Broward County, Florida

Pest Help for Sunrise Homes Between the Suburbs and the Everglades

Sunrise stretches from the 1961 streets of Sunrise Golf Village west to the Everglades, and water covers about a tenth of the city. That mix of aging houses, lakes and wetland edge decides which pests reach your door.

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Sunrise began in 1961 as Sunrise Golf Village, a 1.75 square mile development that Iowa-born builder Norman Johnson promoted to retirees with a fully furnished upside-down house. Voters shortened the name in 1971, and annexation carried the city across more than 18 square miles of central-western Broward County, out to the Everglades. The 2020 census counted 97,335 residents.

About 1.9 of those square miles are water, the land sits roughly 7 feet above sea level, and the climate is tropical monsoon: hot, humid summers and warm winters. Census survey data show about six in ten Sunrise homes were built in the 1970s and 1980s, so we weigh the age of the house, the nearest water and the landscaping before recommending any treatment.

Pests in Sunrise

Asian and Formosan subterranean termites

Broward County has both the Asian subterranean termite and the Formosan subterranean termite, both Coptotermes species. University of Florida termite researchers, whose lab is next door in Davie, have confirmed hybrids of the two in Broward as well, though hybrids are under 1% of swarmers and the products used on either parent work on them too. A Formosan colony can grow to several million insects. We check the slab edge and plumbing entries for mud tubes.

Yellow fever mosquitoes

The mosquito that matters most around Sunrise houses is Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, which UF entomologists describe as still common in urban southern Florida. It feeds mainly on people and bites in the daytime, indoors and out. It needs no marsh: females lay eggs in unused flowerpots, spare tires, rain barrels and untreated pools, and the eggs can sit dry for months and hatch once water covers them. Florida's health department names it the primary spreader of dengue.

Australian and American cockroaches

UF/IFAS calls the Australian cockroach the most common cockroach found outdoors in southern Florida. It is about 1.25 inches long with light yellow bands on the upper edges of its front wings, and it lives under tree bark, in firewood piles and wherever there is moisture. The slightly larger American cockroach moves into houses from sewers by way of the plumbing and from branches that touch the building. Both get called palmetto bugs.

Bigheaded ants

Bigheaded ants (Pheidole megacephala) are on record in Broward County and can link their nests into one nearly continuous supercolony that shuts out most other ant species. They nest in soil under bricks, slabs and flower pots and leave piles of loose sandy soil along walkways. Their debris-covered foraging tubes resemble termite tubes but are far more fragile. They do not sting or harm wood; the complaint is dirt piles and ants trailing through kitchens and bathrooms.

Green iguanas

Green iguanas have established populations in Broward County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Males can grow past five feet and weigh up to 17 pounds. Along the water in Sunrise they dig burrows that erode and collapse sidewalks, foundations, seawalls, berms and canal banks. Their droppings end up on docks, decks and pool platforms. FWC's suggestions are to take out the plants they feed on, fill holes to discourage burrowing and spray the animals with water.

The pest year in Sunrise

Termite flights, late February to June
UF termite scientists report that South Florida swarms begin in the last week of February. Asian subterranean termites fly in March around sunset on warm days, Formosan termites start in late April, and drywood termites swarm from March through June. Wings piling up in several rooms are the reason to book an inspection.
Rainy season, summer
Broward County Mosquito Control reports mosquitoes in every month of the year, with service requests climbing once the summer heat and rains arrive. Tip out buckets, toys, flowerpots and pool covers after each storm. Any truck spraying the county decides on happens between midnight and 6 a.m.
Cooler months, winter
Winters here stay warm, so nothing truly shuts down. During cooler spells Australian cockroaches may settle into dark, warm spots indoors, and a cold snap can stun iguanas where they sit in the branches. It is the comfortable time to trim shrubs off the walls and seal gaps around doors and windows.

What a 1970s or 1980s Sunrise house needs checked

University of Florida termite prevention guidance fits Sunrise's older subdivisions well. Keep at least 6 inches of wall visible between the mulch or soil line and the bottom of the siding, keep landscape plants 2 feet off exterior walls, turn irrigation heads away from the house, and have a trained inspector look things over once a year.

On a first visit we walk the outside before anything else: the slab line, the side of the lot facing a canal or lake, door thresholds, branches near the roof and anything holding water. You get a plain list of what we found, a free estimate, and a plan priced from $57 that relies on eco-friendly products.

Quick Quote (512) 561-7451

Where we work around Sunrise

Sunrise Golf Village
Springtree Golf Club area
Sawgrass Mills area
Sawgrass International Corporate Park
Plantation
Lauderhill
Tamarac
Davie
Weston

Sunrise pest questions

When do termites swarm in Sunrise, Florida?

From late February through June. UF researchers say Asian subterranean termites swarm in March near sunset, Formosan termites begin in late April and are busiest in May, while drywood termites fly from March through June. Both subterranean species are drawn to lights, so swarmers at a lamp or shed wings on a window sill are often the first thing a homeowner notices.

Does Broward County spray for mosquitoes in Sunrise?

Yes, when its staff decide spraying is warranted. Broward County Mosquito Control accepts service requests from the property owner or resident online or through 311, evaluates each one, and picks the treatment based on the mosquitoes it finds. For day-biting Aedes aegypti, draining standing water at your own home is the step that lowers numbers.

Are palmetto bugs in Sunrise just cockroaches?

Yes. UF/IFAS applies the name palmetto bug to Florida's large cockroaches: the American, Australian, smokybrown and brown cockroaches and the Florida woods cockroach, all between 1.25 and 2 inches long. Their breeding sites are outdoors, in palm trees, tree holes, mulch and leaf litter, and they end up inside by wandering in or being carried.

Book a Sunrise Pest Inspection

Tell us what you are seeing in Sunrise at (512) 561-7451, get a free estimate through /quote, or reserve a visit on /schedule-pest-control-service.

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