Westchester is an unincorporated, census-designated community in west Miami-Dade, not a city, and it grew up as a postwar suburb. Subdivisions from the 1950s and 1960s fill much of it, Florida International University anchors the west side, and small shops line Bird Road and SW 24th Street. Toro Pest Management has protected South Florida since 1969, and we know what older block homes and busy student rentals need.
- Since 1969Third generation, protecting South Florida
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A 1955 Suburb Built on Drained Land: Westchester Pest Conditions
Westchester’s land did not start out as anyone’s first choice. According to a Miami-Dade County planning history, the area was ruled ineligible under the 1862 Homestead Act because it flooded seasonally. Canals made it dry enough to use by the 1920s, yet it stayed largely rural through the 1940s. Then a 1955 subdivision called Westchester touched off the postwar boom and gave the community its name, and subdivisions such as Miracle Manor, Mirador, Westchester Park, Town Park and Coral Park followed in the 1960s.
Today Westchester is a census-designated place, not a municipality. Its area grew before the 2020 census when the University Park CDP was merged in, which took the count to 56,384 residents in a little over 8 square miles, with the county’s official boundaries running from SW 8th Street to Bird Road and from the Palmetto Expressway to SW 117th Avenue. About 78 percent of its roughly 18,000 housing units are single-family, and about 70 percent of occupied homes are owner-occupied, which makes it a neighborhood of long-term homeowners.
Those homes shape the pest picture. A house built in the 1950s or 1960s has had more than half a century of termite swarms pass over it. Its yard may have mature fruit trees and shade trees that reach the roof. Land drained by canals also stays low, and water can move fast here: during a May 2020 storm, a gauge on the Tamiami Canal just west of the Palmetto Expressway rose two feet in three and a half hours. When the ground is wet, ants, roaches and termites look for higher, drier places, and a house often qualifies.
Keeping Older Westchester Houses Pest-Free
Most of our Westchester work starts with the structure. Original wood in attics, window frames and additions built over the years all deserve a look. Roof tiles shift, soffit vents loosen, and pipes run through old openings that a mouse can use. Add a mango tree against the fence and a shed full of stored boxes, and it is easy to see how pests find a way in.
A residential pest control visit gives you a clear picture. The first inspection is free, and it covers the attic, the outside walls, the plumbing and the yard. We show you what we found, explain which problems need attention now and which can wait, and suggest a plan that fits your home and budget. Regular service keeps protection in place, and with our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee, if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Many Westchester homes have been in the same family for years, so hidden damage can build up quietly. If you have never had a termite inspection, or you are buying a home here, now is a good time. Families who rent out a converted room or a house near the university can also ask us about service between tenants, which is when an infestation is easiest to find.
A few habits help in any older house. Replace worn door sweeps, screen the attic vents, and seal the spots where pipes and cables come through the walls. Clear out cardboard boxes in sheds and garages, since roaches and silverfish like them. Pick up ripe fruit quickly, and keep pet food covered at night. If you see pellets on a windowsill, sweep them up and check the spot again a week later; UF/IFAS notes that old pellets alone do not prove an active colony, but a new pile suggests one.
Westchester’s Top Pests, From Attic to Bird Road
Drywood Termites
West Indian drywood termites live inside dry wood sheltered from rain, including rafters, door frames and furniture, and UF/IFAS says they are most common in southern Florida. In a 60-year-old home there may be more than one colony. Read about drywood termites and treatment choices.
Signs to watch for: heaps of tiny pellets below kick-out holes.
Roof Rats
These agile climbers move along wires and branches, then slip into attics through small gaps. Fruit trees feed them, and UF/IFAS recommends keeping trees from touching fences or wires. Learn about roof rats and our rodent control service.
Signs to watch for: scurrying sounds at night and rub marks along beams.
Bed Bugs
Student rentals, shared apartments and frequent moves give bed bugs plenty of rides. About 3,800 FIU students live on campus, and others rent in the surrounding neighborhoods. Early treatment saves money and sleep.
Signs to watch for: small blood spots on sheets and live bugs in seams.
Cockroaches
Small kitchens in restaurants on Bird Road and in rental units draw German cockroaches. Old sewer lines and storm drains can bring in American cockroaches during wet weather. Check our cockroach guide, and ask about drain cleaning.
Signs to watch for: egg cases behind appliances and roaches around floor drains.
Subterranean Termites
The Formosan termite and Asian subterranean termite enter through cracks and joints in slabs and can infest healthy trees. Moist soil on low, drained land does not hurt their chances.
Signs to watch for: brown mud tubes on walls and hollow-sounding wood.
Mosquitoes
Backyard buckets, planters and blocked gutters keep the Aedes aegypti mosquito close to the house. It bites in daylight, so a shady patio can feel unusable in summer. Our mosquito control targets the source.
Signs to watch for: mosquitoes around your legs at midday and larvae in water.
Westchester homeowners also ask us about ants in kitchens, silverfish in stored papers, whiteflies on hedges and wildlife such as iguanas near lakes and canals.
Pest Control for Westchester Businesses and Schools Near FIU
Westchester’s business life runs along Bird Road, SW 8th Street, SW 24th Street and SW 87th Avenue. Frankie’s Pizza dates from 1955, Bird Bowl from 1956, and the Westchester Shopping Center and Arbetter’s Hot Dogs from 1959, and the county’s history credits places like these with shaping the neighborhood. Today Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus, 344 acres in the University Park part of the community, is one of the area’s major employers. Just south of Bird Road, 275-acre Tropical Park draws crowds to its fields, tennis center and Equestrian Center, which all add to the steady traffic through local shops and food businesses.
We offer commercial pest control for:
- Restaurants, bakeries and food service, where a clean inspection is essential.
- Retail stores and plazas on the main corridors.
- Schools and educational facilities, including the area’s public and Catholic schools.
- Health care offices and clinics.
- Property management for apartments and student rentals.
Our commercial clients receive service records and recommendations in writing. Toro technicians learn sanitation, food safety and structural practices at the TORO Institute, with our on-staff entomologists as instructors.
Why Westchester Families Stay With Toro
- Started in 1969 by Dr. Jose Perez Linares, and now led by the third generation of the family company.
- Experience with older South Florida homes and with the pests they attract.
- Response within 24 hours, guaranteed.
- Entomologists on our own staff, plus ongoing training at the TORO Institute.
- 110% Satisfaction Guarantee on our service.
- Hablamos Español. We are comfortable working in Spanish, a daily need in this community.
Westchester’s Pest Year at a Glance
| Time of year | What Westchester sees | Simple prevention |
|---|---|---|
| August and January (move-in periods) | Bed bugs and roaches in student rentals | Inspect furniture before it comes inside and check bed seams. |
| March to June | Evening termite swarms, first Asian subterranean, then drywood and Formosan | Close windows at dusk and save a few wings to show your technician. |
| May 15 to October 15 (wet season) | Mosquitoes, ants indoors, cockroaches from drains | Empty containers every week and keep gutters clear. |
| Summer (fruit season) | Roof rats on mango and avocado trees | Pick ripe fruit quickly and trim branches near the house. |
| June to November (hurricane season) | Rodents and wildlife moving after storms, mosquitoes in flooded yards | Clean up debris and look for new openings in the roof. |
Four Steps to a Pest-Free Westchester Property
- Free home or site inspectionWe go through the attic, the structure and the yard, or your shop or office, to find the pests and the way in.
- Options explainedWe lay out what needs treatment, what can wait and what ongoing service would include.
- Careful treatmentYour technician treats nests and entry points, following label directions and taking care around family, pets and customers.
- Guaranteed resultsOur promise is the 110% Satisfaction Guarantee: if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Free inspection and $25 off your first service in Westchester.
Schedule Your Free InspectionYour Westchester Pest Questions
Is Westchester a city, and do you serve all of it?
Westchester is a census-designated place in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, not a city. Before the 2020 census it absorbed what used to be the University Park CDP. We serve all of it, in ZIP codes 33144, 33155, 33165, 33174 and 33175, with a guaranteed response within 24 hours.
My Westchester house is from the 1960s. What should I check first?
Start with the attic and any original wood. Homes this age have had decades of exposure to drywood termites, and small roof gaps often let roof rats in. Look for pellets on sills and listen for noise at night. Our free inspection covers the attic, the exterior and the yard.
I rent to FIU students. How do I prevent bed bugs between tenants?
Inspect mattresses, bed frames and sofa seams when tenants move out, and do not accept used furniture without checking it. Students move often, and bed bugs travel in bags and bedding. Toro can inspect between leases and treat early, before they spread to other rooms.
Why do termites swarm around my street lights in spring?
Winged termites fly toward light. Asian subterranean termites begin swarming at dusk in early March in south Florida, and Formosan termites start in late April. Seeing them outside does not prove your house is infested, but wings on your sills are a reason to call. UF/IFAS notes they are often confused with flying ants.
Who sprays for mosquitoes in Westchester?
Because the area is unincorporated, residents can report mosquito problems to Miami-Dade County by calling 311. County inspectors handle public health control, and Toro adds private yard service aimed at breeding sites and shady resting spots on your property.
Is the first inspection free, and can we talk in Spanish?
Yes on both counts. Your first inspection is free, new customers take $25 off their first service, and Spanish is spoken here every day. Call 305-594-4767 or complete the Free Inspection form on this page.
Also Close to Westchester
Toro also serves the communities around Westchester:
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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