Get Rid of Common House Geckos

Do you find occasional geckos wandering about your home? Here are some tips that help you get rid of these nuisances.

Steps

 * 1)  Check your home for insects.  After all, that is their food source; if you cut that out, then the geckos should leave soon after.
 * 2) Also, try glue traps. The flat type, with just the slightest raised edge. The gecko will eventually run across it and be caught. If you catch it in time, you can pour veg oil on the trap and release him. (It's pretty gross though.)
 * 3)  Plug the ways they are getting in your home. Check under your doors for cracks in the door sweep, and around windows for non-sealing areas. Spray bug spray liberally once a month on all door sills and window sills. If you spray your outside bushes near your house, it should help reduce bugs and reduce the food source.
 * 4)  Try mothballs. They are believe to repel geckos. But this is a last resort, as mothballs smell a lot worse than geckos. Place a mothball on a piece of tape near door entry or window ledges. Mothballs disintegrate in water, so placing them outside does no good.
 * 5)  Geckos have a lifespan of close to 5 yrs, and prefer warm, humid areas. They are nocturnal and hide during the day, so you'll probably encounter your house mates at night. If it's colder than 65 at night, geckos will try to get in your house to warm up. You may discourage their entry by turning down the thermostat.
 * 6)  Geckos were on the rise in Texas in summer 2007 due to unusual rains and humidity. Crickets were a plague, and spawned a delicious feeding frenzy for the geckos. Prompt removal of crickets from the outside (and inside!) of your home will reduce gecko food sources.
 * 7)  If you can catch the gecko merely by slapping a plastic bowl over it and sliding a paper under the bowl top, you can hustle the gecko outside and far away from your home. This works temporarily for small infestations. Remember, a cold gecko is a slow gecko, so it helps to keep your house cooler.

Tips

 * Geckos don't like:
 * keeping your house cooler than 65 at night
 * bugspraying their food sources
 * mothballs
 * glue traps

Warnings

 * Never use mothballs when children or pets are in the home. They are toxic.

Related

 * How to Deal With Animals in Your House
 * How to Keep Raccoons off Your Bird Feeder Pole
 * How to Get Rid of Fleas
 * How to Chase Lizards out of Your House