Geckos are small reptiles. You could call them the cuter version of lizards if you like pets like that.
They are an essential part of nature, mainly because they eat bugs and insects, thus reducing their disturbance. However, stumbling on a crawly reptile in your ceiling or walls can be unnerving.
Without proper examination, you could even mistake them for snakes because of how fast they crawl away. This speed also makes it difficult to trap them, much less chase them out of your home.
Geckos move quickly and can disappear down the nearest hole before you know it. However, they are not dangerous, nor will they attack you or your pets.
- A gecko’s first response to your movements is flight. So, whatever you do, ensure that potential hiding spots or exits are covered.
- You can utilize the holes that geckos would run into by setting a trap close to it or making a hole of your own to lure it in.
- Geckos run quickly, so it’s going to go down fast. Get all your tools ready before you set out to chase and catch them.
Although geckos do not sting or attack, they can drop into your food or leave bits of excreta in raw or cooked food.
This would pose a health risk to you and the people around you, so keeping your home gecko-free is best to avoid contamination.
In the rest of this article, we have provided a step-by-step guide on how to catch geckos. Our FAQ section also provides further details that will answer any other questions.
6 Ways To Catch a Gecko
Whether it’s a pet gecko that has escaped its enclosure or a wild gecko that’s staining your walls with its presence, you must be very calm when trying to catch a gecko.
They can be pretty skittish and run very fast. So, you risk scaring them off when you make sudden moves.
1. Identify Escape Holes
When trying to catch runaway geckos, the first and probably the most crucial step is to find out how they got out of their inclusion in the first place.
If the gecko strayed into your home, you need to check what holes or entrances it came in through or what cracks it can slip through while trying to catch it.
This step is necessary because it lets you know how or why it happened, and you can now take measures to prevent a reoccurrence.
2. Block or Seal Them Off
After finding the holes where geckos come through, you should cover or seal off such entryways. Sometimes, such holes could hide your geckos temporarily. If you intend to chase out a gecko who has strayed into your building, leaving the holes open would allow the gecko to escape, and it may be hard to lure them out afterward.
Instead, take a quick sweep along the walls and corners in the area where you found the gecko. Then cover up any holes or cracks that they could slip through.
This way, when you begin to usher the gecko through a particular path, it will have no choice but to move in that direction.
3. Choose Your Method and Get Your Tools Ready
Now that you know that geckos move fast, you should also bear in mind that whatever moves you will make in catching them must be very fast. So you have to decide your bait method or trapping method before you move to catch a gecko.
Initiating a chase before getting your items ready will outrun you and leave you scrambling to find your trap. So if you have decided to use a glue trap, set it along the pathway you chase the gecko.
Have your bait and lure box ready for action if you want to bait it.
4. Calmly Attempt To Pick Them Up
Geckos also have an intuitive flight or fight response to which that choice is usually flight. When they sense sudden movements in their directions, their inclination is usually to scuttle off.
If you want to quietly move them from one place to another, for instance, from a corner in your wall to a bush far away from your home or back to its enclosure, you can approach it calmly and pick it up and places where you want it.
This might take a little experience, so don’t feel bad if you cannot do this on your first try.
5. Set Glue Traps
This option would be suitable only for people who do not want house geckos as pets. Glue traps are small boards or flat surfaces that have glue layered on them.
To use them, set them strategically or along corners and edges where you typically see geckos crawling. You could put small bits of food or insects to attract them nearby. In an attempt to reach the snack or to crawl through to the other side, they will become stuck in the glue trap.
If you have pet reptiles, this method may not be ideal, as getting your pet off the glue board would be tricky. It could even hurt their skin or injure their health.
6. Baits
Baiting a gecko is relatively safe because it doesn’t require using any substances that could be toxic to you or the reptile in question. Instead, you would need some treats and a trap box that could be made at home or the store.
Most geckos like mealworms and beetles. You can use any of your favorite treats to lure them in if they are pets. You only need an empty juice or water bottle to create a homemade trap.
Put some treats in it, and leave it where the gecko can comfortably crawl in. They often find it hard to crawl out and would likely remain in the bottle till you return to toss them out.
Conclusion
Whether you keep them as pets or they are random strangers, you would rather not encounter them. Geckos are part of our environment. And the chances that you may run into one at some point or another are high.
The key here is to keep a watchful eye. Pet geckos can slip through cracks or holes in their enclosure and get lost outside.
On the other hand, wild geckos can crawl into your home if you leave doors open or windows unattended. Whatever you do, be gentle when handling geckos, and be sure to wash your hands afterward!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Gecko Bite You?
Geckos rarely bite their owners or people in general. However, leopard and tokay geckos are known to bite when they feel threatened.
They have teeth, so when they clamp down on fingers or whatever part of your skin gets in their mouth, they can draw some blood and perhaps a slight swelling. While these animals do not carry contagious viruses, their bites could potentially pass harmful bacteria to you.
So be careful when handling wild geckos or yours. If you get bitten, clean off the site with a bar of antibacterial soap and some antibiotic ointment.
Can You Get Sick From Touching a Gecko?
Geckos carry a bacteria called salmonella. Salmonella affects the intestinal tract, so there are often traces in an infected gecko’s feces.
Physical contact with such geckos could pass salmonella to you and make you sick. Although the symptoms aren’t intense, you could still get a bad case of nausea and diarrhea.
You could protect yourself by washing your hands when you handle geckos or common surfaces. You should also ensure that your cooking areas are gecko-proof.
