What to do when a gecko gets into your home, and is gecko urine toxic?

In rural areas, many people have geckos in their homes. It is said that geckos, along with centipedes, scorpions, venomous snakes and toads, are known as the “Five Poisons”. So if a gecko is in your home, how should you deal with it? Is its urine toxic?

1. How to deal with a gecko in your home?

1. Do not swat or kill it

If you find a gecko in your home, it is best not to hunt and kill it violently. On one hand, this is to avoid an unnecessary “bloody conflict” (a cornered gecko will bite). On the other hand, the gecko itself is a beneficial animal that preys on mosquitoes, spiders, moths and other pests in the home. It usually moves around wall corners at night and will not harm humans unless provoked.

2. Drive it away in a targeted way

If you really cannot accept “sharing a room” with a gecko, you can try keeping a few small birds at home (geckos are afraid of birds), or apply a layer of toothpaste along the wall corners and wiring, and disinfect the floors and furniture at home with disinfectant. This way the gecko will retreat from your “territory” on its own and look for a more comfortable next home.

2. Is gecko urine toxic?

1. Gecko urine is mildly toxic

Although folk tradition in our country says that gecko urine is highly toxic: if it touches the eyes it causes blindness, if it enters the ears it causes deafness, if it contacts the skin it causes sores and ulceration, and accidentally eating food with gecko urine in it causes poisoning and shock…… Because of this, elders at home generally warn children not to hit a gecko when they see one, but to stay away from it.

In fact, scientific verification has shown that the main components of gecko urine are uric acid and water, and it does not contain effective toxic components. However, gecko urine is indeed slightly toxic, because geckos often frequent dark wall corners and carry many viruses and bacteria on their bodies. This is also why some people develop symptoms such as itchy skin, redness and swelling, and sore throat after touching a gecko or gecko urine.

2. Situations in which geckos bite people

Under normal circumstances, geckos are very timid and will not actively attack humans, but if they are in heat or have been startled, they may bite. So what should you do if you are bitten by a gecko?

Most geckos are non-venomous, but there are also extremely rare species that carry venom. Therefore, if you are not sure whether the gecko that bit you is venomous, it is recommended to first take a photo of the gecko that bit you, then rinse the wound thoroughly with clean water, apply some iodine for disinfection, and then go to the hospital to consult a doctor about whether this kind of gecko is venomous and whether further treatment is needed.

3. Geckos can be used as medicine

In fact, the gecko is an animal-based traditional Chinese medicinal material, often used to make wind-driving oil and circulation-promoting oil to treat injuries from falls and blows, rheumatic joint pain and other conditions.

It is now winter, which is the season when geckos hibernate. For those who keep geckos themselves, be sure not to let them move around at low temperatures, or they will gradually die. If you do not want them to hibernate, simply keep the temperature at around 20°C.