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Geckos ... cute little critters ...

by roxy317

Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 05:06:50 PM EST

I have always been fond of anoles and geckos, they are unassuming little creatures and a tremendous help in controlling household insects. Living in Oregon I had a HUGE problem controlling fleas in the house (mostly because of very large pet population). I bought several dozen anoles ... curious little lizards with chameleon qualities ... and they were often seen climbing curtains and hanging out in my house plants (another of my obsessions).

Since moving to Hawaii, I have befriended the gecko. Very similar in looks and nature, they help hold my insect population at bay. Hawaii has problems with pesky insects from fruit flies to cockroaches, but by encouraging these little critters I manage to keep my insect problems to a minimum without using chemical pesticides.

commentary :: :: :: buzz-it!

I never really thought about how these little guys can defy gravity and run across a ceiling as easily as they run across the floor. Then I ran across an article today Gecko glue exploits mussel power from the BBC. It seems my little friends are making a small splash in the world of science in the form a glue being called geckel. The article goes on to state:

Writing in Nature, the researchers say it could have medical applications.

"I envision that adhesive tapes made out of geckel could be used to replace sutures for wound closure, and may also be useful as a water-resistant adhesive for bandages and drug-delivery patches," said Professor Phillip Messersmith from Northwestern University in Evanston, near Chicago.

Nature is definitely an innovator ...

Geckos ... cute little critters ... | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 hidden)

Gecko's are all over the place here (5.00 / 2) (#1)

in my corner of Texas. Funny thing....they don't like water..they scamper away when I water the plants. We also have these little salamanders that hang onto the house at night when the porchlight goes on....and don't let me get started on the toady frogs! I seem to remember hearing stories of critters hanging out in ceiling corners in homes in Hawaii..and I don't think they were grass huts!!! Yikes, I'd have a cow.

When I read your blockquote...I remembered reading in "Clan of the Cave Bear" how spider webs were used for wound closure.........thanks for taking me down memory lane!!!!!!!!!!

by avahome on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 05:52:35 PM EST

: Most of my neighbors (5.00 / 2) (#2)

are not as fond of the geckos as I am. More than once the next door neighbor can be heard screaming bloody murder because she has one crawling on her wall.

by roxy317 on Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 07:14:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

We have field mice (5.00 / 2) (#3)

Do you want to hear about them? They even got into my computer once and it ain't in the kitchen.

by carol white on Fri Jul 20, 2007 at 09:37:38 AM EST

: We get mice also........ (5.00 / 1) (#4)

I poison them........ I have tried live catch boxes...I don't like traps but we've tried them also.
I'm not a cat person and my neighbors don't seem to have any cats...... I don't like opening a drawer in the kitchen and having a mouse jump out....I'm a screamer...

by avahome on Fri Jul 20, 2007 at 06:18:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]