Don’t panic! A gecko in your apartment is not a pest, but rather a small, free-roaming pest. In many warm regions (such as the Mediterranean or Asia), they are even considered lucky.

Why you shouldn’t get rid of it
There are excellent reasons to simply leave your little roommate alone:

Perfect pest control: Geckos eat mosquitoes, flies, spiders, ladybugs and even cockroaches. One gecko can eat dozens of insects in a night.

Completely harmless: They are neither poisonous nor do they bite people. Even if a gecko feels threatened and bites (which is extremely rare), it is completely harmless to people.

Clean and quiet: It doesn’t chew on cables, damage furniture or food, and leaves almost no marks.

Shy and reserved: Geckos don’t seek contact with people. You won’t even see them most of the time, as they are nocturnal and hide behind paintings or in crevices during the day.

What you should do (if they are allowed to stay):

Just ignore them: Leave them alone. They will find their own prey, usually near light sources where insects congregate.

Be careful when closing doors: Make sure you don’t accidentally trap a little guy in the gaps between the doors.

Keep pets away: Cats and dogs often view geckos as toys or prey. If necessary, protect your gecko from your pets.

What to do (if you absolutely want to get it out):

If you can’t stand the idea of ​​a reptile on the wall or are worried about your cat, catch it humanely:

The container method: Carefully place a large glass or plastic cup over the gecko. Slowly slide a piece of cardboard or paper under the opening.

Catch it gently: Never grab a gecko by the tail! Many geckos shed their tails when threatened (autotomy). While this won’t hurt them and they will grow a tail, it costs the animal a huge amount of energy.

Let it out: Place it in your garden, on your balcony or near bushes, preferably in the evening or in the shade.

Tip: If you want to keep geckos out of your home permanently, the best solution is to install insect screens on your windows. Without insects as a food source, geckos will naturally move outside.