Kendall is not a city. It is an unincorporated, census-designated community of about 80,000 people in southwest Miami-Dade, stretching from U.S. 1 to Florida's Turnpike, with Dadeland at its busy eastern end. Tract homes, condos, hospitals, malls and canals all share the same ground. Toro Pest Management has protected South Florida since 1969, and we treat Kendall the way it really is: many neighborhoods, each with its own pests.
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Horse Country to Dadeland: What Shapes Kendall’s Pest Pressure
The name goes back to the 1880s. In 1883 the Florida Land and Mortgage Company bought much of the land from the State of Florida, and the area was named for company director Henry John Broughton Kendall. It stayed rural for a long time, known as horse country, and North Kendall Drive was nicknamed the road to nowhere. Then came Baptist Hospital in the 1960s, the Palmetto Expressway, a widened Kendall Drive, affordable tract housing and Dadeland, which opened on October 1, 1962. By the 1970s Kendall was the fastest-growing community in the county.
Today the Kendall census-designated place covers about 16.6 square miles and had 80,241 residents in the 2020 census. It has never incorporated. Pinecrest left in 1996 when it became a town, and the county treats East Kendall and West Kendall as separate communities for planning purposes. The Don Shula Expressway cuts across it from northeast to southwest, and Snapper Creek and its canal run through on their way from the Everglades side to Biscayne Bay.
That history explains the pests. Decades of tree growth have turned early subdivisions into shady, connected canopies that rats use as highways. Hurricane Andrew severely damaged the area in 1992, so many homes mix original framing with 1990s repairs, which gives termites a variety of wood to work with. Canals and lakes keep water close to many back yards. Rain is steady too: the National Weather Service puts West Kendall’s 1991-2020 wet-season normal at 38.08 inches. And about 44 percent of Kendall’s 31,600 or so housing units are multifamily, so a roach or bed bug problem often involves the neighbors as well.
Roof Rats, Termites and Other Common Kendall Pests
Roof Rats
Mango, avocado and citrus trees, along with old palms, make Kendall yards a good address for roof rats. UF/IFAS says they breed year-round in Florida and that females can have four or five litters a year. Our rodent control seals the roof and removes the rats.
Signs to watch for: hollowed fruit with round holes and noise in the attic after dark.
Drywood Termites
Older tract homes, wood furniture and hurricane-era repairs are all possible hosts. A colony of West Indian drywood termites may stay in one piece of wood, which is why spot treatment sometimes works and tenting is sometimes the right call. Learn about drywood termite options.
Signs to watch for: six-sided pellets below tiny holes in trim.
Asian and Formosan Termites
Asian subterranean termites swarm at dusk from early March, and Formosan termites follow from late April. Both can infest living trees, a real concern in neighborhoods with big old shade and fruit trees.
Signs to watch for: mud on tree trunks, slabs and expansion joints.
Cockroaches
German cockroaches thrive in the kitchens of Kendall's condos and apartments, while American cockroaches come up from drains and sewers after heavy rain. Our cockroach guide covers both.
Signs to watch for: droppings in drawers and roaches near sinks at night.
Ghost Ants and White-footed Ants
These small ants nest in landscaping and wall voids, and they follow pipes and branches into the house. Baits generally work better than sprays. Our ant guide explains why.
Signs to watch for: tiny pale or dark ants on counters and near bathroom fixtures.
Mosquitoes
Aedes aegypti breeds in very small amounts of water near people, and the Asian tiger mosquito is at home in leafy yards. Kendall's shade keeps them comfortable. See our mosquito control service.
Signs to watch for: bites during the day and larvae in saucers or bromeliads.
Other Kendall calls involve whiteflies on hedges, lawn pests, fleas in homes with pets, wasps under eaves, and wildlife in yards and near canals.
Kendall Homes, Townhouses and Condos: How We Protect Them
Kendall’s housing runs from single-family homes, which make up about 55 percent of the total, to the apartments and condos that make up most of the rest, many of them around Dadeland and the Metrorail. Each needs its own approach. In a house with a mature yard, we start at the roof and the trees. In an attached home, we look at the shared wall line, the garage and the small patio. In a condo, we concentrate on kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing openings and any trash room on the floor.
A residential pest control visit from Toro begins with a free inspection, inside and out. Your technician will show you what was found and explain the options in simple terms. You can choose a one-time treatment or ongoing service, and our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee is there if you need it: if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
About 37 percent of Kendall’s occupied homes are rented, so we also work with landlords who want a problem solved between tenants. Buyers should think about a termite inspection before closing, particularly on a home with older wood additions or a recently repainted interior.
Homeowners can lower the pressure between visits. Keep trees and hedges from touching the roof, and store firewood and lumber well away from the walls. Check under sinks for leaks, since drips draw roaches and ants. Fix torn window screens, and look over any used furniture before it comes inside. If you back up to a canal or lake, keep the rear of the lot clear of brush, which gives rodents and other animals easy cover. And if something moves in anyway, call before you spray: store products can scatter ants and spread a problem you could have handled with one visit. Taking a few photos, or saving a sample in a sealed bag, also helps your technician identify the pest quickly.
When Kendall’s Pests Peak: A Month-by-Month Guide
| Period | Kendall pests in play | How to stay ahead |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Roof rats in attics, ripe citrus attracting rodents, ants in kitchens | Pick up fallen fruit and keep branches away from roofs. |
| March to June | Dusk swarms of Asian subterranean termites, then drywood and Formosan flights | Note where wings gather and call before you spray anything. |
| Summer (fruit season) | Roof rats on mangoes and avocados, flies around fallen fruit | Harvest early and remove dropped fruit daily. |
| May 15 to October 15 (wet season) | Mosquitoes, ants indoors, American cockroaches from drains | Drain and cover containers and flush bromeliads weekly. |
| June to November (hurricane season) | Displaced rodents and wildlife, mosquitoes after heavy rain | Check the roof after storms and clear debris from canal-side yards. |
Dadeland Retail, Hospitals and Kendall Commercial Pest Control
Dadeland is the commercial heart of Kendall. Dadeland Mall, at about 1.5 million square feet and 167 stores, sits on North Kendall Drive, with The Falls just to the south and two Metrorail stations nearby. Baptist Hospital and the Miami Dade College Kendall Campus are also here, and small plazas line Kendall Drive and the major avenues running west. Food courts, shared service corridors and busy loading areas spread pests quickly once they get in.
We provide commercial pest control for:
- Retail stores and shopping centers, with after-hours service when needed.
- Restaurants and food service of every size.
- Health care facilities and the medical offices that surround them.
- Schools and colleges.
- Hotels and other lodging properties.
- Property management companies and condo associations.
Every plan includes service reports you can show an inspector or a landlord. Our technicians are trained at the TORO Institute at our Miami headquarters, with on-staff entomologists leading courses on sanitation, food safety and pest management.
How a Kendall Pest Service Works With Toro
- Start with a free inspectionWe check the roof, yard, plumbing and any trees close to the structure, or your store or office from front to back.
- Get a straight answerYou hear what we found, what is causing it and what we recommend, with no pressure.
- We treat the sourceYour technician works where pests hide and enter, using products according to their label directions.
- Stay protectedShould pests return, we return too, at no additional cost to you, under our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Why Kendall Chooses Toro
- Over 55 years in Miami-Dade. Dr. Jose Perez Linares founded Toro in 1969, and the third generation leads it now.
- Response within 24 hours, guaranteed, east or west of the Palmetto.
- Entomologists on staff and hands-on training at the TORO Institute.
- Homes, condos, medical offices and retail, all from one company.
- $25 off your first service and a free first inspection for new customers.
- Hablamos Español. Our team is ready to help in Spanish.
Free inspection and $25 off your first service in Kendall.
Schedule Your Free InspectionKendall Homeowners and Businesses Ask
Is Kendall a city? Who do I call about county services?
Kendall is an unincorporated community and census-designated place, so the county provides local government services. Miami-Dade's Mosquito Control and Habitat Management Division takes mosquito reports through 311. For private homes and businesses, Toro serves ZIP codes 33156, 33173, 33176, 33183 and 33186, with a response within 24 hours guaranteed.
Our Kendall home was rebuilt after Hurricane Andrew. Do we still need a termite inspection?
Yes. Repairs from 1992 are now more than 30 years old, and drywood termites can move into any dry wood that is sheltered from rain, while subterranean termites can reach a slab through cracks and joints. Neither one cares when the wood was installed. The first inspection is free.
Rats keep eating my mangoes and avocados. What can I do?
UF/IFAS suggests trimming fruit trees so they do not touch fences, wires or other trees, keeping lower branches off the ground, using rat guards on trunks and picking up fallen fruit. Hollowed-out fruit with round holes is a classic roof rat sign. We can also seal the roof and set up a control plan.
We live in a Kendall condo. Will treating only our unit help?
It depends on the pest. German cockroaches and bed bugs can move through shared walls and pipe chases, so neighboring units may need attention too. We can work with your association or manager on inspections and common areas, and we keep reports for the file.
Do you work with medical offices near Baptist Hospital and Dadeland?
Yes. We offer commercial plans for health care offices, retailers and restaurants across Kendall, scheduled around patients and customers, with written service reports for each visit.
Do you offer free inspections and service in Spanish?
We do. The first inspection is free, new customers get $25 off their first service, and hablamos español. Call 305-594-4767 or send the Free Inspection form on this page.
Past Kendall: More Areas We Serve
Toro also serves the communities around Kendall:
Last updated: November 2, 2026
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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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