COOPER CITY, Fla. – As iguanas continue to cause trouble in residential areas in South Florida, a removal service company specializing on the invasive species faces a high demand.
Perry Colato, a Hollywood Fire Rescue paramedic, co-founded the Redline Iguana Removal company late last year. He said his clients keep him really busy.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the nonnative species negatively impacts native wildlife, so they encourage property owners to manage their population. Blake Wilkins, the company's co-founder, has a background in biology. He said they use nets, noose poles or cage traps.
"We could trap them," Wilkins said, adding that sometimes they just "hand-catch them."
The Cooper Colony Golf and Country Club at 5050 SW 90th Ave. in Cooper City is one of his best clients. Dawn Braeseke said she appreciates their work.
Braesek said she is tired of seeing the holes in the sand at the course. The iguanas, which eat both plants and animals, use the holes to lay one dozen to six dozen eggs. The tunnels can sometimes damage a home's foundation.
"They are killing off the trees where our natural birds would be living in, so it just makes for a different environment that we would normally have," Braeseke said.
According to the FWC, three members of the iguana family are now established in South Florida: The green iguana, the black spiny-tailed iguana and the Mexican spiny-tailed iguana.
Colato said they couldn't do their job if they didn't love animals. Both Wilkins and Colato said they have a lot of respect for animals, and he reiterated that because he said sometimes "people get the wrong idea of why we are doing this."
Colato said iguanas are wreaking havoc on our local ecosystem. The FWC warns the iguanas are eating rodents, bats, frogs, birds, insects and endangered turtle hatchlings. If iguana feces end up in pools, they can carry salmonella and other diseases.
Redline Iguana Removal also offers flat rates and preventative services, such as clear tree wraps and a spray. Also, first responders get a special discount. For more information about their services, visit the company's page or call 954-937-7225.