Gecko control in Harat Al Sawalhah, 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 Sawalhah

The streets are extremely narrow and the rooflines are directly adjacent, so the gecko walks across roofs from one house to the next without descending to street level. The method is set out in full on Gecko control in detail.

The first reason

Very narrow streets and directly adjacent rooflines

The streets of Harat Al Sawalhah are extremely narrow and buildings on opposite sides stand almost face to face, rooflines touching directly. Geckos move across roofs from house to house without need to descend. Climbing the short walls on either side of the narrow street is easy for them.

The second reason

Old construction and deep cracks in the stonework

The quarter's houses are very old, the stones are loose and the mortar between stones has deteriorated over time, leaving deep cracks between every pair of stones. Geckos sleep in these cracks day and night, and reaching them is very difficult.

The third reason

Moisture from the sea and weak foundations

Close to the corniche and constantly dampened by sea moisture, the external walls and foundations are kept wet. Moisture gathers fungi, mites and tiny insects, drawing geckos to settle between the damp stones.

The character of Harat Al Sawalhah

Mixed district: shops at street level with homes above them

This mixed district has shops at street level and homes above them, so geckos come from the shop below, ascend the walls and reach the flat above through walls and cracks. Both levels need treatment together.

Before treatment

The food, the opening and the crevice decide the method

Harat Al Sawalhah lies close to Thuwal Corniche and the harbour where humidity is high and the sea salt air. Seawater and moisture affect foundations and walls, creating more cracks.

A small house gecko resting on a pale wall

The house gecko

Geckos sleep in cracks between stones and deep wall fissures all day, descending from rooflines at dusk to hunt insects around street lights.

Outdoor lighting

Street lighting in the narrow quarter may be sparse, but if lit at night it attracts tiny insects and mites. Geckos are drawn to these lights.

An insect screen on a window, seen close up

Window mesh

Window mesh exists but gaps around the frame and cracks around the frame opening are unshielded. Geckos enter through these tiny gaps.

Air-conditioner pipes passing through an outside wall

The air-conditioner sleeve

Ventilation and air conditioning openings are rare in old houses but if present they are unguarded. Geckos slip in through them.

An electrical distribution board mounted on a wall

Meter boxes and electrical panels

The electrical distribution box in the narrow street is close to the houses and generates heat that draws insects. Geckos will stand nearby.

A garden wall with watered planting beside it

The garden and the irrigation

Sea moisture dampens the foundations and external walls continuously. Gaps around the foundation or external doors are open because the wood has rotted.

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.

Landmarks of Harat Al Sawalhah

Harat Al Sawalhah is reached from the south by Jeddah Madinah Road and from the north by Thuwal Corniche, lying directly between the corniche and the harbour itself. The Thuwal Cultural Centre is a nearby marker showing where the quarter ends.

Jeddah Madinah Road
Thuwal Corniche
Thuwal Harbour
Thuwal Cultural Centre

Questions about this district

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

From adjacent rooflines it drops to ceiling gaps, from cracks between stones it enters through external walls, from gaps around doors and windows. Old houses have dozens of openings.

Will closing the house door and windows stop the gecko in a narrow quarter?

It may reduce your chances of seeing one, but it will not stop them. Geckos will enter through cracks in walls, the ceiling and foundation, not only through doors and windows.

If the old stones are cemented together does the gecko still enter between them?

Yes. The mortar has crumbled and left gaps between the stones. The gecko enters from the external wall straight between the stones.

Will treating my house protect the neighbouring houses?

No. The houses share walls with cracks between them. Treating your house may reduce entry from that direction, but the gecko will come from the other house.

Does sea moisture make the gecko problem worse in the quarter?

Much worse. The dampness creates an ideal environment for tiny mites and insects. Geckos are drawn to these insects and settle in the damp walls.

Should we spray inside the house, the external walls, or both?

Both: the external walls and their cracks, the cracks between the stones and the interior, and the shared wall with the neighbouring house if access is possible.

How much does gecko control in Harat Al Sawalhah 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 Sawalhah.