Iguana Control: How to Get of Iguanas

This article contains information and suggestions to help decrease the presence of iguanas on your property. By following these methods and using the recommended products, you can get control of your iguana problem. While following this DIY guide, Local and State Laws are still present and must be followed. It is recommended for the homeowner to visit their local animal control office or state website to visit proper rules and regulations associated with the control of iguanas.

One of the most invasive species in Florida to be encountered is the iguana. Despite its ability to accumulate to the warm climate of this region the iguana is not a natural resident of the sunshine state. Instead, it is a native of Central and South America and has arrived in Florida by shipment of goods overseas since the 1960s. Iguanas are thriving throughout Florida because of the subtropical climate and increase of human population, which provides this pest with shelter and abundance of food.

This reptilian that is seemingly everywhere becomes a problem when they show up unannounced in homes combined with their ability for eating and digging up landscapes. While they are not know to be aggressive, these pests can come into contact with people by swimming in homeowners pools or sunbathing on concrete surfaces. Iguanas also pose the threat of transferring salmonella since these in-your-face pests can bite if they feel threatened or territorial.

From rapidly increasing populations to leaving paths of destruction in ornamental landscapes, iguanas are non-ideal pest that should be taken seriously. Refer to our easy to use DIY guide in which it can help to quickly control iguanas infesting your homes yard with the recommended products and tips.

Identification

Before you can proceed with iguana control, you will need to make sure the pest infesting your yard is an iguana. Careless identification can lead you to using the wrong control methods and products, leading to a waste of time and money. Three species of iguanas considered to be the most invasive in Florida are the black-tailed iguana, the Mexican spiny-tailed iguana, and the green iguana. Listed below are some identifying features that each iguana species shares.

• As a hatchling, iguanas range from 2 to 4 inches long and weigh between 0.2 to 0.3 lbs. Compared to the black-tailed iguana and Mexican-tailed iguana, the green iguana is the largest iguana species with measurements ranging around 6 feet long from their head to tail and weigh from 6 to 12 pounds. When fully grown, the black-tailed iguana can grow from 10 inches to 4 feet whereas Mexican-spiny tailed iguanas range from 1.4 meters to 4 feet.
• A crest of spines forms along the spine, back, and tail along with a large dewlap under the chin. Male iguanas have more of a developed dewlap than females to aid in displays of dominance.
• Colors will range from brown, black, gray, or dark green and have leathery scales covering their entire body. An iguanas colors will also depend on the current weather temperatures, mood, health, or body temperature. In the morning, iguanas coloring will appear more dark as to help them absorb heat from the sunlight whereas towards mid-day their colors will become more lighter to deflect sunlight to avoid absorbing too much heat. Coloration is also subject to dominance or mating periods for male iguanas when they will become more dark in coloration or appear to have a gold and or orange hue. Juvenile iguanas are bright green.
• Iguanas have short legs with long toes connected to sharp claws to aid in digging and climbing. This reptile will have also have long tails for balance when in high tree canopy's or to aid in defense by whipping it against people or other animals.

Use the image and description above to confirm that you are dealing with a species of iguana on your property. If unsure, then contact us with a photo of your pest through email, phone, or in-person at one of our store locations.

Inspection

Once you have confirmed you are dealing with a iguana, you can proceed with inspection. During the inspection, you will focus on finding areas where iguanas are most active to determine where to apply your products and avoid waste of material and time. Carry your inspection during the day as this will be when iguanas are most active.

Where to Inspect

As cold-blooded pests, iguanas are commonly found outdoors to regulate their heat since they have no way of doing this on their own. These reptiles can be spotted sunbathing on docks, decks, porches, roofs, and on tree branches. Though mostly found in elevated heights like tree canopy's they can be seen on the ground near landscaped areas, pools, dense shrubs, and rock piles. No matter what location they inhabit these areas are commonly found near water sources as iguanas are excellent swimmers that use water to escape their predators.

What to Look For

Iguanas are herbivores that feed on fruits, leaves, shoots, and flowers. On occasion, they can also eat bird eggs, insects, and snails. To reach these food sources the iguana causes cosmetic damage to the limbs and tree trunks as they climb up and down. These animals can also damage ornamental landscapes by digging burrows for their eggs from February to March.

Besides missing or jagged foliage, iguanas secretes brown or black colored pellets that resemble rabbit droppings while young and as a twisted cylinder shape when older. Iguanas may leave droppings on tree branches or along tree trunks, against exterior foundation walls, around or in pools, or across concrete surfaces like sidewalks or driveways.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed iguana activity, it is time to begin treatment. Before beginning any type of pesticide or pest control treatment, you will need to wear the proper personal protective equipment like gloves or closed-toe shoes.

For nuisance iguanas, we recommend controlling their food sources by using Ficam Insect Bait to eliminate snails, then Supreme IT for all other insects, and finally Iguana Scram Professional.

Step 1: Broadcast Ficam Insect Bait

Ficam Insect Bait is a moisture resistant insecticide bait granule made with 5% Orthoboric acid. This ready to use product can be used for exterior baiting to control and kill snails in commercial nurseries, flower gardens, and around ornamentals, groundcovers, and shrubs. Once snails and other labeled pests ingest this granule material they will perish within several days upon consumption.

Apply Ficam Insect Bait with a glove-covered hand, from the container, or with a type of handheld spreader. Broadcast 6 oz. of Ficam Insect Bait per 100 sq. ft. in areas likely to be infested with snails and labeled pests. For maximum product performance, it would be best to apply this product early in the morning or evening when snails are most likely to be present. Reapply this product after 4 weeks if snails are still present.

Keep children and pets out of treatment area until application has been complete and avoid over-application around ornamental plants. Do not apply this product in combination with fertilizers, other pesticides or other biologically-active materials.

Step 2: Outdoor Treat with Supreme IT

Once snails have been fully controlled, you can then proceed with an application of Supreme IT. Supreme IT is a 7.9% bifenthrin insecticide concentrate that will treat over 70 types of insects on contact and up to 90 days after application. This suspended concentrate product will need to be mixed with water in a hose-end sprayer, backpack sprayer, or handheld pump sprayer.

We recommend using a hose-end sprayer for your application to effectively treat elevated tree surfaces and large areas. Determine how much Supreme IT you will need by calculating the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the treatment areas length and width in feet then multiply them together (length X width = square footage). Supreme IT can be used from 0.125 to 1.0 fl. oz. of product per gallon of water per 1,000 sq. ft. or 5.4 to 43.5 fl. oz. of product per 100 gallons of water for ornamental applications.

Make sure the sprayers control valve and water pump are turned off and then attach the hose-end sprayer nozzle to the hose. Remove the reservoir and then add the measured amount of Supreme IT and required amount of water. Reattach the reservoir to the nozzle and turn the water on to the hose.

Before treating entire ornamental plant, test treat a small portion of the plant and watch for signs of sensitivity for at least 7 days. Some plant species may be sensitive to the final spray solution. If no effects are seen, treat as a full coverage foliar spray using the stated application rates. Repeat treatments can be made if insect activity continues, but only once per 7 days.

Step 3: Barrier Treatment with Iguana Scram Professional

Once all food sources have been removed around your ornamentals and trees, you can proceed with the full utilization of a repellent like Iguana Scram Professional. Iguana Scram Professional is a dual action repellent that works to repel the iguanas sense of smell and taste through natural active ingredients formulated with various oils and other ingredients like peanut hulls 89.954%, and sodium chloride 2.000%.

Apply Iguana Scram Professional inside and around landscaped areas, trees, and shrubs directly from the product container or with the included scoop. Make sure to wear gloves when handling and applying this product.

Iguana Scram will need to be applied as an 18 inch barrier around the outside of the landscaped area. For trees and shrubs, you will sprinkle the product around tree and shrub bases as a 24 inch barrier starting from the drip line. If applied with the scoop it should be noted that one scoop covers 10 feet.

Once iguana infestation has been controlled this product may be reapplied as needed or when there has excessive rainfall. For excessive iguana infestation in the area, apply a second band 15 inches out from the first strip around the bed and lightly sprinkle the product throughout the inside of the bed.

Prevention

Once you have removed the iguanas on your property, you do not want these invasive animals to return. Here are some preventative measures we suggest following to keep iguanas away from your yard and ornamentals.

• Iguanas eat many types of plants, fruits, and leaves. Prevent iguanas from being attracted to your homes yard by picking up any fallen fruit or other plant materials by raking.
• Cover up ornamental plants with screens, mesh, or cage enclosures to deter iguanas from eating the plant material.
• Trim overhanging tree branches, shrub or flower limbs, or over-lapping branches to remove hiding places and methods of travel for iguanas. Move rock piles indoors to deter iguanas from hiding or sunbathing within them.
• Remove vegetation that is constantly visited by iguanas or replace with another type of foliage.
• Fertilize ornamental landscape areas to replenish plant and soil materials and to find any potential eggs laid by iguanas.
• Mow your turf when it reaches a height of 3 inches to deter insects and snails from infesting your yard and to potentially remove any fallen plant debris. By removing these food sources iguanas are less likely to visit your property.
• Set humane traps from February to March to capture female iguanas laying eggs in dense vegetation areas with loose soil. Spray Supreme IT on a quarterly basis to control insects and reapply Iguana Scram Professional at the beginning of each season or as needed to lessen iguana activities.

Key Takeaways

What are Iguanas?

• Iguanas are large tree-climbing lizards that mainly infest tree canopies to consume flowers, leaves, and fruits. However, they are often seen traveling on the ground to burrow into loose soils to lay their eggs or feed rarely on insects or snails.

How to Get Rid of Iguanas

• To remove iguanas from your homes property and ornamental landscape, we recommend first eliminating their food sources with Ficam Insect Bait and then using Supreme IT. Once all food sources are removed, then move onto a barrier treatment with Iguana Scram Professional.

Preventing Iguanas Reinfestation

• As mainly plant eaters, you will need to regularly prune overhanging or over lapping foliage branches. Maintain regular lawn care practices with mowing and raking any fallen plant debris from branches, leaves, and fruits to remove food attractants. Apply Ficam Insect Bait at the beginning of each spring season, then Supreme IT, and Iguana Scram Professional as needed until iguana activity has ceased.