Are you dealing with geckos in your home? These creatures can be pestering, especially if you are scared of them. They make disturbing sounds and leave their droppings around the house. Although some people are okay with them, you may not like to have them around.
How do you get rid of house geckos? You can deal with these creatures using simple household items like mothballs, garlic, eggshells, and coffee balls. On the other hand, you can take it a step further using sprays and sticky traps or even deal with their food source first.
Once you’ve succeeded in driving the geckos out of your home, you need to stop them from returning. In this article, you’ll find out what attracts these creatures and how you can keep them away.
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First, why are house geckos attracted to your house?
Geckos are attracted to water. Many homes have hoses or puddles, which can attract these little reptiles and encourage them to enter your home. And where there’s water, there are insects which they feed upon.
Additionally, if your doors and windows are constantly open it makes it even easier for geckos to enter your home where they find several places to hide. Make sure to check your cupboards and crevices often!
Simply closing your windows and doors, filling any cracks, and putting the hose away can deter geckos from using your home as their own. Without space to get inside and no insects to feed on, they will have no reason to seek shelter with you.
Are geckos dangerous? Do they bite?
Generally, geckos are non-venomous and harmless creatures. They rarely attack but can bite if they feel threatened.
Biting is their form of self-defense. Although gecko bites are usually painless and not deep, they can transfer harmful bacteria such as salmonella which can lead to an infection if left untreated.
Why you shouldn’t kill house geckos
Geckos are amazing creatures that happen to occasionally find refuge in homes. They are beneficial to humans because they feed on pesky insects like moths, flies, termites, cockroaches, and spiders. They are natural pest control agents that will help keep the pest population down.
If you have a small insect infestation and geckos are laying around your home, it may be a good idea to leave them alone while they take care of the insects. You will have to put up with their droppings, however.
Geckos are friendly creatures. They pose no threats to humans and are very beneficial as pest control.
When do house geckos become pests, though?
Geckos become a problem when they come indoors, crawl up walls, under appliances, and start leaving behind their droppings. While some people find them cute, others may find them annoying because of the noise they make. This is when they become pests. Although geckos are predators of insects, they may become a nuisance when they move into structures. Their droppings can stain fabrics, carpets, and curtains, which will only make them more annoying.
How to get rid of house geckos
If you can’t live with house geckos, you can breathe easy knowing that there are several methods to prevent them from coming into your home with items you probably already have.
Eggshells
Eggshells, surprisingly, ward off these creatures. Place two eggshell halves in strategic areas of your house like the doorways, the kitchen, or areas you normally find them. Make sure the shells are not crushed and change them weekly to prevent them from spoiling (although the smell might keep the geckos out).
Sticky traps
You can catch geckos using sticky traps. Since insects are attracted to light, you can place flypaper near the trap and keep them near a light source. This will help draw the insects to the light and catch the geckos as well – two birds with one stone.
This procedure, however, is inhumane because the geckos will slowly dehydrate to eventually die. If you find a gecko stuck in one of your traps, you can set it free. Simply pour vegetable oil over the trap while gently peeling the animal from the glue. This way you won’t injure it.
Catch them and release them outside
If you are not scared of geckos, you can try grabbing them and taking them outside. Alternatively, you can use a box with insects, which will attract them. Once they get in, close the box and release the geckos outside.
Plant some mothballs
Aside from repelling ants and moths, mothballs also work great against geckos. Place them in the crevices of your house such as under the refrigerator, or close to the entrance. This method is best to only be used if you don’t have kids or pets around. These balls are poisonous!
Onion slices
Onion slices can be helpful as well if you can tolerate the stench. Slice your onions in halves and place them in areas where geckos may be hiding. Just the smell of this ingredient will irritate them enough to drive them away.
Make a coffee and tobacco ball
You can form balls out of coffee grounds and tobacco powder to ward off house geckos. You can easily achieve this by sticking the balls to the end of toothpicks and keeping them close to their hideouts. But a warning: If they eat these balls they will die.
Garlic cloves
It’s no news that garlic has a very strong scent that repels insects. What you may not know is that garlic also works for geckos. Leaving a clove of garlic around your doorways can prevent geckos from getting in.
Pepper spray
You can buy pepper spray or prepare it at home. Just mix some pepper and water in a spray bottle and it’s ready. Then you can spray the solution in certain areas of your home where geckos may stay.
How to prevent geckos from getting into your house
There are a few easy steps you can take to help stop geckos from getting into your house. Read below!
Keep your house clean
To ward off geckos, it’s important you keep your home clean. Sweep and clean regularly, including the exterior garden and waterways.
Geckos love water and areas with hideouts. Thankfully, there are several things you can do to make your house unattractive to geckos while still living comfortably.
First, rearrange your belongings to reduce hideouts. For instance, you want to stop leaving boxes and papers on the floor. Move your furniture a few inches from the wall. Avoid too many pictures, since geckos hide behind them.
You also want to fix any leaky pipes in the house. Remember geckos like moist areas, so fixing these pipes would dissuade them from getting in.
Seal cracks and crevices
This is another entry point for geckos. Even if you are unaware of any, you should walk the perimeters of your house to look for any crevices large enough for little geckos. Fill any cracks with caulk and seal up holes. Don’t forget your windows as well – keep them closed or fix a proper screen.
Keep your backyard clean and uncomfortable for geckos
If you have a gecko-infested backyard, it won’t be long until you find them inside your home. You want to ensure that your backyard is not attracting these creatures.
First, remove any object that is collecting stagnant water. You know that geckos love a moist environment, so you want to water your yard moderately. If you have bushes around your house, it’s a good idea to keep them trimmed down.
Secondly, you are aware that geckos feed on insects, and insects are drawn to light. So you want to switch off outdoor lights when they are not in use. You can even go the extra mile and get dim lights.
Get a Cat
Cats can help with your gecko problem. Having a cat around can reduce the population of geckos in your house. If you are not comfortable with all other methods, you can try this out. You will want to ensure that you remove the remains of the geckos when the cats kill them, though.
Reduce their food source
We know that geckos help reduce the number of insects around your home, but having a lot of insects can attract geckos. This happens because they are looking for an abundant and easy source of food.
Geckos would leave your house if they don’t find insects to feed on. Because of this, one way to prevent them from coming is by reducing or eliminating their food source.
There are natural and chemical ways to get rid of insects in your house. You can try simple tricks like diatomaceous earth and foggers.
Other ways to keep the insect population down is the use of essential oils, vinegar, and insecticides.
You can also prevent them by maintaining cleanliness, storing food materials properly, disposing of waste correctly, and removing stagnant water.
Read this before you leave!
Geckos are harmless reptiles that can offer you free pest control. Is there a possibility you can live with them?
If not, you don’t have to kill them or harm them. You can opt for humane procedures to let them know that they are not welcome in your home. Alternatively, you can redirect them to another area of your house that you wouldn’t mind having them by creating a moist environment for them outside.
Leave a bucket of water to attract them to that area. You can use sugar water and nectar, which will grab the attention of both insects and geckos. If they can feed there, they’ll stay there. So the goal is to attract insects that’ll get the geckos outside.
