Over time, we have learned to live with many animals and some are already part of our homes and daily lives. However, these may not be very attractive to certain people, who come to express feelings of fear and/or displeasure, so they prefer to keep them away. This situation is totally valid, since it is one thing to have respect for an animal and another to keep it close. An example of these animals that are often close to us are geckos, small lizards that enter our homes or offices.
If you are one of the people who prefer to keep these small and harmless animals away, continue reading this article on our site in which we are going to explain what odors the geckos so you can keep them away from your spaces without causing them any harm.
How to kick a gecko out of the house?
The geckos belong to the Gekkonidae family and are small lizards that can measure about 20 cm or a little more from head to tail. The scientific name of the common gecko is Tarentola mauritanica and has adapted to live in urban spaces, so it is very common to see it in homes and offices. The presence of some adhesive lamellae in the lower area of each of its five fingers makes it easier for them to climb practically all surfaces, which is why it is common to see it on ceilings and high areas of our spaces.
Despite being totally harmless to humans and also being an excellent biological controller, since its diet consists mainly of a great variety of insects and spiders that also inhabit our homes, some people are uncomfortable with their presence and even think that the gecko is poisonous. In this sense, if you want to have your home or office free of these animals, below we will offer you some useful tips to achieve it without causing harm or death, since these animals are living beings that also have the right to stay safe, so They deserve to be valued and respected. Let's know some ways to ward off geckos:
- Capture it to release it outside the home: If there is only one gecko, you could try capturing it. Using a piece of soft cloth, you can cover it and grab it, for example. Keep in mind that these animals have the ability to detach their tail as a method of distraction from a predator, so if this happens, don't worry, they can regenerate this structure. It could also be effective to capture it using a glass or plastic jar, for which you can help with another object that serves to guide it to the container. Once the lizard has been captured, you can release it in a park or area far from where you captured it.
- Seals cracks and fissures: Geckos, due to their size and body type, have the ability to get into small spaces, For this reason, it is advisable to seal fissures or cracks that may exist in the walls to prevent them from entering and, thus, possible spaces that can be used as shelter are eliminated.
- Eliminate other insects: if these animals are kept inside our homes and offices it is because, in addition to the temperature and shelter conditions They have found a place to feed. Therefore, if you eliminate the food source, it is also a way to press its exit. In this sense, it is important to keep the area free of all kinds of insects and spiders, which are the main source of nutrition for the gecko. To find out which insects attract lizards, take a look at this other article on What do lizards eat? - Babies and adults.
- Use screens: Once you have made sure that you do not have any geckos in your house, then it is important to try to keep doors and windows no gaps through which they can be re-entered. Therefore, check that they are well closed and, where necessary, use mesh or other material that prevents their passage.
And, of course, we can also drive them away through the smell. To do this, we will only have to make a homemade repellent with the ingredients that we will show you below.
Smells Geckos Hate
If you look at the components of the industrial products that are sold to repel geckos, you will realize that they have many natural compounds as active ingredients, but that they are also mixed with chemical elements that are not They can only be harmful to these animals, but also to people and the environment. Therefore, here is a list of odors that these animals reject and that, as you will see, belong to foods frequently used in your home:
- Pepper.
- Claves or spice.
- Cinnamon.
- Cade or juniper tree (Juniperus oxycedrus).
- Garlic.
- Onion.
In general, these odors are unpleasant for geckos because, when the molecules released by these products enter their cavities, they can be irritating, so that they move the animal away but without causing significant or permanent damage.
How to make homemade gecko repellent?
Once we know the smells that geckos hate, then you can prepare a homemade repellent, which you can spray on the places where they usually hide, as well as on windows and doors. Next, we explain what you need and how to do it:
Ingredients:
- 10 g of cloves or spices.
- 10 g peppercorns.
- 10 g cinnamon stick.
- 10 g cade or juniper trunk (optional).
- 500 ml of water.
Preparation:
To prepare a homemade gecko repellent, just follow these steps:
- Crush each of the ingredients as much as possible.
- Then, pour them into a small pot and add 500 ml of water.
- Heat over low heat until it boils and half the water evaporates.
- Let cool, strain and transfer to a spray bottle.
This mixture you can spray it in various places where you have seen geckos. You can also spread it around possible hiding places, as well as around doors and windows.
As you have been able to read in this article, it is not necessary to damage or use harmful chemical agents to keep geckos away from your spaces. Putting these simple tips into practice, you can have your home or office free of these harmless and particular animals that accompany us on a daily basis.
