Gecko control in Al Tandabawi, 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 Tandabawi

Geckos in Al Tandabawi prefer damp cracks, and the lanes are so narrow that daylight barely enters. Geckos hunt at night but spend the day hidden in deep crevices. The method is set out in full on the full Gecko control page.

The first reason

Deep damp cracks in ancient stone foundations

Old stone foundations leak from inside, and moisture creates fine deep cracks. Geckos shelter in these crevices and lay eggs cemented to the damp stone surfaces.

The second reason

Old drainage and water seeping from broken pipes

Ageing sewers leak around houses and flats, leaving soil permanently wet. Stagnant water attracts small insects, lice and termites, all of which are gecko food.

The third reason

Narrow lanes and extremely close-set houses with little ventilation

Houses press against each other with insufficient air gaps. Geckos move easily from house to house through shared cracks, so treating one house alone does not solve the problem.

The character of Al Tandabawi

Historic district: close-set buildings, narrow lanes and ageing services

In an old district like Al Tandabawi, the gecko settles in deep damp cracks, not only on surfaces. Ageing drains and leaking foundations create ideal breeding conditions, and treatment needs depth and regular returns far more than in new districts.

Before treatment

The food, the opening and the crevice decide the method

The quarter adjoins the Grand Mosque haram boundary from the south and west, and its buildings are old with drainage networks still being extended. Hillsides drain water towards the old houses, and moisture is continuous.

A small house gecko resting on a pale wall

The house gecko

The house gecko in Al Tandabawi hides in damp foundation cracks, not on upper walls. Continuous moisture provides small insects year-round without seasonal breaks.

Outdoor lighting

Outdoor lighting is sparse in the narrow lanes, but geckos emerge at night from cracks hunting small insects, not following light sources.

An insect screen on a window, seen close up

Window mesh

Window mesh cannot stop geckos if foundation cracks are larger than the mesh openings. In an old house, cracks are countless.

Air-conditioner pipes passing through an outside wall

The air-conditioner sleeve

The air-conditioner sleeve in an old house near the foundation connects to damp cracks in the base, and geckos enter through gaps around the sleeve.

An electrical distribution board mounted on a wall

Meter boxes and electrical panels

The electrical panel on an external wall or near the foundation has moist ground around it, providing damp shelter for geckos.

A garden wall with watered planting beside it

The garden and the irrigation

Garden and irrigation is scarce in Al Tandabawi, but moisture from old drains supplies continuous dampness, and small insects and geckos remain present year-round.

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 Ajyad Sub-Municipality

Ajyad sub municipality takes in the districts that press against the Grand Mosque from the south and west: Ajyad, Al Hajlah, Al Shubaikah, Al Tandabawi and Al Mansour. Hotels and rented apartment blocks for Umrah visitors stack up along Ajyad Street and Ibrahim Al Khalil Street, with kitchens and restaurants running aday and night in season. Behind them, Al Shubaikah and Al Tandabawi keep narrow old lanes on hillside ground where buildings and drains are ageing, and demolition and construction sites are a constant presence around Jabal Omar and the central zone.

Questions about this district

Is old drainage the main problem in Al Tandabawi?

Yes, ageing sewers leak and create persistent moisture around foundations. The damp soil attracts small insects, and geckos come because prey collects around the wet ground.

Will treating one house in a narrow lane solve the whole neighbourhood's gecko problem?

No, narrow lanes mean houses are pressed together and geckos move easily between them. If the problem is widespread, we recommend coordinated treatment across several adjoining houses.

In narrow quarter streets how does the gecko get inside the house?

Through old cracks in the foundation and external walls, through leaking pipes and drains, and through gaps between adjoining houses. Entry does not need an obvious opening.

Do geckos come back faster in Al Tandabawi than in other Makkan districts?

Yes, because moisture and prey insects are always available and deep cracks provide safer shelter. Geckos breed rapidly in damp confined environments.

Is surface residual spray enough in an old house in Al Tandabawi?

No, surface spray cannot penetrate deep damp cracks. Treatment needs additional steps such as residual injection into crevices and opening access points.

Al Tandabawi is close to the Haram, is there a drainage problem specific to it?

Yes, the quarter sits on hillslopes near the central zone, and drainage is delayed and runs off. Hill runoff flows towards the old houses, and moisture is permanent year-round.

How much does gecko control in Al Tandabawi 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 Tandabawi.