY, Liz No More) are marketed baby/pet-safe and are the lowest-risk sprays — but essential oils can be toxic to cats (especially tea tree/citrus) and to pet reptiles, birds and small mammals, and peppermint oil is itself toxic to reptiles. Keep sprays off food surfaces and utensils; ventilate.
House geckos themselves: not venomous, not poisonous — India has no venomous lizard species. Droppings can carry bacteria, so keep food covered and clean droppings. They eat mosquitoes and flies.
Naphthalene balls: "Naphthalene can be toxic if ingested or inhaled in large quantities. Only use this method if you don't have small children or pets. Never place near food items." Overexposure can damage blood cells; naphthalene is suspected of causing cancer. If used at all: only inside closed cupboards/wardrobes, out of reach, never in kitchen/food areas.
Coffee + tobacco: nicotine and caffeine are poisons — keep out of reach of children and pets.
HIT / Mortein / Baygon: insecticides not labelled for reptiles. Don't spray on food, in a closed bedroom, or where children/pets will contact wet spray; ventilate and wipe surfaces.
Weekend job: caulk 0.4 cm+ gaps, mesh vents/windows, yellow/amber bulbs near windows, kitchen clean at night. This is the durable fix.
bb home / Herbal Strategi 100 ml, ₹165–₹220, 2–3 bottles, same spots daily for 7 days. If nothing changes by day 7, stop — don't buy a second brand hoping.
If insects are heavy, book general pest control (₹500–₹2,000 in Hyderabad) for the food source — get the re-service terms in writing first.