The Town of Palm Beach sits on a slender barrier island between the Atlantic and the Lake Worth Lagoon, across the water from West Palm Beach. Its ficus hedges, century-old mansions, oceanfront condos and seasonal homes that stand closed for months create a pest picture unlike anything on the mainland. Toro Pest Management has protected South Florida since 1969, and we plan island properties around how they are built, planted and used.
- Since 1969Third generation, protecting South Florida
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Palm Beach Is an Island Town, and Its Pests Know It
Palm Beach owes its name to a shipwreck. In January 1878 the Providencia washed ashore with a cargo of coconuts bound from Havana to Barcelona, and settlers salvaged and planted them. Henry Flagler’s railroad reached the area in 1896, after his Royal Poinciana Hotel opened in 1894, and on April 17, 1911, 35 men gathered at the Palm Beach Hotel and voted to incorporate the town.
The geography is unusual. The town occupies part of an 18-mile barrier island that is never wider than about three-quarters of a mile and narrows to roughly 500 feet in places. The Atlantic is on one side, the Lake Worth Lagoon is on the other, and Lake Worth Inlet marks the northern boundary. Average elevation is only about 7 feet, and the town is fully built out. Almost nothing here is far from salt water, and every lot has neighbors close by, so a rat colony in one hedge line or a termite swarm from one old roof quickly becomes the next property’s concern.
Then there is the calendar. The 2020 census counted 9,245 residents and 9,256 housing units, with 4,205 of those units listed as vacant on census day. The town itself says about 9,000 people live here year-round and about 20,000 more keep seasonal homes. Those houses and condos can sit closed for months in the hottest, wettest part of the year. Rain at nearby Palm Beach International Airport totals more than 60 inches in a normal year, and most of it falls from May through October, right when many owners are gone. Pests get a long quiet stretch to settle in.
Hedge, Attic and Seawall Pests of Palm Beach
Whiteflies
Few places have fought whiteflies as publicly as Palm Beach, where the town prepared an emergency ordinance after hedges began to fail. The ficus whitefly feeds only on ficus, including weeping fig and banyan. The larger rugose spiraling whitefly, well established in eastern Palm Beach County, favors coconut palms, adonidia palms, gumbo limbo and black olive.
Signs to watch for: yellow leaves, leaf drop, gaps in the hedge and sticky residue on cars and patios.
Drywood Termites
The town holds a great deal of old lumber and fine furniture. West Indian drywood termites form small nests inside a single piece of wood, such as a beam, a window frame or an heirloom chest, and they need no contact with soil. UF/IFAS reports that boats can carry them too, which matters in a town that faces the lagoon.
Signs to watch for: small piles of coffee-ground-like pellets near windowsills and under wood.
Subterranean Termites
UF/IFAS describes the Asian subterranean termite as very common from Key West to West Palm Beach. Both it and the Formosan subterranean termite can nest in large living trees and forage underground toward a house, which makes mature island trees worth checking along with the building.
Signs to watch for: mud tubes on foundations and hollow-sounding trim or tree limbs.
Roof Rats
Tall hedges and coconut palms act like highways for roof rats. They travel along hedge tops and fronds, then slip through soffits and roof vents into attics. A house that is closed for the summer gives them quiet space. Our rodent control combines sealing, trapping and trimming advice.
Signs to watch for: droppings in attics, gnawed wiring and scratching overhead at night.
Ghost and White-footed Ants
These tiny ants nest in mulch, planters and palm boots, then trail indoors along irrigation lines and door frames. They turn up on marble counters and in pantries even in immaculate homes. Baits placed along their trails work far better than sprays, which tend to split colonies.
Signs to watch for: thin trails near sinks, windows and potted plants.
Mosquitoes
The Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in a spoonful of water and bites during the day. Bromeliads, fountains that have stopped running, planter saucers and pool covers can all produce it, and a shuttered property has nobody tipping them out. Our mosquito control finds breeding spots and treats shady resting areas.
Signs to watch for: daytime bites around the ankles on patios and in gardens.
Island owners also ask us about green iguanas along lagoon seawalls (see our wildlife services), silverfish in stored linens and books, bed bugs carried home from travel, and wasps under loggias and eaves.
Caring for Palm Beach Estates, Condos and Seasonal Homes
Whitehall, finished in 1902 and now a National Historic Landmark, shows how far back the town’s buildings go, and many private homes carry the same kind of age on a smaller scale. The town keeps an active historic preservation program and strict zoning standards, so we approach older properties knowing that the fix has to respect the building. Sealing a roof gap or treating a window frame calls for a lighter hand than it does on a new block house.
Oceanfront and lagoon condominiums bring a different job. Shared walls, trash rooms and plumbing chases let German cockroaches and ants move between units, so a single unit treatment rarely finishes the matter. Seasonal owners need a plan that continues while they are in another state. Staff at larger homes can often give us access and report what they see, which keeps problems small.
Residential pest control with Toro begins with a free inspection from the roofline to the landscaping. We note the hedges, palms, seawall, pool area and any closed rooms, then recommend a plan built around when you are in residence. Hedge problems often need whitefly control and a lawn spray program alongside indoor service. Our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee backs the work: if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Buying on the island? Schedule a termite inspection before closing. Drywood galleries stay hidden in trim and furniture, and they are much cheaper to deal with once you know where they are.
Commercial Pest Control From Worth Avenue to Royal Poinciana Way
The town’s business life is compact and visible. Worth Avenue’s shops and restaurants, the Royal Poinciana Way and Phipps Plaza districts, oceanfront hotels such as The Breakers, private clubs and the Flagler Museum all depend on spotless rooms and quiet service. In-season crowds add pressure, and a single sighting in a dining room can travel fast in a town this size.
We provide commercial pest control for:
- Hotels and resorts, with discreet programs for bed bugs, roaches and rodents.
- Restaurants, cafes and club kitchens, where roaches and flies become inspection problems.
- Boutiques and galleries along Worth Avenue and the town’s other shopping streets.
- Condominium associations and property managers, including trash rooms, garages and pool decks.
- Municipal buildings and schools.
Commercial clients receive written service reports, and visits can be set before opening or after closing. Our technicians are trained at the TORO Institute at our Miami headquarters, where on-staff entomologists cover sanitation, food safety and structural practices.
Palm Beach Through the Pest Seasons
| Island season | What shows up in Palm Beach | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| November to April (the season) | Roaches and bed bugs in busy hotels and kitchens, roof rats in attics when homes reopen | Have the house checked before you return and trim fronds away from the roof. |
| March to May (termite flights) | Asian subterranean termites at dusk in early March, West Indian drywood flights in April, Formosan flights from late April | Keep a few wings for identification and book an inspection. |
| May to October (wet season) | Mosquitoes in bromeliads and fountains, ants moving indoors, whitefly pressure on hedges | Arrange weekly checks of closed homes and tip standing water. |
| June to November (hurricane season) | Rats and iguanas pushed out by storm damage, mosquitoes after flooding | Clear downed palm fronds fast and look over seawalls and roof vents. |
How a Toro Visit Works in Palm Beach
- Free island inspectionWe walk the home or business, hedges, palms and seawall, and we coordinate with your house manager if you are away.
- A plan around your calendarYou get clear findings and a one-time or year-round recommendation that fits your months in residence.
- Careful treatmentWe focus on the places pests nest and enter, using products chosen for the property and applied according to label directions.
- Guaranteed follow-throughUnder our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee, if the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you.
Why Palm Beach Property Owners Call Toro
- Family roots since 1969. Dr. Jose Perez Linares founded Toro, and the third generation leads it today.
- Entomologists on staff, so hedge insects and termites are identified before anything is treated.
- Response within 24 hours, guaranteed, whether you are in residence or calling from out of state.
- One company for inside and outside, from attics and kitchens to hedges and lawns.
- Hablamos Español. Your household or building staff can talk to us in English or Spanish.
Free inspection and $25 off your first service in Palm Beach.
Schedule Your Free InspectionPalm Beach Island Pest Questions
Is the Town of Palm Beach the same as West Palm Beach?
No. The Town of Palm Beach is the separate municipality on the barrier island, ZIP code 33480, and West Palm Beach is the larger city across the Lake Worth Lagoon. We serve both, and this page covers the island. Response within 24 hours is guaranteed.
My ficus hedge is thinning out. Does the town care?
It can. In January 2012 the town passed an ordinance that treats dead, dying or defoliated hedges and trees as a nuisance. Ficus whitefly feeding causes yellowing and leaf drop, so get a hedge looked at early. We can identify the insect and treat it. If you decide to remove the hedge instead, the town has offered a fee-waived ficus collection program, most recently in May and June 2026, with any replacement hedge required to be Florida native plants. Ask Public Works whether it is running again.
My home sits empty from May to October. What should I do about pests?
Do not leave it unwatched. Dry traps in unused drains let roaches come up, closed attics suit roof rats, and drywood termite pellets can pile up with nobody around to see them. A year-round plan means someone checks the property while you are away, and we can coordinate access with your house manager.
Do historic homes need different termite treatment?
Not different biology, but more care. Drywood termites live inside the wood, so we inspect trim, framing and antique furniture closely and choose between spot treatment and whole-structure fumigation based on how far the colonies have spread. Subterranean termites are a separate problem handled at the soil.
Are iguanas something you handle on the island?
Yes, through our wildlife service. UF/IFAS warns that iguana burrows near seawalls can cause erosion and eventual collapse, and droppings pile up where they bask. Sealing burrows, removing cover and physical barriers all help, and iguanas should never be fed.
Is the first inspection free, and can I speak with someone in Spanish?
Yes. The first inspection is free, new customers receive $25 off their first service, and hablamos español. Call 305-594-4767 or fill out the Free Inspection form on this page.
Off the Island? We Also Serve Near Palm Beach
Toro also serves the communities around Palm Beach:
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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