Mediterranean house gecko

The Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) belongs to the order Squamata and the family Gekkonidae. This small nocturnal reptile is commonly found in urban and agricultural environments, particularly in greenhouses and storage facilities, where it thrives due to stable temperatures and available food sources.

While primarily insectivorous and often considered beneficial for consuming agricultural pests like small flies or moths, their presence in large numbers can be problematic. The Mediterranean house gecko is not a plant-eater, but it is treated as a nuisance pest in professional agriculture due to its impact on product safety and farm infrastructure.

Regarding their biology, these geckos are highly adaptive. Females typically lay eggs in cracks, crevices, or hidden organic substrates within a greenhouse. The development cycle depends heavily on ambient temperature, allowing them to breed year-round in climate-controlled environments, which leads to rapid population growth in favorable conditions.

The economic harm caused by this species is indirect. The primary concern is the contamination of produce with feces and shed skin, which is unacceptable for quality control standards. Furthermore, geckos can inadvertently damage small seedlings while climbing or nesting in pots, and their presence complicates sanitary inspections for organic and certified produce export.

Management and protection measures should focus on exclusion rather than eradication. The most effective methods include:

• Sealing all structural gaps in greenhouse walls and roofing.
• Installing fine-mesh screens on all ventilation systems.
• Maintaining high sanitation standards to remove potential hiding spots.
• Managing insect populations to reduce the attraction of gecko prey items.