Gecko control in Al Shawqiyah, Makkah

Targeted, not broadcast

Product goes into cracks and runways, never sprayed across open surfaces.
Told before we start

What we will use, where it goes, and what to cover or move before we arrive.
A follow-up visit

We return after the first treatment, because what survives it does not show on the day.
Homes and businesses

Apartments and villas, and kitchens and stores that need a record of each visit.

Why they keep coming back in Al Shawqiyah

Small ground floor shops that stock grain, dried fruit and dates attract dense populations of prey insects, and the flats above them show geckos weeks later as the population rises upwards. The method is set out in full on our Gecko control service.

The first reason

The shop's food and the flat above it

Ground floor shops hold exposed food: vegetables, dried fruit, grain and dates. The gecko feeds on the insects gathering on this food at night, then climbs ventilation shafts and pipes to reach the flats. Treatment must start from below.

The second reason

Mixed-use requires coordination

The flat owner has no control of the shop beneath, and geckos enter through the gaps between them. Treating only the flat leaves pathways open from the shop below. Coordinating treatment across shops and flats protects all of them.

The third reason

Damp wiring and old plumbing

Leaking water and drain pipes in the old Al Zuhur quarter seep moisture around the footings. Small cracks around these pipes hold eggs and males safely. Clearing these zones of crevices before spraying is essential.

Al Shawqiyah on the map

Al Shawqiyah sits about 2 km from Al Kaakiyah and about 2.5 km from Al Malik Fahd.

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Before treatment

The food, the opening and the crevice decide the method

Al Shawqiyah is split between the close-packed old Al Zuhur quarter west of Al Misfalah and the newly planned wide streets of Wali Al Ahd, and through this patchwork the gecko carries prey between the building layers.

A small house gecko resting on a pale wall

The house gecko

The house gecko in Al Shawqiyah depends on small insects fed by the open food displays in ground floor shops, so when the shops are treated the food stops and geckos disappear from the flats above.

Outdoor lighting

External lighting of shops at night attracts insects in volume, and geckos come for the prey concentration not the light, so shortening the hours when the shops are lit reduces insects and reduces geckos.

An insect screen on a window, seen close up

Window mesh

Fine wire mesh on ventilation openings between floors blocks geckos and large insects, and it costs less than repeat treatment over time.

Air-conditioner pipes passing through an outside wall

The air-conditioner sleeve

The air conditioner sleeve in old flats is large and poorly sealed, and geckos enter it directly from the shop below or from the pipes, and installing a mesh guard stops them.

An electrical distribution board mounted on a wall

Meter boxes and electrical panels

Electrical panels in old Al Zuhur flats sit in damp and mould, and cracks around the wiring offer safe entry, so clearing this zone is essential before spraying.

A garden wall with watered planting beside it

The garden and the irrigation

Umm Al Mumineen Park with its walkway attracts families by day but trees shelter insects at night, and treating around the park reduces the insects that feed geckos across the district.

How we work

1
Inspect at night and find the source

We come at the hour it is actually moving, and establish which wall face it is living on, which lights are gathering its food, the entry points and the crevices it wedges into by day.
2
Treat the food source

We treat the flying and crawling insects on the wall faces, around the perimeter and around the lighting. Once the food goes, the wall stops being worth staying on.
3
Close the openings and clear the crevices

We seal the air-conditioner sleeve, screen the vents and drain outlets, deal with the underside of doors, and place a repellent in the crevices and behind panels so they move out before anything is closed.
4
The follow-up visit

We come back once the glued eggs have hatched, check the seals held, and re-treat any wall face where activity has returned.

What gecko control includes

A recorded night inspection

Wall faces, lighting, entry points and egg sites, all established before anything is applied.
Treating the insects on the walls

Targeted treatment around lighting, windows and the building perimeter, because the food is what keeps it there.
Placed repellent in the crevices

Behind panels, in wall joints and at the ceiling-void entries, where it sits out the day.
Screening vents and drain openings

Shafts, vents and the condensate outlet, which are entry points nobody looks at.
Aftercare instructions

Ventilation, what to cover, and the change to the outside lighting that stops the insects gathering again.
A scheduled follow-up

A set date after the first treatment, a check on the seals and re-treatment of anything still active.

What is different about Al Shawqiyah Sub-Municipality

Al Shawqiyah sub municipality runs south from the Third Ring Road to the city's edge on the Al Layth road and the Jeddah expressway. Planned districts such as Al Shawqiyah, Al Malik Fahd and Bathaa Quraish have wide streets, villas and apartment blocks, while schemes in Wali Al Ahd are being built out and informal housing in Al Ukayshiyah and Al Zuhur is being cleared. The vegetable market and livestock auction at Souq Al Halaqa, open construction sites, the rocky slopes of Jabal Thawr and sewers still being laid through the southern fringe offer exposed food, shelter and moisture.

Questions about this district

Is the ground floor shop the reason geckos are in my flat?

In a mixed district, yes. Ground shops provide food and moisture, and the gaps between layers create highways. Treating the shop alone will not clear your flat if external lighting stays broken.

How often must I treat if the shop below will not cooperate?

Geckos return faster from the untreated shop below, so repeat visits are necessary. Coordinating with your neighbour cuts the number of visits needed.

Are shared ventilation openings between floors a serious risk?

Yes, they are the main bridge between shop and flat. Closing them or installing fine wire mesh blocks geckos and larger insects.

Is the old Al Zuhur building stock worse than the new planned streets?

Yes, older foundations have more cracks, and moisture is higher because drainage has not been upgraded. Treatment must go deeper and address the footings.

Does the park next to the district source geckos?

Umm Al Mumineen Park is busy by day but its trees shelter insects at night. Geckos may come from there, but the ground floor shops are the main food source in a mixed district.

What if I own both a flat and a shop directly below it?

Combined treatment of shop and flat together is cheaper and works faster. The gaps between them are too small to seal, and the gecko crosses them easily.

How much does gecko control in Al Shawqiyah cost?

It is set after the inspection, because the price follows the type of infestation, the size of the space, how far it has spread and the number of visits it needs. Send a photo and a description on WhatsApp and we will give you an estimate before we reach Al Shawqiyah.