Iguana Removal in Broward County: Managing Invasive Iguanas in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Coral Springs

The Iguana Invasion: Broward County's Most Visible Wildlife Problem

Few wildlife management challenges in South Florida are as visible — or as frustrating — as the green iguana problem in Broward County. Drive along any canal in Fort Lauderdale on a warm afternoon and you'll see them: massive lizards basking on seawalls, swimming across waterways, and occupying landscaped yards with complete indifference to the humans around them.

The green iguana (*Iguana iguana*) is not native to Florida. Originating in Central and South America, these lizards arrived as pets and established feral populations after escapes and intentional releases. With no meaningful natural predators and a climate nearly identical to their native range, Broward County's iguana population has expanded to an estimated hundreds of thousands of animals.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) designates green iguanas as an invasive species. Private landowners and licensed professionals may humanely remove iguanas from private property at any time without a license or permit. Relocation is not permitted — iguanas removed from your property must be humanely dispatched.

Why Iguanas Are a Genuine Problem in Broward County

Structural Damage to Seawalls and Canal Banks

Iguanas are powerful burrowers. Throughout Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Coral Springs, their burrow systems undermine seawalls, canal embankments, and the foundations of structures built near waterways. The South Florida Water Management District has documented iguana burrow damage to levees throughout the region. For individual property owners with canal-front lots, iguana burrowing activity can compromise the structural integrity of expensive seawall installations.

Landscape Destruction

Green iguanas are primarily herbivores with enormous appetites. In Fort Lauderdale's year-round growing season, an established iguana population can devastate a carefully maintained landscape within days. They preferentially feed on flowering plants — hibiscus, orchids, impatiens, and bougainvillea are particular favorites — as well as vegetable gardens, newly planted sod, and the fruit of mango, guava, and citrus trees that are common throughout Broward County residential properties.

A single large male iguana, which can reach five feet in length and weigh fifteen pounds or more, can consume a substantial amount of vegetation daily. Multiple iguanas, which frequently congregate at productive food sources, can eliminate landscape plantings that took seasons to establish.

Swimming Pool and Outdoor Contamination

Iguana droppings can contain *Salmonella* bacteria, creating a genuine public health concern when iguanas defecate on pool decks, docks, and outdoor dining areas. An iguana that defecates in a swimming pool — which occurs regularly on canal-front properties throughout Fort Lauderdale — requires pool shocking and treatment before the pool is used again.

The contamination problem is compounded by the fact that iguanas are semi-aquatic and move freely between canal water and residential yards, carrying bacterial contamination from water environments to outdoor living spaces.

Property Damage Beyond Landscaping

Iguanas damage roof tiles as they climb across structures, damage screens and enclosures, and have been documented chewing through irrigation systems and outdoor wiring. Their claws can scratch and damage wood decking, fiberglass boat hulls, and painted surfaces on docks and seawalls.

Iguana Population Dynamics in Broward County

Understanding why iguana populations have exploded in Broward County helps explain why individual deterrence efforts often fail:

Year-round breeding: Female iguanas in South Florida can lay 25–65 eggs in a single clutch and breed throughout the year in Broward County's warm climate. Without natural population controls, growth compounds rapidly.

No effective predators: Adult iguanas in Broward County face essentially no natural predators that significantly limit population growth. Young iguanas are occasionally taken by birds of prey and larger wading birds, but adult animals are largely immune to natural predation.

Canal network dispersal: Broward County's 350+ miles of canals serve as a dispersal highway for iguanas, which swim readily and use the waterway network to colonize new areas continuously.

Professional Iguana Management Strategies

Active Removal Programs

Professional iguana removal uses a combination of trapping, snare pole capture, and targeted removal to reduce the iguana population on your property. Cage traps baited with preferred foods (hibiscus flowers, mango, leafy greens) placed in high-activity areas capture iguanas humanely. Trapped animals are dispatched on-site in accordance with FWC guidelines.

For specific problem animals in specific locations — a territorial male returning to the same seawall repeatedly, for example — snare pole capture by a skilled wildlife professional is the most targeted approach.

Exclusion and Physical Deterrence

Seawall modifications: Smooth metal flashing installed at the waterline of seawalls makes it difficult for iguanas to gain the initial foothold needed to climb. This is most effective on vertical seawall faces.

Tree and vegetation management: Removing overhanging branches that touch the roofline and trimming palm trees to remove dead frond skirts reduces iguana access to roof areas and nesting sites adjacent to structures.

Pool and lanai enclosures: Full enclosure of pool and outdoor living areas provides the most reliable barrier to iguana access and is the only approach that consistently prevents pool contamination in heavily infested Fort Lauderdale canal-front neighborhoods.

Motion-activated deterrents: Motion-activated sprinkler systems and ultrasonic devices can deter iguanas from specific areas when used consistently, though their effectiveness declines when iguanas habituate to the deterrent.

Landscape Modification

Replacing iguana-preferred plants with species iguanas do not consume — crotons, oleander, milkweed, and various ornamental grasses are less attractive to iguanas — reduces the food value of your property and the motivation for iguanas to return after removal.

Broward County Community Hotspots

Fort Lauderdale canal network: The Las Olas Isles, Rio Vista, and other canal-front communities in Fort Lauderdale experience some of the highest iguana densities in the county. The waterway network makes population control at the individual property level very challenging without coordinated neighborhood-level programs.

Hollywood and Hallandale Beach: Waterfront communities along the Intracoastal Waterway and Hollywood Beach area report heavy iguana activity, particularly on docks and seawalls.

Coral Springs: Northwest Broward Canal corridors and community lake areas in Coral Springs have established iguana populations that are increasingly impacting residential landscaping.

Call for Professional Iguana Management

Individual iguanas that relocate from an untreated neighboring property will recolonize your yard within weeks if your property remains attractive. Effective iguana management requires an integrated approach combining removal, exclusion, and landscape modification.

Call (954) 903-4362 today to schedule a professional iguana assessment for your Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, or Coral Springs property. Our wildlife specialists will evaluate your specific situation and develop a realistic, effective management plan.