Highland Beach is a three-mile ribbon of condominium towers and oceanfront homes between Delray Beach and Boca Raton, with the Atlantic on one side and the Intracoastal on the other. Shared walls, trash rooms and units left empty for months create pest problems that a single-family plan will not fix. Toro Pest Management has served South Florida since 1969, and we build Highland Beach programs for residents, boards and property managers alike.
- Since 1969Third generation, protecting South Florida
- 110% GuaranteeIf the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost
- Within 24 HoursResponse guaranteed
- Free InspectionPlus $25 off your first service
Condo Living in Highland Beach: Pest Control Unit by Unit
Life in Highland Beach mostly happens in shared buildings. The Historical Society of Palm Beach County describes a housing stock of 10- to 15-story condominiums and multi-story mansions, and condo buildings have stood on both sides of A1A since the boom of the late 1970s. In a tower, your neighbor’s kitchen, the trash chute and the plumbing riser all count as part of your pest picture.
Part-time living adds another layer. In the 2010 census, about 40 percent of the town’s housing units were held for seasonal or occasional use. A closed unit has dry drain traps, no daily activity and nobody to notice the first sign of trouble. By the time an owner returns in the fall, a small problem may have had six months to grow.
Our residential service starts with a free inspection of your unit or home: kitchen, baths, closets, sliders, balcony and any storage cage. We tell you what we see, whether it looks confined to your space, and whether the association should be involved. We can set up visits around your time in town, and we will work with your building’s rules on elevators, access and vendor hours. Under our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee, if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Single-family and townhome owners get the same attention, with extra time on the attic, garage, seawall and hedges. Owners can help between visits, too. Leave a trusted contact with the manager, ask someone to run the water in your unit during long absences, and keep cardboard out of closets and storage cages, since roaches and silverfish both hide in it. If you are buying here, a termite inspection before closing is worthwhile for any unit with wood cabinets, built-ins or older door frames.
Between Ocean and Intracoastal: Highland Beach’s Setting
The town owes its existence to water. In the late 1940s, salt water contaminated local wells, and with Delray Beach and Boca Raton declining to help, residents chose to build their own water system. Twenty-one of them signed the papers in December 1949 that created the Town of Highland Beach. The name comes from land that rises 20 to 25 feet above high tide, higher than the dune crests in neighboring beach towns. The 1950 census counted 52 people.
Highland Towers, one of the town’s first high-rises, went up in 1958, and growth took off two decades later. The 2020 census counted 4,295 residents on about half a square mile of land, and the town’s winter population has been reported at about 8,500. In the 2010 census, more than half of residents were 65 or older, so a quiet, predictable service visit matters here.
Geography packs a lot into a narrow strip. The ocean lies to the east, the Intracoastal Waterway to the west, Delray Beach to the north and Boca Raton to the south. State Road A1A serves as the town’s main street, shaded by trees and landscaping. Sea turtles nest on the beach, and town rules require that outdoor lights not be visible from the sand from dusk to dawn between March 1 and October 31. Dense planting, irrigation, salt air and year-round warmth all feed pest activity in a very small space.
Building by Building: The Pests of Highland Beach
German Cockroaches
This is the classic multi-unit pest. Roaches ride in on boxes and grocery bags, settle near warm appliances and spread through plumbing chases and wall voids. Sprays can push them next door, which is why we favor targeted baits and building-wide inspection. See our cockroach guide for details on the species.
Signs to watch for: small roaches by day, pepper-like specks in cabinet hinges and behind the refrigerator.
Drywood Termites
A concrete tower still holds plenty of wood. Drywood termites can live in door frames, kitchen cabinets, baseboards, built-ins and furniture without any contact with the ground. Swarmers come in through balcony doors, and furniture can bring a colony with it. In a shared building, we help owners and boards decide on the right scope.
Signs to watch for: tiny pellets on sills or inside drawers, wings beside the slider.
Subterranean Termites
Ground-floor units, parking levels and irrigated planters are the exposure points for Formosan and Asian subterranean termites. They follow moisture, and they use expansion joints and pipe openings. UF/IFAS says Formosan swarms peak in May, shortly after sunset, and that the swarmers are drawn to lights.
Signs to watch for: mud tubes in garages, utility rooms and along planter walls.
Ghost Ants
UF/IFAS describes ghost ants as tiny, fast, sweet-loving ants that often arrive with potted plants and can move into wall voids. Balcony plants and lobby planters make easy entry points. They do not bite, but they are hard to follow through a tall building. Spraying tends to scatter colonies, so we rely on baits. Read our ant guide.
Signs to watch for: pale trails on counters, around sinks and along balcony doors.
Rats
Trash rooms, garages and heavily planted grounds draw roof rats, which climb palms and vines easily. Ground-level gaps let them into storage and mechanical rooms. Our rodent control programs combine sealing, secure stations and regular reports for the association.
Signs to watch for: droppings in storage cages, gnawed wiring and trash bags.
Bed Bugs
With guests, seasonal arrivals and residents traveling back and forth, bed bugs come in with luggage and spread along corridors and shared walls. Quick reporting is the key. A unit found early stays one unit, and a building that delays can end up treating several.
Signs to watch for: small blood spots on sheets, dark specks along mattress seams.
Highland Beach properties also deal with silverfish in closets of closed-up units, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in balcony saucers and planters, whiteflies on palms and hedges along A1A, and iguanas on Intracoastal seawalls.
Pest Programs for Highland Beach Boards and Managers
Highland Beach has very little traditional commerce. The Delray Sands Resort, formerly a Holiday Inn, is the main commercial property, so most of our commercial work here serves condo associations and the people who run them. The town also runs its own public buildings, including a Town Hall, a police department and a reverse-osmosis water plant built in the 1990s, a direct descendant of the well problem that created the town. Boards need a program that reaches the common areas, keeps records and gives owners a clear answer when something goes wrong.
Our commercial pest control covers:
- Condominium associations and property managers, with plans for trash rooms, garages, pool decks, lobbies and mechanical rooms.
- Hotels and resort lodging, with discreet bed bug, cockroach and rodent programs.
- Food service in resort restaurants and association clubroom kitchens.
- Town and government buildings, including public offices and service facilities.
Service reports show what was found and what was done, which helps at board meetings and with owner questions. We can schedule visits around resident routines and quiet hours. Our technicians are trained at the TORO Institute at our Miami headquarters by the company’s own entomologists, whose courses include sanitation, structural practices and pest management techniques.
A Highland Beach Season-by-Season Pest Guide
| Season | Likely in Highland Beach | What boards and owners can do |
|---|---|---|
| October to December (owners return) | Roaches and silverfish in closed units, dry drain traps, ants on balconies | Run all drains on arrival and report anything unusual to the manager. |
| January to March (full buildings) | Cockroaches around trash rooms, bed bugs with guests, rats in plantings | Keep trash rooms clean and report bites or sightings early. |
| March to June (swarm season) | Asian subterranean swarms, then Formosan and drywood flights around balcony doors | Keep sliders shut at dusk and save some wings for identification. |
| May to October (rainy months, turtle season continues) | Mosquitoes in planters, whiteflies on palms, ants after rain | Empty saucers weekly and keep outdoor lights within town rules. |
| June to November (hurricane season) | Rodents moved by storms, wet garages, mosquitoes after flooding | Inspect garages and planters after storms and dry out wet storage rooms. |
How Toro Works With Highland Beach Residents
- Free inspectionWe inspect your Highland Beach unit, home or common areas, and we note what appears to come from next door or the building.
- A clear scopeYou, or your board, get a plain plan that says what we will treat, who needs to give access and how often we return.
- Careful treatmentWe use baits, targeted products and exclusion suited to occupied buildings, following all label directions.
- Follow-throughUnder our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee, if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Why Highland Beach Associations Choose Toro
- A family company since 1969, started by Dr. Jose Perez Linares and run today by the third generation.
- Response within 24 hours, guaranteed, whether the call comes from an owner or a manager.
- Written service reports that make board updates simpler.
- Staff entomologists behind our technicians’ training at the TORO Institute.
- Hablamos Español. Residents and staff can reach us in English or Spanish.
Free inspection and $25 off your first service in Highland Beach.
Schedule Your Free InspectionHighland Beach Condo and Home Questions
Do you serve all of Highland Beach?
Yes. We cover the town's ZIP code 33487, from condo towers and townhomes along A1A to homes on the Intracoastal side. Response within 24 hours is guaranteed.
My unit sat empty all summer. What should I check when I return?
Run water in every drain to refill the traps, look under sinks for droppings, and check sills and closet floors for pellets or shed wings. Dry traps and quiet rooms suit roaches and silverfish. If anything looks off, a free inspection will tell you what you are dealing with.
Can your program cover the whole building, not just one unit?
Yes, and that is usually the stronger choice. German cockroaches, ants and bed bugs move through shared plumbing, wall voids and corridors, so treating one apartment alone often just moves them. We work with condo boards and property managers on common areas, trash rooms and a clear schedule for reaching individual units.
How do Highland Beach's turtle lighting rules affect bug control at night?
From March 1 through October 31, town rules say external lights such as pool, deck, patio and security lighting must not be visible from the beach from dusk to dawn. Please do not add outdoor lights to fight insects. Doors kept closed at dusk, working sweeps and treatment around entries are a better fit.
Do you handle termites in concrete buildings?
Yes. Concrete itself is not food, but door frames, cabinets, baseboards and furniture are. Drywood termites can live in those without touching soil, and subterranean termites can use cracks and pipe openings at ground level. We inspect units and common areas and recommend spot treatment, soil work, baiting or fumigation as the situation requires.
Is the first inspection free, and do you speak Spanish?
Yes. The first inspection is free for units, homes and associations, new customers get $25 off their first service, and we speak Spanish. Call 305-594-4767 or use the Free Inspection form on this page.
Serving Nearby Towns From Highland Beach
Toro also serves the communities around Highland Beach:
Last updated: November 2, 2026
110% Satisfaction Guaranteed
If the bugs come back, so will TORO, at no additional cost to you. TORO responds within 24 hours, guaranteed, and our technician will arrive quickly and deal with the pest problem to prevent it from coming back.
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