Surrounded by water on purpose
Coral Gables was laid out in 1925 with the Coral Gables Waterway running from the Biltmore toward Biscayne Bay, and the estates south of Old Cutler Road were built on interconnected islands and canals. Gables Estates has more than two hundred acres of private shoreline. Cocoplum is three hundred estates on linked islands behind an armed gate, with Tahiti Beach tucked inside it. Deering Bay, Old Cutler Bay, Gables by the Sea, Hammock Oaks, Journey's End, Sunrise Harbour, and Pine Bay Estates all sit on canals or the bay with deep-water docks. A local magazine profile of the Gables' iguana trappers described the city as highly infested precisely because so many properties are surrounded by water, with most removals coming from Cocoplum, Gables Estates, and the Waterway.
Green iguanas swim the canals, come ashore on the seawall cap, burrow into the bank and under pool decks for egg chambers, foul the pool, and strip bougainvillea and hibiscus — the two plants the Gables is landscaped with. There is no city removal program; the work is private, lot by lot, which is why the animals move from one seawall to the next as each owner has a trapper out.
Inland Gables: lakes, canopy, and toads
North of Old Cutler the Merrick-era streets around the Granada and Biltmore golf courses are large landscaped lots under a heavy tree canopy, with open (unscreened) pools and coral-rock walls. Snapper Creek Lakes and Hammock Lakes are gated communities built around private lakes and oak hammock. That mix — golf-course water, lakes, pools, and shade — is cane toad and Cuban tree frog habitat. Toads breed in the lakes and golf ponds, come up after rain, and sit under landscape lights; they are toxic to dogs. Tree frogs sit on lit walls and pack into pump housings. Matheson Hammock's 630 acres of mangrove and Fairchild Garden's 83 bayfront acres border the Old Cutler estates and keep both lists stocked.
Where to lay the band in Coral Gables
Waterway and bay estates (Cocoplum, Gables Estates, Old Cutler Bay, Deering Bay): a continuous band on the dry seawall cap, the dock landing, the lawn strip to the pool, the pool-deck edge, and the base of the hedge. Golf-course and lake homes (Granada, Biltmore, Snapper Creek Lakes): the fairway- or lake-facing hedge, the pool-deck edge, and a ring around each low landscape light and the pump pad. Lots on Old Cutler backing Matheson Hammock: the fence line on the hammock side.
Coral Gables is about 33 miles south of our Fort Lauderdale base, on the Miami-Dade route with Miami and Miami Beach. A Cocoplum or Gables Estates lot with shoreline on two sides is a 5-gal job, and often a recurring one; a Merrick-era home near the Biltmore is a 32 oz bag.
A barrier you control, from five ingredients you can read.
ReptilesAway is a granular powder, not a spray, made from five ingredients — sodium chloride, citric acid, lemongrass oil, peppermint oil, and garlic oil — and formulated as an EPA FIFRA 25(b) minimum-risk pesticide — made only from ingredients on the EPA's minimum-risk list, so it is exempt from federal registration. One application lasts 2–3 weeks. The 32 oz bag is $24.99 and covers 1,500 sq ft; the 5-gal bucket is $164.99 and covers 30,000 sq ft. Made with food-grade and botanical ingredients. As with any product, keep pets from eating it directly and check the ingredient list if your pet has known sensitivities to any of them. Local treatment is priced by quote with no contracts — call 1-833-8REPTILES (1-833-873-7845).
See how it works- Sodium chloride01
- Citric acid02
- Lemongrass oil03
- Peppermint oil04
- Garlic oil05
Buy what you need.
Free shipping on orders of $100 or more. Flat $8.95 under that.
Label mockup shown. Final packaging may vary.
ReptilesAway Powder · 32 oz
1,500 SQ FT · 2–3 WEEKS PER APP$24.99
Label mockup shown. Final packaging may vary.
ReptilesAway Powder · 5-Gallon
30,000 SQ FT · 2–3 WEEKS PER APP$164.99
Three steps. You run them.
Find the travel lines
Walk your Coral Gables property and flag the routes reptiles use — canal banks, foundation lines, pool-cage edges, the landscaping beds iguanas strip.
Lay the band
Shake a three-foot band of powder along those lines. No spray, no fogger, nothing to dry — fine around the pool and patio.
Reapply on schedule
One pass lasts two to three weeks. Reapply after a heavy rain or every couple of weeks through the long iguana season.
Questions about Coral Gables.
My Cocoplum seawall has iguana egg burrows behind it. Where does the powder go?
On the dry seawall cap, the dock landing, and the lawn strip toward the pool — the lines an iguana crosses to reach the bank. Reapply every two weeks in summer, when nesting and daily storms both peak. A cap that has already dropped should be looked at by a marine contractor.
Is it safe on coral-rock walls, pavers, and the landscaping the Gables is known for?
The powder is a dry granule laid in a band along edges; nothing is sprayed on plants or stone, and it is plant-safe. Made with food-grade and botanical ingredients. Keep pets from eating it directly and check the ingredient list if your pet has known sensitivities to any of them.
We are on the Granada golf course and get toads on the pool deck every night. What helps?
A band along the fairway-facing hedge, the pool-deck edge, and a ring around each low landscape light and the pump pad, since toads come up from the course ponds after rain and sit under lights. Keep it fresh May through October and keep dogs away from any toad you find.
Take back your Coral Gables yard.
From Cocoplum to the Biltmore, the fix is the same: a granular line where the reptiles travel. Run it yourself, or let our crew handle the whole thing.