Gecko's! (Plano, Coppell: lease, new home, kitchen cabinets)

[playafigi]

Hey guys,

I just bought a new home up in Coppell, and I have noticed the past couple nights that little gecko's pretty much take over the patio area once the sun goes down. I like the little guys, but I was just wondering from some other homeowners... how many of these critters are typical on a given summer night? Also, do they dissapear once the cold weather starts coming in? I'm just wondering what to expect really. Do they often make it into your homes, or just hang around outside and chow on bugs all night? Thanks for any input, I appreciate it!

[lh_newbie]

We have seen gecko's in the house before. Inside isn't their favorite space though, as their food source (bugs) is not inside.

The only thing you can really do is get rid of their food source - a Pyrethrin misting system, bug zappers, bat houses, etc. Not much else you can do about them - after all, they are doing you a favor and killing bugs.

My parents have named theirs - Lizzy always hangs out on their kitchen window screen. Larry has a bent tail and hangs out on their porch. My parents are really quite funny!

Brian

[kaykay]

I detest geckos!!! Can I say it any stronger than that??

I don't mind them outside but they do tend to get into the house sometimes and that's what I really hate!

Thankfully, yes they do disappear in cooler weather! They are harmless and some people actually like having them around because they eat insects.
I used to work as receptionist for a pest control company. I kept asking my boss if there was something I could do to get rid of them. Do you know what his answer was? "Kaykay...you don't get rid of them! Lizards are beneficial!"
Frankly, I'd rather have the bugs!

If anyone knows any way to get rid of them or at least discourage them, I'd love to know!

[lpepping]

Yep I have some Gecko buddies as well. They mostly stay outside the front door. I rarely see them inside.

[redmenace]

I love anything that eats mosquitoes -- but when lizards and geckos come in the house, they (unfortunately) become cat toys.

So there ya go, kaykay.

[KBilly]

Consider yourself blessed! And, if they are green, they are not geckos, they are anoles, and just as beneficial.

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by redmenace

I love anything that eats mosquitoes -- but when lizards and geckos come in the house, they (unfortunately) become cat toys.

So there ya go, kaykay.

I have heard that before. We had a kitty cat for years, and I think my husband prefers the geckos to dealing with a litter box again.

[m00se]

Originally Posted by playafigi

Hey guys,

I just bought a new home up in Coppell, and I have noticed the past couple nights that little gecko's pretty much take over the patio area once the sun goes down. I like the little guys, but I was just wondering from some other homeowners... how many of these critters are typical on a given summer night? Also, do they dissapear once the cold weather starts coming in? I'm just wondering what to expect really. Do they often make it into your homes, or just hang around outside and chow on bugs all night? Thanks for any input, I appreciate it!

I've lived in the D/FW area for over 17 years now and never saw geckos until about three summers ago. I find it a coincidence that they seemed to have appeared at the same time diazinon was removed from the shelves. I'm ok with seeing them and never kill them unless they venture inside the house. It is the darn waterbugs that I can never deal with and I have this wish that geckos like to eat those fugly things.

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by m00se

I've lived in the D/FW area for over 17 years now and never saw geckos until about three summers ago. I find it a coincidence that they seemed to have appeared at the same time diazinon was removed from the shelves. I'm ok with seeing them and never kill them unless they venture inside the house. It is the darn waterbugs that I can never deal with and I have this wish that geckos like to eat those fugly things.

That settles it then. Bring back the Diazinon!

I think I started seeing a few geckos the first summer we moved to Plano which was in 1996. Since then they have become more and more prevalent.
We leased a house in 1999 that was an older home and not as "tight" as far as cracks and crevices. We were overrun inside with them then. That was when I developed my geckophobia!

[lh_newbie]

If you don't want them in the house, your only option is to seal the inside of the houses perimeter. Many homes have "cracks" that they can get inside the home either at the bottom of the wall, under the baseboard molding, inside kitchen cabinets or around leaky doors/windows.

If you have hard surface floors and have a gap between your flooring and base moldings, caulk those shut. Look inside your kitchen/bathroom cabinets - if you see gaps - caulk those shut also. Make sure your windows and doors seal properly, applying caulk and weather stripping where needed. Having a well sealed perimeter into your home will keep out the geckos (and bugs).