SINGAPORE: To those unfamiliar with them, house lizards may appear alarming, even the very small ones. Fortunately, they are not poisonous.
One expat, however, took to Reddit to ask what to with them, and many responded reassuringly, saying that they’re best left alone.
“Fairly new to Singapore. Live in 17th floor condo, see little lizards / gekkos occassionally on walls and in shoe closet, kitchen, etc.
- is this common
- should we try to exterminate?
- do they pose any threat? 2 young kids in home
- best way to exterminate, most humane
Tks all,” wrote SirLouisI on r/Singapore on Tuesday (Jan 17).
A Redditor answered his questions point by point.
One netizen responded by saying that “Letting them roam helps reduce the insect population in your home,” and added that “you can consider them to be free-roaming pets lol.”
“They’re great housemates and they eat pests. Leave them alone,” chimed in another.
“They are cute and harmless (beneficial even). Please don’t harm them!,” another Redditor wrote.
Another wrote, “House lizards are super common in Singapore. Just leave them be. If anything else, them appearing means your house got some insect’s nest nearby…”
Yet another pointed out that these lizards, which are also commonly known as house geckos, are useful, but warned that their feces should be taken care of quickly as this may stain.
But one Reddit user called them pests.
Another wrote that “Finding lizards a little bit too frequently at home can be the sign of an insect infestation.”
One jokingly replied, saying that the sound lizards make can be somewhat scary.
“They make Pontianak sound some time and it freaks me out lmao. Though not sure it’s them or an actual one.”
The post owner later wrote that the lizards in his home are safe.
“Update for anyone interested… the kids have named them so they’re not going anywhere.”
/TISG