Their food of choice is also the hedge of choice to shield Palm Beach estates from public view.

One telltale sign of infestation is ficus leaves turning yellow and dropping off the hedges.

The actual bugs are small and gnat-like and can be seen flying off ficus trees if disturbed. Adult whiteflies have a yellow body and look a bit like small moths. Their wings are white with a faint gray band across the midsection.

In the early fall, none had been spotted within Palm Beach.

But that has changed, according to reports from horticulture experts and landscape professionals.

“It’s very widespread now,” said Bill Schall, extension agent for commercial horticulture at the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension office in West Palm Beach. “You can find it almost anywhere in the county.”

Denise Feiber, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry, said the presence of the whitefly has been documented in Delray Beach, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, Lantana ?EUR??,,????'??+ and Palm Beach.

They cannot be eradicated but can be effectively managed, professionals report. If the infestation is bad enough, the plant can die, but most recover with treatment.

In the meantime, see-through hedges are the most visible evidence.

Landscaper Scott Lewis has seen some cases among his Palm Beach clients.

“People need to monitor it closely,” said Lewis, who called in pest control specialists to treat three affected sites in Midtown.