Few people know, but a gecko's body can complete an electrical circuit with enough voltage to burn an air conditioning circuit board.

These reptiles are ectothermic, highly adaptable to urban environments.

At night, they are attracted to warm areas with prey... especially phototropic arthropods (such as ants, moths, winged termites and cockroaches), which accumulate around lights and condensers.

When accessing the inside of the air conditioning unit through cracks or unsealed vents, the gecko can move over the electronic circuit board, whose surface has conductive tracks with potential differences.

The gecko's body, which is rich in electrolytes and moisture, acts as a conductor...

And when it touches two points on the board simultaneously, an unintentional circuit is closed, causing a short circuit and burning sensitive electronic components, such as microcontrollers, capacitors and power supplies.

Prevention requires an integrated approach:

Mechanical barriers: use of thin metal screens or sealing with technical foams in entry holes (cables, vents, plastic fittings) prevents the geckos from physically accessing the circuits.

Trophic reduction of the environment: insect control with specific and well-directed pest control (use of microencapsulated or attractive gels) drastically reduces the food source, making the surroundings less attractive.

Environmental management: frequent cleaning of the external unit, absence of organic remains and readjustment of nighttime lighting reduce the concentration of arthropods in the perimeter.

⠀ It is important to emphasize: despite causing technical damage when in unsuitable locations, urban geckos play a valuable ecological role as predators of domestic pests — including scorpions.