Iguanas are a known nuisance. Now Miami-Dade's looking to hunt them down

If you live in South Florida, you know how much of a nuisance iguanas can be.

They leave droppings, attack shrubs, and reproduce at a very fast rate. They also tear through home piping and get under seawalls while burrowing.

Now Miami-Dade County is looking to hire private contractors to capture and kill the invasive reptiles, saying iguanas have a negative impact on the park system and infrastructure.

"They eat a lot of the native vegetation that’s critical habitat for endangered species," said Paul Vitro of Miami-Dade County Parks. "They eat small insects and lizards as well as bird eggs, so they have an impact."

The county is now in the process of soliciting humane trappers by capturing and killing the reptiles.

Michael Ronquillo, a trapper with Humane Iguana Control, is a private contractor who will make a bid. He said he sees all too often the damage and destruction iguanas leave behind.

He traps the iguanas with a 20-foot pole with a snare at the end and other methods such as trapping, hand captures and night time iguana removals with an air pellet gun.

"We’ve seen the problem just extend without nothing being done, and it's just gonna get worse if they’re not removed," he said.

The infestation has no boundaries. In Coral Gables, the mayor is asking the commission to solicit trappers there as well. And in the village of Key Biscayne, they've already been capturing iguanas for four years.

Trappers work three times a week. One trapper could net 40-50 iguanas in one night.

Miami-Dade County Parks says it's currently in the drafting phase of the process, adding this isn’t a hunt for iguanas but rather a tool to manage it.

"As stewards of our park system and some of the most important natural resources in the county, it's our responsibility to remove any invasive species," Vitro said.

The cost to taxpayers would be $700,000 a year.