Gecko control in Harat Al Amir, Jeddah

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 Harat Al Amir

In Harat Al Amir the crevices in the walls of older houses are constantly wet from sea humidity, and the residual treatment dries more slowly than in inland districts, so the treatment lasts longer once it is applied. The method is set out in full on how we approach Gecko control.

The first reason

Sea humidity is high and constant

Harat Al Amir sits on the Red Sea coast and humidity stays high throughout the year, keeping walls and timber damp at all times. The residual enters wet crevices more easily than dry ones, but dries slowly so it stays effective for a longer period once applied.

The second reason

Water tanks and ageing pipework everywhere

Water arrives by tanker and every house has a roof tank or an underground tank, and old pipes leak constantly, creating pools of moisture around the tanks and pipes. Insects love dampness and the gecko comes to eat the insects gathered there.

The third reason

Small shops opening onto very narrow streets

The district is mixed and the small shops open directly onto very narrow lanes between buildings. Geckos move easily from shop to shop and flat to flat because there are many openings and the distances between units are very small.

Landmarks of Harat Al Amir

Harat Al Amir lies next to Al Shati Mosque and the Thuwal Municipality Building, and the work is easier once we understand that the town is very small and this quarter is only minutes on foot from anywhere in it.

Thuwal Municipality Building
Thuwal Corniche
Al Shati Mosque
Jeddah Madinah Road

Before treatment

The food, the opening and the crevice decide the method

Thuwal is a small fishing town on the shore of the Red Sea, water arrives by tanker so household tanks are numerous, the streets are narrow and the buildings are old and closely packed, and moisture is present in every corner all year.

A small house gecko resting on a pale wall

The house gecko

Geckos in Harat Al Amir favour wet crevices in the walls, and the sea humidity all year round makes those cracks an ideal place for it to hide and rest during the day.

Outdoor lighting

Outdoor lighting in the shops and streets attracts flying insects, insects take shelter in damp cracks in the walls, and the gecko comes to eat the insects.

An insect screen on a window, seen close up

Window mesh

Window mesh in the old district may have holes from corrosion or from years of use, and small geckos can pass through them.

Air-conditioner pipes passing through an outside wall

The air-conditioner sleeve

Air conditioner openings in old buildings are not well sealed, and humid air makes it easier for the gecko to enter through them from outside, and the sleeves may also be damaged.

An electrical distribution board mounted on a wall

Meter boxes and electrical panels

Electrical panels in old buildings sit near water pipes, humidity attracts insects to the panels, and the spray may not reach deep inside the panel casing.

A garden wall with watered planting beside it

The garden and the irrigation

Harat Al Amir has no gardens but the quarter is mixed, and the shops have rear outlets and drain openings, insects gather there, and the gecko stays close to the entry point.

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 Thuwal Sub-Municipality

Thuwal sub municipality is a small fishing town on the Red Sea coast at the far northern edge of Jeddah governorate. Its old quarters are closely packed popular and mud built houses on narrow streets, with newer low rise concrete homes from the town's development programme beside them. Sea humidity stays high all year, the fishing harbour and the corniche form its seafront, water arrives by tanker so household tanks are everywhere, and the town sits on Wadi Thuwal, ringed by open ground and by the irrigated green campus of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Questions about this district

Does high sea humidity worsen the gecko problem in Harat Al Amir?

High humidity attracts insects, ants and mosquitoes, and the gecko comes to eat them. The higher the humidity the more insects gather and the more geckos appear.

Do leaking water pipes bring geckos into the house?

Leaking pipes create damp spots, dampness draws insects, and the gecko follows the insects. Fixing the pipes reduces moisture and insects and geckos.

Can geckos move from one flat to the next in an old building?

Old buildings have many cracks between the walls, and geckos move from flat to flat through these cracks and openings. Treating your own flat stops them entering it from next door.

Will treating the flat above the shop stop the geckos?

The gecko climbs from the shop into the flat through gaps and cracks around the ceiling and the pipes that pass between them. Treating both the shop and the flat together stops them completely.

How many treatments does Harat Al Amir need?

The old district and high humidity mean insects return quickly. We recommend treating every three months at first, then we assess after the second visit.

Does salt weathering make gecko entry easier through cracks?

Humidity eats away at concrete and cement slowly, and cracks get wider over time. Wider cracks allow larger geckos to enter, and make treatment harder to seal completely.

How much does gecko control in Harat Al Amir 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 Harat Al Amir.