In Palm Beach and across South Florida, outdoor lighting is part of the lifestyle— highlighting architectural details, lush landscaping, and seasonal décor, especially during the holidays. But what many homeowners don’t realize is that nighttime landscape lighting can quietly increase pest pressure, affecting lawns, trees, and outdoor living spaces. 

South Florida’s warm climate allows insects to remain active year-round. When artificial lighting is added to the mix, it alters natural insect behavior—drawing harmful pests toward homes while disrupting beneficial nocturnal predators that normally keep infestations in check. 

Bright lights attract moths, beetles, mole crickets, leafhoppers, and whitefly vectors, concentrating them in illuminated areas where feeding and reproduction increase. At the same time, beneficial predators such as lacewings, parasitic wasps, ground beetles, wolf spiders, and bats are pulled away from their natural hunting zones. 

The impact is especially noticeable in Palm Beach’s tree canopies and manicured turf. Trees exposed to nighttime lighting often experience higher levels of caterpillars, beetles, aphids, scale, and whiteflies, leading to stress and uneven growth. Lawns tell a similar story—armyworms, sod webworms, and chinch bugs thrive in illuminated turf, creating predictable damage patterns beneath light fixtures. 

Fortunately, solutions don’t require eliminating outdoor lighting altogether. Homeowners can reduce pest pressure by turning lights off when not needed, using warmer bulbs (2200– 2700K), installing motion sensors, shielding fixtures, and avoiding direct lighting of trees and turf. 

In a region where outdoor living and landscape aesthetics are paramount, thoughtful lighting choices can make a measurable difference. Darker nights support healthier landscapes—and fewer pests—naturally