Climate snapshot for alpacas
20/100Alpaca climate comfort score
92°FAverage high, Aug
58°FAverage low, Jan
~103Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~0Frost nights per year
58 inAnnual precipitation
11Barber pole worm months
8Hay bales / alpaca / year
Main challenges
- Summer heat — heat-stress precautions needed in year-round
- Barber pole worm — long warm-wet parasite season (Feb–Dec)
- Meningeal worm — white-tailed deer parasite is established in this region
- Wet ground — 58 in of rain a year — mud, foot problems and fluke habitat
- Low selenium — regional soils and hay tend to be selenium-deficient
Advantages
- Practically frost-free winters
- A long grazing season (12 months of grass growth)
Overall rating: 20/100 — Very challenging on our alpaca climate comfort score. Climate type: Tropical monsoon (Köppen Am).
Month-by-month climate
Average highAverage lowPrecipitation
| Month | High | Low | Precip. | Heat-stress index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77°F | 58°F | 1.9 in | 155 · high | grass |
| Feb | 79°F | 59°F | 2.1 in | 154 · high | worms, grass |
| Mar | 82°F | 61°F | 2.2 in | 160 · high | worms, grass |
| Apr | 85°F | 65°F | 2.9 in | 155 · high | worms, grass |
| May | 88°F | 69°F | 5.2 in | 161 · high | worms, grass |
| Jun | 90°F | 74°F | 9.1 in | 167 · high | worms, grass |
| Jul | 91°F | 75°F | 6.8 in | 175 · high | worms, grass |
| Aug | 92°F | 76°F | 8.1 in | 173 · high | worms, grass |
| Sep | 90°F | 75°F | 8.5 in | 176 · high | worms, grass |
| Oct | 87°F | 71°F | 6.0 in | 165 · high | worms, grass |
| Nov | 82°F | 65°F | 2.8 in | 157 · high | worms, grass |
| Dec | 79°F | 61°F | 2.0 in | 154 · high | worms, grass |
Heat-stress index = average high (°F) + mean humidity (%). “Worms” marks months that suit barber pole worm transmission; “grass” marks the grazing season; “frost” marks months with average lows below freezing. Source: NOAA nClimDiv 1991–2020 county normals.
Alpaca care calendar for Miami-Dade County, Florida
January 77° / 58°F
- Book your shearer now — spring calendars fill up fast.
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Run pre-season fecal egg counts so you know each animal's baseline.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Toenail check and trim.
February 79° / 59°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
March 82° / 61°F
- Shearing month: shear the whole herd, and trim toenails, check teeth and body condition while animals are restrained.
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Toenail check and trim.
April 85° / 65°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
May 88° / 69°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Toenail check and trim.
June 90° / 74°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
July 91° / 75°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Toenail check and trim.
August 92° / 76°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
September 90° / 75°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Toenail check and trim.
October 87° / 71°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
November 82° / 65°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- CDT boosters for females due next month; prepare a clean birthing paddock and birthing kit.
- Toenail check and trim.
December 79° / 61°F
- Heat precautions: shade, airflow, cool fresh water and no handling in the heat of the day.
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Meningeal worm risk: keep alpacas off wet wooded edges and watch for hind-leg weakness; discuss prevention with your vet.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
Key recommendations
- Shearing: March.
- Best months for crias to be born: Dec–Feb (breed in Jan–Mar).
- Heat precautions: year-round.
- Barber pole worm season: Feb–Dec — run fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks in these months.
- Winter: frost is rare.
- Vitamin D: winter sunlight is usually adequate at this latitude; ask your vet about dark-fleeced crias.
- Grazing season: year-round (about 12 months); feed hay the rest of the year.
- Meningeal worm: Meningeal worm (carried by white-tailed deer) is established in this region and is a leading cause of neurological disease in alpacas. Talk to your vet about a prevention plan for the snail season.
- Selenium: Soils and hay in this state are often selenium-deficient. Use a camelid mineral formulated for low-selenium areas and blood-test a few animals each year.
Tools: heat-stress calculator · winter hay calculator · due-date calculator · parasite control guide.
Alpaca farms & shops nearby
No alpaca farms near Miami-Dade County, Florida are mapped on OpenStreetMap yet. If you keep alpacas here, consider adding your farm to OpenStreetMap — it will appear on this page after the next update.
Frequently asked questions
Can you raise alpacas in Miami-Dade County, Florida?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Miami-Dade County, Florida scores 20/100 (very challenging) on our alpaca climate comfort scale; the key issues are summer heat, barber pole worm and meningeal worm.
When should alpacas be shorn in Miami-Dade County, Florida?
Plan shearing for March, once nights stay above about 38°F (3°C) but before summer heat builds.
What is the best time for crias to be born in Miami-Dade County, Florida?
Mild months suit newborn crias best — here that is Dec–Feb. For births then, breed females in Jan–Mar (gestation is about 335 days).
How much hay does an alpaca need per year in Miami-Dade County, Florida?
With roughly 0 months of little or no grazing, plan on about 365 lb (166 kg) — around 8 small square bales — per adult alpaca per year, plus waste.
How hot does it get for alpacas in Miami-Dade County, Florida?
Heat-stress precautions are needed in year-round. We estimate about 103 days a year above 90°F (32°C).
Nearby counties
Coordinates 25.616, -80.504 · land area 1,900 sq mi. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to Florida.