What are wall Geckos?
Wall Geckos, also referred to as house Geckos or house lizards are a group of reptiles that are often seen on the walls of our buildings such as in the house or offices or factories. Some species of wall geckos hide during the day and appear only at night. Wall geckos hide in cracks where they will see light. Their major food is the insects they can catch around the house. While Wall geckos are not harmful, poisonous or dangerous, they can be a source of discomfort to us, just through their mere presence. Their presence could also scare little children. Wall geckos can also fall into our food if not properly covered. Note that wall geckos can be found in any house whether clean or dirty.
How to know if you have Wall geckos in the house
One sign of the presence of wall geckos is their black/brown droppings with a white tip. An even more obvious sign is if you see one crawling up your wall. Although wall geckos help to ward off insects such as spiders in your house, they can be a pest in their own right. This article provides you with information on how to get rid of wall geckos in your space in Nigeria. Read on below:
There are various home products that are inexpensive and effective which you can use in getting rid of wall geckos in your house.
- Garlic and Salt
Garlic and salt are an age-long remedy in getting rid of wall geckos.
Blend the garlic and salt together.
Spread the mixture in the areas of your house where you normally see wall Geckos,
The smell of garlic and salt will chase them away because they do not like it.
- Eggshell
Get an Eggshell and break it in half. Do not squash the shell into pieces. Carefully break it into two, and keep the eggshell in those areas of your house where you normally see wall Geckos. This is a very effective and inexpensive way to scare away geckos. When they see egg-shells, they think it is a predator. Leave these eggshell halves around your home, such as at entries or in the kitchen.
- Do not crush the eggshells, leave them in two halves.
- One of the two-halves at every entrance is enough. The geckos only need to run into it. That will scare them and they will run away from it.
- So, the eggshells will not start to smell, change them every 3 to 4 weeks.
- Plant some mothballs
Mothballs are small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant which one can use when storing clothing and other articles which can easily get damaged from mould. Moth-balls are used to protect articles from moths, cockroaches, ants, flies, and wall geckos. Leave mothballs around the house to repel geckos.
- Set sticky traps.
You can set sticky traps such as fly papers around the house. Many of the insects that wall geckos eat are drawn to light, so, oftentimes, geckos will hang out in these areas. Placing sticky traps near light sources to catch both wall geckos and other insects. You can also set sticky traps near windows or other entryways. If you find a live gecko stuck in one of your sticky traps, you can unstick it and set it free by simply pouring vegetable oil over the trap.
- Make a coffee and tobacco ball
Take some coffee and tobacco powder, form a small ball with your hands and stick it to the end of a toothpick. Put this in areas you often find the wall geckos or where you know they will easily find it. The geckos will consume some of this ball and die.
- Onions: Cut some onion up to keep wall geckos at bay.
- Cayenne pepper, Chili Powder or tobacco sauce
You can use this to make a homemade pepper spray. The irritation felt by humans when pepper spray is sprayed on them is the same as that felt by geckos when sprayed. Mix some pepper and water in a spray bottle and spray the solution around your home in hidden places such as under the refrigerator, behind the couch, or on the walls or any other warm place. Be careful not to spray in excess as this may irritate even you.
- Render your backyard inhospitable to geckos.
Your backyard can be a welcome host for geckos in your home if you have water, insects, and other hidden spaces there. Here are some guidelines to follow in order to make your backyard inhospitable to wall geckos:
- Remove any places where there is water stagnation. These are the breeding grounds for insects that wall geckos prey upon and acts as sources of hydration to geckos.
Other tips to help you get rid of Wall geckos in Nigeria
Ensure your windows and doors are properly sealed. Wall geckos can enter your house or office through openings in windows or doors. Ensure you fix nets in your doors and windows. Sliding windows are not the most reliable because wall geckos can stroll into the house even when they are closed.
Eliminate all insects in your house by routinely fumigating them and through the use of insect killers. Since wall geckos feed on insects, if you make sure these insects are unavailable, the geckos will not want to stay. Regular fumigation from professional pest control services, like Pro Care, and the use of insecticides help eliminate insects and geckos.
If you have much luggage and baggage in your house, especially if they are heaped on each other, declutter them as this is a good breeding ground for wall geckos. This is a perfect dwelling place for the geckos. Discourage this by decluttering luggage. Ensure you make your office and house as scanty as possible. This way, wall geckos will not have a hiding place. Do the same with your kitchen, avoid piling utensils and cartons so the geckos will not have a place to hide.