Key West packs more than two centuries of history onto a small island: wood-frame conch houses and Victorian homes in Old Town, guesthouses and bars on Duval Street, marinas, cruise docks and the newer neighborhoods of New Town. Old wood, constant visitors and boats from every port make it a special case for pest control. Toro Pest Management has protected South Florida since 1969, and we treat Key West properties with their age and construction in mind.
- 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
Why Key West Has Its Own Pest Challenges
Key West is the end of the road: an island about 4 miles long and 1 mile wide at the bottom of the Overseas Highway, with about 26,400 residents in the 2020 census. Few places in Florida have so many old wooden buildings in so little space. The Key West Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and expanded in 1983 to include 2,485 historic buildings, and the American Planning Association describes the city’s collection of wooden structures as the largest on the National Register.
Many Old Town homes date from 1886 to 1912. They are wood-frame houses set on piers about three feet off the ground, with horizontal wood siding, porches, louvered shutters, lattice screens underneath and metal roofs, and many Duval Street buildings are built of Dade County pine. The conch house, a style brought by settlers from the Bahamas in the 1800s, is the classic example. That much old, dry wood is exactly what drywood termites look for.
The island is also busy with visitors and boats. Cruise ships dock near Mallory Square, Key West Bight and Garrison Bight are busy with boats, and guesthouses, hotels and vacation rentals turn over constantly. Key West is the driest city in Florida, with about 40 inches of rain a year, but about three-quarters of it falls in the May to October wet season, and hurricanes remain a real threat. During Hurricane Wilma in 2005, storm surge flooded an estimated 60 percent of the city’s homes.
Common Pests in Key West and Why They Show Up
West Indian Drywood Termites
Florida's first record of the West Indian drywood termite came from a Key West structure in 1918, and UF/IFAS Monroe County Extension still ranks it among the two most damaging termites in the Keys. It lives inside dry wood such as framing, siding, trim and antique furniture, and swarms from April to June. Learn about drywood termite treatment.
Signs to watch for: tiny pellets that pile up under wood and on windowsills.
Asian Subterranean Termites
A colony of Asian subterranean termites was found in a waterfront Key West house in 1999, and by 2004 six structures in the city were confirmed infested. Its winged adults fly from February to April, from dusk into the night; one Key West flight was recorded inside a hotel at 1:30 in the morning.
Signs to watch for: mud tubes on piers, foundations and the lattice under raised homes.
Cockroaches
Restaurants and bars on Duval Street, guesthouse kitchens and old buildings with shared walls give German cockroaches plenty of room, while American cockroaches live in drains, sewers and the crawl spaces under raised homes. Our cockroach guide explains the difference.
Roof Rats
Mature palms, tropical gardens and the tight lots of Old Town let roof rats move from tree to roof to attic. Restaurant dumpsters and waterfront trash bins keep them fed. Our rodent control seals roof gaps, soffits and openings under raised floors.
Signs to watch for: droppings, chewed wiring and noise overhead at night.
Mosquitoes
The Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in small containers and bites during the day, and it spread the locally acquired dengue cases Key West saw in 2009 and 2010. Courtyard planters, bromeliads, buckets and boat covers are common sources. Our mosquito control treats resting spots in shady yards.
Bed Bugs
With cruise passengers, guesthouses, hotels and rentals all on one small island, bed bugs arrive in luggage every day. Inspecting rooms between guests and treating early keeps a single room from becoming a building-wide problem.
Key West residents also ask us about green iguanas, which UF/IFAS considers established in the Keys and which leave droppings on decks and burrow along seawalls (see our wildlife services), plus ants, silverfish in old homes and whiteflies on hedges.
Residential Pest Control in Key West
Every kind of Key West home needs a different approach. Historic houses in Old Town and Bahama Village have old wood, crawl spaces beneath raised floors and many small openings around porches and shutters. Homes in Casa Marina and The Meadows often have dense gardens and mature trees that attract rats and mosquitoes. In New Town, where many salt ponds were filled in during the late 1950s, newer homes and condos face cockroaches, ants and subterranean termites.
A residential service visit starts with a free inspection inside and out, including the space under raised homes. We look for drywood pellets, mud tubes, rodent entry points and standing water, then recommend a plan that respects the house and how often you live in it. Our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee stands behind it: if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Buying an older home or a home with antique furniture? A termite inspection before closing is a smart precaution, because drywood damage often hides inside walls, trim and furniture.
Commercial Pest Control for Key West Businesses
Tourism drives Key West. The guesthouses and hotels of Old Town, the bars and restaurants on Duval Street, the shops near Mallory Square, the marinas, the cruise docks and Key West International Airport all handle a steady flow of visitors, and one sighting can end up in a review.
We provide commercial pest control for:
- Guesthouses, hotels and vacation rentals, with discreet programs for bed bugs, cockroaches and rodents.
- Restaurants, bars and food service, where roaches, flies and rats can fail an inspection.
- Retail stores and galleries along Duval Street and the waterfront.
- Airports and transportation facilities.
- Property management companies, condo associations and rental managers.
- Government and school buildings.
Commercial plans include detailed service reports for health inspections and audits, scheduled around your guests and hours. Our technicians train at the TORO Institute, the training facility at our Miami headquarters, where on-staff entomologists teach food safety, sanitation, structural practices and pest management techniques.
Key West Pest Calendar: What to Expect Each Season
| Season | What is active in Key West | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| November to April (dry season, peak visitors) | Bed bugs and roaches in busy guesthouses and rentals, rats in attics | Inspect rooms between guests and trim palms back from the roofline. |
| February to April | Asian subterranean termites flying from dusk into the night | Turn off porch lights during swarms and save the wings for identification. |
| April to June | West Indian drywood termite swarms in older wood homes | Check sills, trim and furniture for pellets and book an inspection. |
| May to October (wet season, wettest in September) | Aedes aegypti mosquitoes at their peak, ants and roaches moving indoors | Empty planters, buckets and boat covers every week. |
| June to November (hurricane season) | Rats and wildlife displaced by storms, mosquitoes after flooding | Clear debris quickly and check crawl spaces and attics after storms. |
How Our Key West Pest Control Service Works
- Free inspectionYour Toro technician inspects the property from the roofline to the crawl space and identifies the pests and their source.
- A plan that respects older homesWe explain what we found and recommend a one-time treatment or ongoing protection suited to the building's age and use.
- TreatmentWe treat where pests live, breed and enter, choosing products and methods for your property and applying them according to their label directions.
- Follow-up and guaranteeUnder our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee, if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Why Key West Chooses Toro Pest Management
- Protecting South Florida since 1969. Toro was founded by Dr. Jose Perez Linares and is led today by its third generation.
- Response within 24 hours, guaranteed.
- Experience with old wood, from historic homes and guesthouses to waterfront restaurants and rentals.
- Residential and commercial plans with clear reports and flexible scheduling.
- Hablamos Español. Our team is glad to help in English or Spanish.
Free inspection and $25 off your first service in Key West.
Schedule Your Free InspectionKey West Pest Control FAQ
Do you provide pest control across all of Key West?
Yes. We serve the whole city, from Old Town, Bahama Village, Truman Annex and Casa Marina to The Meadows and New Town, in ZIP codes 33040, 33041 and 33045. We guarantee a response within 24 hours.
Are drywood termites a big problem in Key West's historic homes?
They are. The West Indian drywood termite was first recorded in Florida in 1918 from a building in Key West, and UF/IFAS notes that its largest populations are in older buildings in southern Florida. It lives inside dry wood such as framing, siding, trim and antique furniture, which describes much of Old Town. When several colonies are spread through a house, whole-structure fumigation may be the practical choice.
Will tenting take care of subterranean termites too?
No. Tenting is a treatment for drywood termites. The Asian subterranean termite, which has been found in Key West since 1999, keeps most of its colony outside the house, so it can return after the tent comes down. It is handled with soil treatments or baiting systems instead.
How do termites get to an island like Key West?
Often by boat. UF researchers found Asian subterranean termites infesting a boat moored off Fleming Key and in drydock on Stock Island, and a 2025 University of Florida study concluded that recreational boats are a major pathway for invasive termites. The West Indian drywood termite also travels in furniture and wooden goods.
Who controls mosquitoes in Key West?
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, headquartered on Aquamarine Drive in Key West, provides area-wide mosquito control for the Keys and accepts service requests online. Key West had locally acquired dengue cases in 2009 and 2010, spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, so emptying containers of water every week matters here. We add yard treatments that target resting areas.
Is the inspection free, and do you have Spanish-speaking staff?
Yes on both counts. The first inspection is free, 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.
Pest Control Near Key West
Toro also serves the communities around Key West:
Last updated: October 29, 2026
110% Satisfaction Guaranteed
If the bugs come back, so will TORO at no additional cost to you. TORO will respond with in 24 hours Guaranteed. Our technician will arrive quickly and deal with the pest problem to prevent recurrence.
