Iguanas becoming pests for Florida residents

Over the last few decades in Boca Grande, Florida, iguanas have always been a way of life there. However, the problem now has become out of control. There are an estimated 12,000 of these black, spiny-tailed lizards. These lizards have become pests in the area destroying gardens, nesting in attics, and burrowing in the beach dunes making them weak. In Lee County, a tax has been put in place in order for scientists to study these creatures in Gasparilla, a neighboring island. In this region, there are about 10 iguanas for every resident. It has gotten so bad that Bonnie McGee keeps a pelet by her door and blows them away when she sees them.“They eat your flowers and their feces is everywhere,” she said, adding that she’s killed dozens. “Some people toss them in the canal and the hermit crabs feed on them.” Another reason why the residents would like to get rid of these lizards is because they carry Salmonella with them. This has caused a scare in most residents.