The Great Iguana Invasion of 2007

On southwest Florida's Gasparilla Island -- vacation hot spot for the Bush clan and home fix-it guru Bob Villa -- the iguanas have invaded.

The population of black spiny-tailed lizards, which can reach 4 feet in length, has exploded from 2,000 to 10,000 in the past five years. That's more than 10 for every year-round resident.

Blame it on a boat captain from the '70s who brought some home from Mexico for his kids. When they grew too big, they were released. With females able to lay as many as 75 eggs per year, you can see why the problem grew so fast.

The reptiles eat people's gardens, threaten beach dunes with their burrows, eat the eggs of gopher tortoises and can carry salmonella. Plus, they look creepy. All in all, not a favorite island guest.

Now, Lee County has authorized a tax to study how to get rid of the lizards. The most likely solutions: Teaching residents how to trap the reptiles, destroying their burrows and eradicating the eggs.

Good luck.