Gecko-Proofing in Hawaii
I received an email from a reader this morning:
Hi Jeff,
Read your comment to “It’s not a bird. it’s a gecko.” You said, (you) have pretty well gecko-proofed (your) house. Want to know how you did it. They are all over the place, dropping their poop everywhere. Can you tell me how (to) gecko proof my place. Aloha. (Joy)
I started the process of gecko-proofing years ago. While geckos may seem cute to visitors, those who live with them full-time know how destructive they are.
Specifically, they defecate on everything and anything you own. Their droppings typically contain salmonella, which should be a real warning on leaving food out. It also stains most light colored things, and can both make a cleaning nightmare and destroy valued possessions.
Here are my top three gecko proofing ideas:
1. Clean everything first.
You’ll see where the old problems are and then start with a clean slate to find new trouble areas.
2. Check the seals on all doors and windows.
Remove screens, as you’ll likely find white eggs, or eggshells in the space between the window frames and the screens. These spaces need to be filled (with foam filler strips). Check the space under doors, as geckos can slim out and squeeze under most door frames. Seal any gap with various hardware options.
3. Caulking is your best friend.
Any gaps around walls, doors, windows, ceilings, and roofing need to be filled. This may take some time to complete, so start with the biggest holes and those closest to the recent droppings. When caulk isn’t big enough, try spray foam filler.
There’s a fourth tip which I’m cautious to mention–but it scares the daylights out of the geckos. Any guess what it is? Feel free to comment.
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We have learned to love these little critters, even as Hawaii residents. It’s mostly the visitors who get freaked when they hear the gecko noise at night-time.
We always educate our guests that geckos are nocturnals and eat little insects and spiders in the house. So, good to have them around! We also tell people that geckos are extremely shy and they have nothing to fear from them.
Sorry that I cannot agree with you this time, Jeff. But I must admit we never had a huge invasion of geckos on our house or rental places. I know gecko ‘poop’ all over the place can be very annoying.
Mouse traps?
Roach hotels help a lot but they can get pretty stinky.
We found that when we started collecting and killing all the ones we could catch outside at night, it really cut down on the population inside the house. They are very territorial, and if you don’t kill them, you must take them very far away or they will be back in the same spot tomorrow night.
Funny that Geico thinks we actually like geckos in Hawaii.
We hate them.
Please, Larry, don’t generalize your own belief about the relationship between geckos and people in Hawaii.
Roaches, OK, I think it’s safe to say that all Hawaiian residents and visitors hate them. To say that about the geckos, I’d be careful.
I made my point last time and don’t want to repeat myself. Having lived in Hawaii for 30 years, our house never got taking over by an invasion of geckos. Maybe those little creature love us…
So, please, let visitors find their own way to accept them. Geckos are part of our Hawaiian fauna. They belong to the islands! Hope you are not successful in killing them all.