The Truth About Florida Wildlife — What's Actually in Your Backyard

Nobody moves to Florida expecting to find a six-foot iguana on their patio, but here we are. Here's what you need to know: yes, there are alligators, and yes, they're in pretty much every body of fresh water — retention ponds, golf course lakes, your neighbor's pool if they leave the screen door open. No, they don't usually bother you unless you feed them (which is illegal, don't do it). Palmetto bugs are giant cockroaches that fly — they're not because your house is dirty, they're because you live in a subtropical state and they were here first. Iguanas are everywhere in South Florida and they eat your landscaping. Lizards are on every wall, fence, and window screen and they're actually helpful because they eat mosquitoes. Sand hill cranes will stand in the middle of the road and dare you to honk. And the mosquitoes — oh the mosquitoes — are a lifestyle from May through October. Jamie's advice: get a good pest control service, keep your pool screen in good shape, and stop screaming at the lizards. They're your friends. Julie's advice: the wildlife is part of the charm. Lean in.