What To Do If You Find A Baby Gecko In Your House

Lizards and geckos can often find their way into homes, especially in warmer climates. If you discover a baby gecko in your house, you may be wondering what to do next. Handling and removing a baby gecko requires care and caution to ensure its safety and wellbeing.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Carefully capture the gecko with a container or gloves, then release it outside in an area with bushes or trees. Avoid harming or stressing the gecko. Gecko eggs or an adult gecko may still be in your home, so search carefully!

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about finding a baby gecko in your house, including identification, humane removal and release, preventing further infestations, and gecko facts.

Identifying Baby Geckos

Distinct Physical Features

When you find a small lizard in your house, how can you tell if it’s a baby gecko? Young geckos have some distinct physical characteristics that set them apart from adult geckos and other types of lizards.

One key identifier is their size—newly hatched geckos are typically 0.75-1 inch long, not including their tails. They also have proportionally large heads and eyes compared to the rest of their bodies at this juvenile stage. Another helpful clue is coloration.

While adult leopard geckos have yellow and black spots, babies may have banded color patterns of alternating light and dark stripes running the length of their bodies.

In addition to size and color, baby geckos lack the leathery skin texture of mature geckos. Instead, their skin has a smooth texture and can appear somewhat translucent right after hatching. Their undersides are also lightly colored instead of the thick, darker patterns that develop as geckos grow.

Their tiny feet, nails, and prehensile tails that function as gripping tools will all be underdeveloped compared to adults. So if you spot a little lizard with an oversized head, vibrant colors, smooth skin and small clutch tools exploring your home, it’s likely a baby gecko!

Size and Age Differences

Newborn geckos are quite tiny—as small as 1 inch from head to tail tip—in contrast to average adult leopard geckos which reach sizes of 8-10 inches long. As geckos grow and mature, their size can help indicate age ranges. Geckos under 2 inches long are typically between 1-3 months old.

You can expect a medium-sized 3-5 inch gecko to be 4-6 months old. Geckos longer than 6 inches are often adults at least 1 year old or more.

Of course, size is not always a consistent indicator since factors like nutrition, species type, and genetics also affect growth rate. But together with other changing physical features, gradual increases in body length and head width can give a rough estimate of a gecko’s age.

For a more accurate age determination, gently check the gecko’s underside for a hemipenal bulge behind the cloaca—this develops within a few months, allowing males and females to be distinguished earlier than sexual maturity. By understanding what features distinguish babies from adults, you can identify lost geckos, assess age for proper care, and enjoy watching your little lizard grow over time into a more developed gecko!

Capturing and Removing Baby Geckos Humanely

Using Gloves or Containers

If you find a baby gecko in your house, the most humane way to remove it is by gently capturing it using gloves or a container. Baby geckos are extremely fragile, so you want to avoid touching them directly with your hands as this can injure them.

The safest option is to wear gloves, scoop up the gecko gently, and place it into a plastic container with air holes poked in the lid. You can also use a soft paintbrush to guide the gecko into the container if needed.

Avoid containers that are too large, as you don’t want the gecko to be knocking around inside. The goal is to capture it as calmly and quickly as possible to reduce stress.

Releasing Outside Quickly and Safely

Once you’ve captured the baby gecko, it’s important to release it outside right away in a safe location. Look for an area close to your home that provides plenty of hiding spots and coverage, like bushes, tall grass, or a garden bed with mulch and plants.

Gently tip the container on its side and allow the gecko to crawl out on its own into the vegetation. Avoid dropping the gecko or exposing it to potential predators like birds or cats. The best times to release geckos are in the early morning or evening when temperatures are milder.

Providing a little water can also help the gecko rehydrate. The key is acting quickly so the gecko doesn’t become stressed or dehydrated while in captivity. With some simple preparation and care, you can humanely remove a baby gecko from your home and give it the best chance to thrive outside.

Locating Gecko Entry Points and Preventing Further Infestations

Sealing Cracks and Crevices

One of the best ways to prevent geckos from entering your home is by sealing up any cracks or crevices they could use. Geckos are able to squeeze through incredibly tiny spaces, so you’ll need to seal gaps that are 1/4 inch or larger.

Carefully inspect window frames, doors, attic access points, holes for pipes and wires, and anywhere exterior siding meets interior walls. Caulk, weatherstripping, metal flashing, copper mesh, and expandable foam sealant can all be useful for this purpose.

Take time sealing cracks both inside and outside the home to cover all possible entry points.

In addition to sealing up cracks, you can install door sweeps or draft stoppers at the bottom of doors and replace old windows and screens that may have holes or gaps. Make sure all vents are covered with mesh that is less than 1/4 inch openings.

Also, ensure roof tiles or shingles are intact, as missing ones can allow access. Taking the time to thoroughly seal all possible entryways can go a long way toward keeping geckos out of your house.

Using Pesticides Safely

While sealing up cracks is the best preventative measure, you may also need to use some pesticides to get rid of geckos that have already moved in. There are a few different products that can help:

• Diatomaceous earth – This powder made from fossilized algae damages the waxy coating on geckos’ skin, causing dehydration. Spread it along baseboards, window sills, attic beams, and anywhere you’ve spotted geckos.
• Insecticidal dust – Products with active ingredients like pyrethrins or silica gel work similarly to diatomaceous earth. Puff small amounts into gecko hiding spots.
• Insect growth regulators – These stop juvenile geckos from maturing, eventually reducing the population over time. Use in attics or crawlspaces.
• Baits and traps – Bait with live insects lures geckos into sticky traps or bait stations. Place them along walls or in other high-traffic areas.

When using any kind of pesticide, carefully read and follow all label directions. Only use products intended for indoor use and approved for geckos or lizards specifically. It’s also a good idea to isolate and cover any food or cooking surfaces when applying products.

With proper usage, pesticides can be effective at eliminating unwelcome gecko guests.

Deterring Geckos Naturally

For those looking to avoid chemical pesticides, there are some natural options to make your home less inviting to entering geckos:

• Plug in ultrasonic pest repellers in rooms where you’ve seen geckos. The high-frequency soundwaves are inaudible to humans but scare geckos away.
• Use strong scent repellants like garlic, cayenne pepper, vinegar, citrus, or gecko-repelling essential oils. Wipe along entry points or mix with water in a spray bottle.
• Place natural predatory urine along baseboards and entryways. Snake, fox, coyote, or bobcat urine smells signal danger to geckos.
• Install bright lights around the exterior of your home at night since geckos avoid brightly lit areas.
• Apply sticky tape/glue traps outside near entry points rather than inside. They lose effectiveness once covered in dust or debris.

The key with natural deterrents is reapplying them frequently, as they lose potency over time. Combining several different methods together can be the most effective approach for encouraging geckos to stay away without the need for toxic chemicals.

Just be aware it often takes more diligence than pesticide applications.

Caring for a Baby Gecko You Can’t Release

Housing Needs

If you find a baby gecko inside your home that you are unable to release back into the wild, you will need to provide proper housing for it. An ideal enclosure for a juvenile gecko is a 10-20 gallon tank with a secure screen top.

The tank should be kept between 75-85°F during the day with a basking spot of 90°F provided by an overhead heat bulb. At night, temperatures can drop to 65-75°F. Give your gecko hiding spots like fake plants, branches, and cork bark.

Substrates like paper towels, reptile carpet, or coconut fiber work well. Avoid sand or particles that could be accidentally ingested. Keep the humidity around 40-60% by misting the tank once or twice a day.

Feeding and Hydration

Baby geckos need to eat every day. Feed juveniles a diet of small insects like crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and occasional treats like fruit puree. All feeder insects should be gut loaded with nutritious foods. Dust insects with calcium + D3 and multivitamin powders at every other feeding.

Provide a small, shallow water dish that is cleaned and refilled regularly. Mist the tank daily to provide drinking droplets. Watch to ensure your gecko is eating, pooping, and growing normally. Take an underweight or lethargic gecko to an exotic vet.

Keeping Tanks Clean

Spot clean your baby gecko’s tank every day by removing feces, old food, and any shed skin. Do a full tank cleaning every 2-4 weeks. Transfer your gecko to a temporary holding container, then completely empty the tank. Wash all decorations, hides, and the tank itself with a 5-10% bleach solution.

Rinse thoroughly and allow to fully dry before moving your gecko back in. Replace substrate, add cleaned decor back, and thoroughly disinfect any water bowls or food dishes. A clean environment is crucial for your gecko’s health.

Interesting Facts About Geckos

Nocturnal Hunters

Geckos are primarily nocturnal lizards, meaning they hunt for food at night. Their excellent night vision gives them an advantage over prey like insects, spiders, and scorpions. Many geckos also have specialized cells called rod cells in their retinas that improve light sensitivity.

In fact, the tokay gecko has 350 times more rod cells than humans!

Special Toe Pads

One of the most fascinating gecko adaptations is their toe pads. Tiny hair-like structures called setae on gecko feet interact with surfaces at a molecular level through van der Waals forces. This helps geckos adhere to almost any surface, even smooth glass.

An average gecko has around half a million setae on each foot!

Vocalizations

Many people don’t realize geckos can make sounds because they don’t have vocal cords. Male geckos like the tokay gecko are very vocal and make unusually loud croaky noises to define territory and attract mates. Their mating calls can be as loud as someone shouting!

Some geckos like the gold dust day gecko use non-vocal acoustic signals through tail slaps and head bangs.

Life Span

Depending on the species, geckos live between 10-20 years in captivity if cared for properly. The current record for the longest living gecko in captivity is a leopard gecko that lived to be 28 years old!

In the wild, geckos tend to live shorter lives around 4-8 years due to harsh conditions and predators.

Conclusion

Discovering a small, delicate baby gecko in your home can be a surprising encounter. With some gentle care and quick action, you can safely capture and release the gecko outside. Be sure to thoroughly inspect your home for additional geckos or entry points, and use humane prevention methods to avoid future infestations.

With the right approach, you can remove a baby gecko from your house while ensuring its wellbeing and survival back in the wild.