Gecko Control: How to Get Rid of a House Gecko

This page is an expert guide on getting rid of geckos from your property using the products and methods suggested by our experienced pest control specialists. Follow this guide and use the recommended products. We guarantee you will eliminate geckos from your house.

Geckos are a common pest around residences. They can actually be beneficial, as they eat bugs around the home. The problem occurs when they begin slipping their way indoors, crawling up walls and under appliances, and leaving behind their droppings. 

While geckos are practically harmless to us, if they have been crawling in filthy areas, they can transfer that filth and bacteria into your home, which can be concerning if they get into your kitchen.

In the guide below, we will cover how you can identify and control a gecko using our expert advice and product recommendations. 

Identification

Before you can proceed with a treatment approach, it is important to identify and be certain that you are dealing with a gecko. Misidentification can lead to using the wrong treatment method, which could cost you money and time.

• Geckos look and behave very similar to your average lizard because a gecko is classified as a type of lizard. This means that all geckos are lizards, but not all geckos are geckos.
• Geckos have scaly skin and long tails that can detach, regrow, and change color to blend with their surroundings.
• The main difference between a common lizard and a common house gecko is that geckos do not have eyelids. Therefore, they cannot blink and have to lick their eyes to clean them.
• Geckos have broad toes that are sticky on the ends, allowing them to crawl up walls and cling to surfaces.
• Another big difference between geckos and lizards is geckos have a voice and can be noisy, making chirping-type noises to communicate.

Use the description and image above to help you determine whether the pest you are dealing with is a gecko. If you are unsure, contact us, and we will have one of our experts assist you with identification.

If you are dealing with a lizard instead, check our Lizard control page. The treatment method and control products will be highly similar, but identification for these pests may differ.

Inspection

After you have confirmed that you are dealing with a gecko, you can move on to inspection. This phase of the process will help you determine where the gecko is most active, what is attracting them to the area, and where you should focus your treatment applications.

Where to Inspect

Geckos can be found on every continent except for Antarctica. They are primarily found in the temperate and tropical zones where it is considerably warmer. They thrive in rainforests, jungles, deserts, grasslands, mountains, and also urban residences among human beings. 

Geckos are nocturnal animals, so you might not see one in your house, but you can hear it bark or chirp at night. They are usually found in kitchens and pantries where food is prepared and stored or on walls and corners.

Geckos thrive outdoors in warm, humid areas where they can crawl around on rotting wood for bugs to eat. You can also find them in garden areas or along the exterior walls of a home.

What To Look For

You should look for intruding geckos or evidence of their presence. The main proof that they are active in the area is fecal droppings that can stain carpets, drapes, and curtains around the house.

Treatment

To treat geckos invading your house, you must address the issue of insects. Geckos are around for a reason, usually because you have a heavy influx of insects in your yard and around your home. Reducing the insect population will reduce the activity and presence of geckos, essentially serving as an indirect gecko repellent or deterrent.

When mixing and spraying insecticides, read the label carefully and wear the proper PPE (personal protective equipment), such as gloves, safety glasses, and a safety mask.

Step 1: Apply Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules

Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules is a great granular insecticide that kills a long list of insects for up to 90 days and can significantly reduce the presence of insects, taking away a gecko's food source and forcing it to go elsewhere.

Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules should be applied as a broadcast and perimeter treatment. To use them, you will need a granular spreader. Measure the square footage of your yard to determine the amount of granules to apply, and then load the appropriate amount into the spreader.

Apply around the perimeter of your structure. Next, apply it all over the yard (broadcast), making sure to use it in mulch areas, landscaping, and at the foot of ornamentals. Finally, the product can be activated by watering the areas treated.

Step 2: Apply Supreme IT

Indoors, you should also address insects, and thus, we suggest applying Supreme IT Insecticide as a crack and crevice treatment. Supreme IT is an insecticide concentrate designed to control over 70 different insect pests and has repellent qualities.

For a general application of Supreme IT, 1 fl. oz. with 1 gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. 

Mix and apply this product with a handheld pump sprayer.

Spray a barrier treatment around points of entry to your home, doors, windows, and cracks and crevices. Avoid the treated areas until the product dries. 

You can also apply the Supreme outdoors in flowerbeds, on your ornamentals, and turf to keep the bug population down, removing the gecko's primary food source.

Step 3: Use Glue Boards

If you have spotted the gecko indoors but have lost sight of it, placing glue boards along the home's entryways can help capture the invading gecko or possible future gecko invasions so they don't make their way indoors. Solutions Pro Glueboards come in increments of 12, allowing you to establish good coverage around your home so the Gecko is captured quickly.

Simply peel off the protective paper of the glue board and place it around your home in areas where geckos may be active or try to sneak indoors. If geckos get caught by the board, you can quickly dispose of the board and the stuck gecko.

Prevention

After you have eliminated geckos from the area, you have to make sure they don't make a return. Here are some preventative measures to keep geckos away and ensure they don't return.

• Geckos like warm, wet hiding places. Keep your house clean, and don’t let things like boxes or newspapers pile up.
• Get any plumbing leaks fixed immediately - you don’t want those geckos to start breeding. 
• Finally, it would be best to forget that geckos can find their way into your home by squeezing through the smallest cracks and holes. Preventative pest control practices like exclusion can help make it less likely that you see a gecko in your home again.
• Thoroughly examine your house from the outside for holes that geckos might enter, and seal them properly with tape or caulk. For areas where using caulk is not feasible, apply Stuf-fit Copper Mesh.

Key Takeaways

What are Geckos?

• Geckos are classified as a type of lizard known to invade residential areas.
• Geckos discovered inside your house are usually a sign of an insect problem in your yard that needs to be addressed.

How To Get Rid of Geckos Inside and Outside The House

• Reduce the insect population with a combination of Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules and Supreme IT Insecticide to indirectly serve as a gecko repellent. As a result, geckos will leave your yard to search for food elsewhere.
• Trap geckos on the loose in your home with Solutions Pro Glue Boards.

Preventing Gecko Reinfestation

• Seal off entry points with caulk and copper mesh to reduce the likelihood of geckos sneaking into your home.
• You can also perform periodic follow-up applications of Valar Plus Bifenthrin Granules and Supreme IT as a deterrent to keep the insect population down so geckos will not have any reason to come back and look for a meal.