If you’ve been having problems with wall geckos in your house, you may be wondering why they have such an affinity for your home. So, what attracts wall geckos?
These small reptiles are attracted to warmth, light, insects, still water, and humidity. By eliminating such conditions from their house, homeowners can reduce the chance of wall geckos coming in.
Read on to learn more about what attracts wall geckos. We’ve also included some tips and tricks to deter these creatures from your home.
Why Do Geckos Come In the House?
Here are the main aspects that make wall geckos want to come into your home:
Are Geckos Attracted to Light?
If your house is always well-lit, there’s a larger chance of wall geckos inhabiting it.
The reason behind this attraction will become more apparent in the next section.
Do Geckos Follow Insects?
Wall geckos’ diet consists primarily of insects. Therefore, if there are a lot of insects inhabiting your household, then you can expect wall geckos to follow suit.
Light attracts most insects into your home. This is why wall geckos also want to be close to those lights.
Do Geckos Like a Warm Environment?
As with most reptiles, wall geckos thrive in warmer conditions. In turn, they’re likely to want to slither into your heated home, especially when it’s cold outside.
This is another reason why you often find wall geckos residing in the shade or housing of a light bulb. They find solace in the bulb’s radiating heat.
Openings and Cracks
If your house has plenty of avenues to enter from, this is another factor that significantly raises the chance of having a wall gecko in it.
For example, if you’re constantly leaving your door ajar, then there’s a high possibility that a wall gecko will have found its way into your home.
Cracks and crevices in the walls are other possible points of entry for wall geckos. These lizards are tiny and agile, making them able to slither their way into your household through the smallest of openings.
Still Water
Finally, wall geckos love humid areas with stagnant water. If your house has leaking faucets or pipes, this is the perfect recipe for the exact conditions that wall geckos are looking for.
Ways to Keep Away Wall Geckos
Here are some tips and tricks to deter wall geckos from calling your place home:
Create Unfavorable Conditions For Them
The best way to keep wall geckos at bay is to make your home a place they don’t want to be in. You can do so by stripping away the conditions that wall geckos prefer. These conditions are a warm environment, still water, and plenty of hiding spots.
Make sure to turn your thermostat to as low a temperature as possible too, especially at night. We understand that this can be rather inconvenient. But, this is the price you’ll have to pay if you live in an area with a high gecko population.
As for eliminating any still water that may attract wall geckos, you can do so by fixing any leaking pipes or plumbing around the house.
Finally, always ensure your house is as clean and uncluttered as possible. This minimizes the potential for hiding spots that elusive wall geckos can use to get in your home undetected.
Place Some Eggshells at Points of Entry
Playing ticks on these pesky reptiles is a great way to shore up your line of defense against them.
Geckos have an instinctive tendency to steer clear of areas where they see eggshells. They’re wired to behave this way because the presence of eggshells leads them to believe that there’s a predator nearby.
Here’s what to do:
Leave two eggshell halves at your front door, back door, and any other points of entry your home has. You may also want to have eggshells next to parts of your wall where you know there’s a crack.
Make sure to replace them with fresh eggshells every month or so to keep this decoy looking convincing.
What to Do If There’s Already a Wall Gecko in Your House
If it’s too late for prevention, then you’re probably searching for ways to capture and remove the wall geckos lurking around your house.
Here are some methods you can use to do so:
Using Sticky Traps
As we’ve previously mentioned, the insects that make up a wall gecko’s diet are attracted to light. Therefore, you’re most likely to find these creatures lurking around the light sources around your home.
This is why setting up sticky traps inside light bulb casings is incredibly effective in capturing both geckos and insects.
Despite the effectiveness of this method, it’s also incredibly cruel. Not only do sticky traps capture wall geckos, but they also allow them a slow and painful death.
Using the Coffee and Tobacco Ball Method
Another trick to use when trying to weed out the wall geckos lingering around your house is the “coffee and tobacco ball” method.
This involves mixing together tobacco powder and some damp coffee grounds. Squish the mixture with your hands to form a ball and pierce it with a toothpick.
Place your coffee and tobacco ball in a conspicuous spot. When the wall geckos find it, they’ll mistake it for food and eat it. Their decision will prove fatal.
Do Geckos Go on Beds?
If you’re worried that you’ll get the unpleasant surprise of a wall gecko in your bed at night, don’t fret.
These small lizards come into your home in search of food and shelter. Both these things aren’t ones they’re likely to find in your bed.
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering what attracts wall geckos, the answer is light, insects, warmth, and still water.
Make your house as unappealing as possible for these pests by using the tips we’ve outlined in this guide.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.