In many places, the sightseeing of a gecko may lead to some running, screams, and drama. But you should stop for a moment and remember this. While you sleep and do other house chores, a gecko might be saving your life! Don’t you believe me? Keep reading then.
Did you know that the common house gecko (hemidactylus frenatus) plays a great role in your home ecosystem? Well then, geckos usually can be found during the day, hanging by the walls, most often near light sources.
If they are present in your household it means they are hunting for a lot of bugs. House geckos are well known for their love of eating cockroaches, and many other living creatures.
Why Do House Geckos Eat Cockroaches?
Cockroaches can be a great source of protein, carbs, and fats. They are nutritious food and some experts consider them a complete food. No wonder why house geckos love them! They are basically all they need to survive.
What Attracts Geckos to Your House?
House geckos will be after four main things in your house, which are:
- Shelter
- Warmth
- Food
- Water
Their primary source of food will be small insects, but if you happen to have some extra crunchy cockroaches around, this will be the main reason why geckos are constantly attracted to your house.
Are Geckos Good at Pest Control?
We know that geckos can be an invasive species, but they are able to do quite a job when it comes to controlling some plagues. Of course, if you do have a bug infestation in your place, you’ll need an army of geckos, but if you have the occasional roach appearing here and there, a few geckos might handle them.
Other than that, you’ll need to hire a professional exterminator, or at least, take more preventive measures against your infestation.
Do Geckos Get Rid of Cockroaches?
Any house gecko can eat all of your roaches until it’s bursting full. But depending on the situation (and the size of the infestation), a house gecko may not be enough to get rid of your cockroaches. Also, please have in mind that a gecko prefers higher grounds, while cockroaches generally travel on the floors.
Can Geckos Eat Small Roaches?
This species can eat a lot of roaches of all sizes and shapes, as long as there are cockroaches to eat, geckos don’t usually complain about the size of their prey. They will love them as long as they keep coming!
Can I Use a Gecko to Get Rid of a Cockroach Infestation?
You can use a gecko to get rid of a cockroach infestation, however, please keep in mind that a single gecko will not be able to get rid of a HUGE cockroach infestation. They will eat roaches up to a limit, then, they will get full.
Don’t expect a gecko to eat a lot of roaches per day, and an adult gecko may eat up to 16 insects a day. Converting that to cockroaches and depending on the size of the roaches, that number can be reduced to 8.
Adult geckos may only eat every other day, if they are sick they don’t tend to eat that much often. That can happen if they fed themselves with cockroaches that are poisoned by pesticides but haven’t died from it.
Even if you have an army of geckos, it might not be enough to handle all of the cockroaches. Keep in mind that cockroaches can breed fast and small ones are very fast, so they can potentially escape from slower geckos and breed more roaches elsewhere.
If things get to bad, contact a professional exterminator as soon as possible. They will handle better the situation for you.
Fun fact: This is the main reason why roaches stand still for days.
Considerations to Have by Letting Geckos Handle a Cockroach Infestation
- Appearance: Some people might not like, or at least don’t feel comfortable when having a small lizard in a corner of the room. Others might find them cute but the general public sees them as a tad creepy.
- Gecko droppings: When having geckos pooping around, things can become a little bit messy. Geckos will leave small droppings generally by doorsteps or wall corners. Even if it’s not very noticeable, you should do your best to clean it up, especially if it falls on carpets and tables.
How Long Will a Gecko Live In My House?
As long as your house can provide them with food, water, and a warm shelter, the gecko will remain nearby. If they have the key ingredients to survive and thrive they will live in your house for up to 5 years.
If your house has some nice cockroaches that can provide nutritious meals to the geckos, then get familiar with them. As long as you welcome them on friendly terms, they are there to stay. And you’ve adopted yourself some friendly geckos for life!
Conclusion
Although it may seem an odd suggestion, you should still consider giving a chance in keeping geckos in your house. Having a gecko who is capable of eating roaches, may come with many benefits, especially if you do have a pest problem.
Since geckos love to eat cockroaches, you may find yourself with the perfect self-sustainable pet for as long as the situation works for both of you.
