09/27/2026
🦎 Why Iguanas Are Digging Up Your Seawall (and What to Do About It)
If you live on the water in South Florida, you've probably seen them: big green iguanas sunning themselves on your dock or seawall like they pay rent. They might look harmless, but these reptiles can cause real, expensive damage to your property.
🌴 Where did all these iguanas come from?
Green iguanas aren't native to Florida. They were brought here through the pet trade and have spread across South Florida's warm, canal-lined neighborhoods. With no real winters to slow them down and plenty of food, their numbers have exploded.
🕳️ Why they dig
Iguanas dig burrows to nest, lay eggs, and hide. Their favorite spots are soft soil near water: seawalls, canal banks, sidewalks, and the ground under patios and pool decks. Some burrows run several feet long.
⚠️ The damage they cause
Over time, iguana burrows can wash out the soil behind seawalls and beneath concrete, leading to erosion, cracks, and even collapse. That's a costly repair. Iguanas also:
• Eat landscaping, especially hibiscus, orchids, and fruit
• Leave droppings on docks, pool decks, and seawalls (like the ones in this photo), which can carry Salmonella
• Sometimes get into attics or under sheds
✅ What you can do
• Fill in burrows once they're empty, preferably with a professional's help
• Pick up fallen fruit and avoid planting their favorite flowers
• Wrap tree trunks with smooth sheet metal to stop climbing
• Clear brush piles and debris where they hide
• Never feed them. It only invites more
❄️ Winter bonus: "falling iguana" season
When temperatures drop into the 40s, iguanas can become cold-stunned and fall out of trees. They look dead but often recover once they warm up, so don't bring one inside or try to handle it.
📞 When to call a professional
If iguanas are burrowing near your seawall or foundation, eating through your landscaping, or you're seeing more every week, it's time for help. 3G Pest Solutions offers humane iguana removal and helps make your property less inviting so they don't come right back.
3G Pest Solutions is a family-owned, third-generation pest control company serving Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Parkland, and Pompano Beach, open 7 days a week.
Call 954-729-3875 or visit https://3gpest.com
