Gecko as bug repellant?

[destroyer427]

I have many small spiders, asian beetle, and box elder bugs in my newly purchased house and am looking for a cheap and easy way to take care of them. I'm working to seal the house better and eradicate all bugs I see. I've heard that geckos are extremely good predators for small house bugs.

Is it reasonable/advisable to purchase a gecko solely for bug extermination? Do I need to have a special cage/temperature requirements or can I simply unleash him into the warzone with a shallow bowl of water and expect results?

 

[Tommy13b]

Nope, Those inscects have immunitys to pestisides witch will harm/kill your gecko.

 

[Haligren]

Personally this doesn't seem like a very good idea. But I have an emotional attachment to my leos and feel that they should be spoiled. But considering how geckos are very good at eating bugs and not to mention it's a pretty green idea (despite the fact that you'll have to watch out for lizard poos in places that may be dangerous. Causing fires and what not. Although I'm not sure if reptile poo can cause fires I've heard of rodent feces doing this when they pile up too much in very warm places), I guess it should really depend on where you live. You might to check invasive species laws to make sure that the lizard you release isn't going to cause problems. Even if you seal the house there is still a chance the lizard could escape outside.

That being said, the pet store where I used to work had a very bad roach problem. So they purchased a few tokay geckos and released them into the building. It did the trick because there were hardly any roaches to be seen in the next few months. But they ended up with a lot of reptile poo on the shelves and rafters. :\

 

[Haligren]

Nope, Those inscects have immunitys to pestisides witch will harm/kill your gecko.

Oh yeah. I didn't even think about that. :B

 

[Foreverandever]

Dont do that

Use bug killer

 

[justindh1]

I've heard of people letting house geckos live in thier house freely. Don't know if it such a good idea but they are cheap and if you live in a warmer climate it might be a good idea but not sure. It could be the answere for your bug problem. I wouldn't use any other species for this for sure.

I've always thought it would be cool to look at the wall and see a gecko walking up the wall, lol!

 

[Misstasha]

hAHAHAHAHAHAHA omg thats the funniest thing i've ever heard.. Could you imagine if bug terminators jus came to your house and unleashed different types of animals to get rid of your problem.. Thats funny..

Personally I wouldn't do that... I've gotten a cat to get rid of a mice but thats kinda different. If you unleash reptiles in your house how are you gonna feed them? give them water? how will you know where they are, you could accidently sit on it, step on it, squish it with the couch.. There are soooooooo many possibilities for accidents... Also, I couldn't imagine the reptile staying very healthy so eventually, most likely, sooner than later you will end up with a dead reptile around your house... I'd jus get a bug terminator, or if you live in the states you can get a "bug bomb" those work really good!!

 

[Misstasha]

Another thing, you have no idea what these bugs are eating, and the geckos eat what the bugs eat, soooo if you have a gecko it will prolly die from something bad they ate, bad nourishment ect ect.. Get a cat... They love things that move! lol

 

[justindh1]

Well I wouldn't use a bug bomb for sure if you have reptiles. That stuff is potent and even with doors shut it could possibly leak and get into your reptile tanks and onto your reptiles. The ventilation systems in the house could allow it to get into a closed room too. Itse just too dangerous of an idea for me to spray a fog of bug killer that could possibly get on a reptile or thier inclosure. I've used it in other peoples houses and it leaves a sticky film all over everything. It could possibly do more harm then good.

Poisonous bug bait could be the better option but what if a bug eats it and gets into your tanks. Its all something that you have to think about but you can also think and worry too much. I would rather try to put some bug killer outside the house to see if that would help the bug problem inside. Most bugs in the inside come from the outside anyways. The weather usually draws them in along with a good supply of food that humans always leave lying around.

The reptile loose in the house thing isn't such a retarded idea. It a wierd one that would possibly work and be something interesting to look at too. If its illegal to release then that another thing.

 

[Barbel]

I don't think this is a good idea. All the issues that people already mentioned are a real threat to the geckos life and I don't think it would live long enough to solve your bug issue. Plus, even in a warmer climate, people have the A/C on most of the time and houses tend to stay a constant temperature so there would be no temperature range for the lizard to heat and cool itself. Also there wouldn't be access to sunlight (depending on the type of gecko) or other supplements. It would probably end up hanging out underneath large appliances like the refrigerator, the oven or washing machine where a lot of dust tends to gather. That is where my one of my skink's went we he escaped from his tank.
In theory a good plan, but in reality I don't think it will work.

 

[Baoh]

Depends on where you live and if there are any geckos already in your area.

 

[destroyer427]

Thank you for your responses. I think I'll just get a potent bug bomb to kill every living thing in the basement, any recommendations?

Also fyi, I live in Minnesota, temperatures vary from a dry -20F to humid 100F