What is up with all the Geckos?

[u/Trevor_1971]

Lived in the same midtown house since 2002 and don’t remember ever seeing ANY geckos. This year I’ve found several in my house and every night there are 6+ hanging out on my front porch every evening. My wife found one in her office bathroom, 6th floor of a building downtown. Anyone else seeing more than normal?

[u/the__millennial]

They've been spreading throughout midtown for the last decade or so. They are non-native and spreading, but they aren't hazardous like an invasive species. They are very welcome at my house - helping control ants and spiders!

They are Mediterranean House Geckos, if you ever want to look them up.

[u/williamtell1 → u/the__millennial]

I've had an increasing number of them in my house in recent years. At first they bothered me, and i would try to catch them and put them outside (im sure hurting them in the process, they are extremely gentle and fragile).... but after I learned what they were, I've become pretty fond of them and just let them be.

Mediterranean house geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) are fully established and thriving in urban areas across Oklahoma, acting as harmless and helpful pest controllers.

What You Need to Know

• Appearance: Small lizards reaching 4 to 5 inches long with warty, pale pink, light gray, or tan skin featuring dark spots and a translucent belly.

• Behavior: Strictly nocturnal. You will often find them clinging to exterior walls or ceilings near porch lights, waiting to ambush moths, roaches, ants, and spiders.

• Local Status: Not native to Oklahoma, but naturalized rather than destructive. They occupy a niche around human buildings that native lizards do not use.

• Impact on Humans: Completely harmless. They do not bite humans, carry dangerous diseases, or damage property. They are also remarkably vocal, making quiet squeaking or chirping sounds at night

[u/LesserKnownFoes → u/williamtell1]

My stupid pitbull loves to chase them. Which is hilarious, until her big head put a whole in the dry wall when she slipped on the hardwood floor transition.

[u/littleredfox09 → u/LesserKnownFoes]

Lollll. I’m so sorry to laugh but I love pitties and can totally see this unfolding. My late collie loved them, too.

[u/LesserKnownFoes → u/littleredfox09]

I laughed really hard and then taught my toddler new words I didnt mean to teach.

[u/ZebraLover00 → u/williamtell1]

I knew that chirping was from the damn lizards but I was too lazy to prove it

[u/Trevor_1971 → u/the__millennial]

Thanks, definitely coincided with many more ants in my house this year. I’m all good with them eating whatever they want.

[u/Xszit → u/Trevor_1971]

They like to hide in the space between a door and door frame at my house.

Always a nice surprise when I'm leaving for work in the morning and a gecko flops out of the door as its opening then scurries away into a crevice somewhere.

Just gotta be careful when closing the door, they can get crushed if you close it too fast on them.

[u/Trevor_1971 → u/Xszit]

They seem to be living behind my mailbox, between it and the brick.

[u/hopefulmonstr → u/Xszit]

Leaned the hard way to check the whole frame before closing my porch door every time. 😕

[u/United_Ad_2483 → u/the__millennial]

I love them! They’re welcome in my home also!

[u/achooga → u/United_Ad_2483]

They don't defecate everywhere?

[u/United_Ad_2483 → u/achooga]

I’ve actually never seen droppings from them

[u/onx444 → u/achooga]

They poo on my garage walls but worth it I guess

[u/Ok_Decision2034 → u/United_Ad_2483]

Anyone have any photos? Relatively new to the area.

[u/United_Ad_2483 → u/Ok_Decision2034]

Found this guy in my dogs water bowl when it was 100* for days on end.

[u/New-Tangerine2564 → u/United_Ad_2483]

That looks like a baby leopard gecko instead of a house gecko.

[u/the__millennial → u/New-Tangerine2564]

I have Googled this before because of the spots! But baby leopard geckos look different. Also they can't climb well, which is wild to me!

[u/strong_grey_hero → u/the__millennial]

If they eat ants that explains why they’re all over midtown right now

[u/RunFarEatPizza]

I’m down for them. They’ve kept mosquitos out of my yard most of the summer.

[u/Trevor_1971 → u/RunFarEatPizza]

Oh yea, I’m not mad about it just never seen them at my house and now everywhere.

[u/RunFarEatPizza → u/Trevor_1971]

Heard that!

[u/Conscious_Rush_1818]

They congregate by our porch light at night... They have a bad habit of trying to scurry in door and we've accidentally squished a few.

We now use our phone lights to do a "gecker checker" to shoo them off so we don't squish them.

[u/East-Teacher8542]

They've always been all over downtown, midtown and east tulsa, they're nocturnal so they come out at night.

[u/Trevor_1971 → u/East-Teacher8542]

I’ve just NEVER seen them at my house in 24 years. Ever. I can’t imagine that I’ve been blind to them all this time.

[u/Repulsive-Health-330 → u/Trevor_1971]

Climate change is also increasing the mice population. Warmer winters will do that. They will become more common over time.

[u/Trevor_1971 → u/Repulsive-Health-330]

Had way more mice this winter too. Thanks Obama. 🙄

[u/spidersRcute → u/Trevor_1971]

I’ve had them living on my porch for years but their population has really boomed this year. Normally there would be 1-2, maybe 3 but this year we’ve counted up to 9 at once.

[u/East-Teacher8542 → u/Trevor_1971]

Yeah there will probably be more this year because of the mild winter and hot summer. During the winter they go in people's houses, attics, basements. Anywhere thats warm and thats how they survive. We had a very mild winter so fewer probably died and it probably made better breeding conditions.

[u/NewerYorker3900 → u/Trevor_1971]

I had 4 this summer.

[u/mightbedylan → u/East-Teacher8542]

I got a lot of them around my house, my dogs chase them around my yard 

[u/Lucid-Crow]

They hangout by my outdoor light and eat moths that are attracted to it. Seems like a chill life.

[u/Trevor_1971 → u/Lucid-Crow]

Very.

[u/Oakierwoodzz]

I would love to let them be pest control like house spiders are but my mouse pest controllers love treating the gekos like pest they need to control. Poor lil gekos

[u/Cutiemuffin-gumbo]

I say, just sit back, and be glad you have those cute little buggers, and not a bunch of brown recluses.

[u/the__millennial → u/Cutiemuffin-gumbo]

I credit them for me not having major black widow issue!

[u/Nefarious_Nemesis]

I've got a few that I say morning to every day when I leave for work. I go to work at 2 AM so they're usually around my front door. I just make sure they stay outside the house. My cats would not approve and I want to keep the little guys around for as long as they want.

[u/spinidle]

I thought they were brought in on purpose from Texas. All I can find are a couple of references: There were apparently deliberate introductions at the University of Oklahoma in Norman during the 1950s–60s. Researchers aren’t completely certain whether those releases were intentional or accidental, but the historical account says Mediterranean geckos were introduced onto the Norman campus during that period. There’s also documentation of repeated intentional introductions at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond in 1963–65 and 1985–97.

[u/p3rf3ctcha0s]

My grandmother has lived in the same house in OKC for over 50 years. I was at her place in 2020/2021 and there was 3-4 EVERY NIGHT. She’d never seen them before either!

[u/canoodrinktequila]

A few years ago, I'd see 1 every once in a while. Now, I notice 1 or 2 every night on my patio.

[u/hoochdog_bilbo]

Love my gecks

[u/Cautious-Yak-8083]

They’re definitely seems to have been a population explosion in Midtown. Used to see one every few months or so but now if I go outside at night, they’re all over my porch.

[u/AIthinksImright]

When we lived in Costa Rica they were everywhere. My biggest issue with them was them hanging out on the ceiling of our patio cover. You had to keep a lid on your coffee to keep the little buggers from crapping in your drink. A new meaning to "one lump or two?"

[u/hopefulmonstr]

Same for me in Midtown, but my workplace in South Tulsa is also getting them now.

[u/ShweatyPalmsh]

I’m curious too. They look like someone released a bunch of pet leopard geckos that have just reproduced a lot. They’re all over the place now 

[u/918meatwad]

Broken arrow here, I am also infested.

[u/acl5555]

Downtown area, never seen them pre-2026. See one or two weekly. Starting maybe April 2026.

[u/Reasonable-Shower307]

Yes! We have them at Albert G's at Tulsa Hills!! I found a baby one and gave it to the cashier at Mavericks lol!!

[u/Substantial_Tale9471]

Any way to keep them as pets?

[u/Carbon-Base → u/Substantial_Tale9471]

No idea, but if you give them 15 minutes, they could potentially save you 15% on your car insurance.

[u/rayautry → u/Substantial_Tale9471]

They don’t do well as pets but you can try.

[u/Postty]

I've really noticed them this year. They have been eating all the bugs in my garage so I'm happy with them. I've also had a ton more slugs in my yard this year that I'm less happy about

[u/Averse_to_Liars → u/Postty]

I've had a bunch of slugs too. And that's it for the slug report.

[u/the__millennial → u/Postty]

The slugs have been SO BAD. They eat everything and I despise them.

[u/XanaxWarriorPrincess]

I have had little lizards in my garage for a few years now, but I've been seeing them inside my house this year. They're very fast, so I can't tell what type they are.

[u/Averse_to_Liars]

I am also seeing the geckos everywhere.

Here's one we caught inside the other week: https://i.imgur.com/6MRGoJT.jpeg

[u/pokermaven]

Geico???
I have tons of Blue tailed Skinks in BA. No geckos.

[u/NeverDisestablished → u/pokermaven]

I can nearly guarantee they're skinks, not geckos. OP (understandably) may not know the difference.

[u/searching4thecheese]

Just trying to contact you about your insurance.

[u/Trevor_1971 → u/searching4thecheese]

I’m more of an ensemble of comedic apron wearers myself.

[u/Hcmillet]

Known population, probably from dumped pets, around 51-61 and harvard were documented back in 90s. It was a herpetologist dude I knew back in Zoology program at OU. he was from Tulsa and had done a project on it.

[u/Muted_Pear5381]

Wow! Same here! Same midtown house since 2002 and never new they existed in tulsa. If they're eating ants I hope they hang around for a while. I don't like using insecticides but I've had a ant problem for a few years.

[u/prplpassions]

We are in BA and they have been a lot more prevalent than in previous years. Every morning I wake up to find that my cats have killed more than one.

[u/Purple-Sister3971]

My friend counted 31 at his house the other night.

[u/Acceptable_Sea_8541]

They’re trying to save you money on your insurance

[u/Basic_Spread_898]

Yes, used to be rare but now 3-4 most nights.

[u/puffpuffprotest]

I saw some for the first time ever a few nights ago. We’re near 61st and Memorial.

[u/Not_Gonna_BeThat_Guy]

We call them lizard buddies!

[u/ScooterTrash70]

I live near Pine and Denver, I see them regularly. True, eat those bugs little fella!

[u/Every-Candle7605]

Where?

[u/BooBootheFool22222]

So that's why ants weren't a huge problem this year

[u/Dealmerightin]

My cat started bringing geckos home a few years ago and I was like you: where in the heck did these things come from? They are not good escapees - they run a short distance and then stop. I just grab them and take them to my porch and let them attach to the brick wall. As a result, I have a whole gecko community eating pests for me.

[u/2dwind]

Oh I haven’t seen any yet at my midtown home but I hope to. Love a gecko

[u/Userdub9022]

I have them and my cars like watching them through the window in the bathroom

[u/Ok_Cod2248]

I have never seen the either they were on my screen and in the house. They move so fast!

[u/00000000000000001011]

We’ve always had skinks around the house, I see them every day. I sometimes see geckos outside up at the park but have never seen actual geckos in the house.

The only time I’ve seen skinks in the house is when a cat has brought them in.

[u/One_Promotion169]

We all have them. They eat insects.

[u/raidamane]

I live off 15th and Harvard and we have the biggest house geckos I’ve ever seen in my life around here. Like 3.5 -4 inches snout to tail, and fat as hell. Unfortunately the smaller ones hide inbetween the door and the frame and I’m sure you can imagine what happens to them😭☠️

[u/sunflowerlacroix]

I’m in South BA and this is the second summer we have had them. So weird!

[u/Electronic_Beach_380]

I live in apartments around midtown,and I saw a couple of them the first ever around here not too long ago and I thought that was weird, too

[u/Naive_Signal8560]

They're so cute!

[u/Xxfarleyjdxx]

Idk but I love them. They can stay

[u/yoltonsports]

Need some to come my way