From: saj@phx.mcd.mot.com (Steve James)
Subject: lizards vs. roaches (long)
Summary:  are geckos the solution?
Keywords: cockroaches, roaches, geckos, lizards
Organization: Motorola Computer Group, Tempe, Az.
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 03:21:16 GMT

Someone recently inquired in this group about using pet-shop geckos
to control household roaches.  I tried this approach after reading
an editorial letter published in section A of the Wall Street Journal
within the past three years.  The author of the published letter
intimated that the geckos imported into his N.Y.,  N.Y. dwelling 
ate roaches to such an extent that he no longer had a problem
with roach infestation!  Also, the ONLY downside of the geckos was
an occasional stool, with the properties of a "cigarette ash".

I live in the Phoenix area, and "gecko-type" lizards often 
penetrate my window screens, or come in under the door, at random 
times of year, and stay for a while.  While they stay, they really 
like to hang out on the walls of the shower.  They are much 
preferrable as guests to roaches of any variety.

Having roach-eating-gecko-pets sounded great to me.  I knew
for a fact that my roach-infested apartment had not been sprayed
for at least seven years, so it would be unlikely that my geckos would
be eating poisoned prey, and I had no cats or dogs to interfere
with these predetators. 

I called two local pet shops which carried reptiles and discussed
my plan with them:  I wanted to put a pair of free-range geckos on
duty against a German Brown House Roach population.  I would provide 
enough heat around the clock for me to feel comfortable with no 
clothes on, and clean water each day.  The geckos would be able
to leave by the same means that OTHER geckos occasionally got in.
I had the concept that these geckos would voluntarily stick around
and each roaches, given that conditions they would face in my
apartment were at least as good, and more prey-rich, than they
would find just outside.

Both pet shops concurred that this sounded like a great plan.
So, over Thanksgiving weekend a few years ago, I bought two "common
geckos" and released them into my home.  At the same time, I bought
a begineer's book on taking care of such reptiles:

     Staszko, Ray, "A Step-by-Step Book About Pet Lizards", T.F.H
     Publications, Inc., 1990, Neptune City, New Jersey, no ISBN,
     but published worldwide by many other publishers.
     
I let the two lizards out of the paper bag and they took off and
became scarce, just as expected.  Within seven days, they were both
found dead.  I think they died much sooner, and it just took me
a while to find the corpses.  IF this type of lizard really eats
roaches, they DID NOT starve to death.  Nor did they die of thirst.
They MIGHT have died of one of the many afflictions that lizards 
kept in captivity are more susceptible to than wild lizards of 
the same type.  Maybe they were too dumb to get outside and 
sun themselves, which is essential both for raising body 
temperature, and exposure to fungus-killing UV radiation.  
Maybe ancient pesticide residues either in their environment 
or in their prey did them in;  but I sorta doubt it;  their 
environment had not been sprayed for almost a decade. 

In conclusion, the gecko approach to the "human vs. roach" problem
appears attractive at first blush.  If you have indigineous 
gecko-type lizards, do nothing to exclude them from your 
roach-afflicted home.  They probably really do eat lots of bugs, 
and almost certainly cause no bother.  But it is much less certain
that taking a few pet-store geckos as pets will do the trick,
and it may lead to the death of the lizards.  I am no bleeding-
heart reptile activist, but I have not found it appropriate to 
repeat this experiment until I have reason to think the lizards 
have a better chance of surviving and biting mucho roaches.  
Pet store geckos appear to be much less robust than the sort that 
may be in your home already.

Incidentally, there are apparently several types of "geckos":  
the type I am talking about here are the type which are very 
common in the SW U.S., Hawaii, and probably other places in 
the lower lattitudes of North America.  The sort of "gecko" 
I am talking about is a very non-threatening sort of lizard 
which is about 5" long as an adult.  I have seen pictures of 
other, larger, gecko types which look like they could bite your 
finger off.

If you have enjoyed this account, and wish to hear other epics
of "human vs. roach", let me know by return EM.  If enough 
interest is expressed, I have two more tales to tell.  One is
about a bizarre experiment with boric acid, and the other
is about the "final solution".
thx/saj

Newsgroups: sci.misc