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NAPLES, Fla. - A pesty insect is flying into Southwest Florida neighborhoods and it's destroying palms and other trees. The bug is costing homeowners big time.

Lance Washington, a Branch Manager with Truly Nolen Pest Control, says a tiny insect known as a spiraling whitefly can do major damage at a home in Naples.

"Nine trees are not doing good," said Lance Washington.

"What cost are we looking at?" I asked.

"We are looking at probably $925 dollars a year," said Washington.

The flies thrive in a hot environment and were first found in 2009 in Miami-Dade County.

"It was imported on something that came from either Central America or Mexico," said Washington.

Since then spiraling whiteflies have invested Marco Island, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers. Truly Nolen will now have to treat the trees at a Naples home every 2 months for the next year.

"We have a piece of equipment called a "deep root injector." A giant needle hooks into the truck with the material we use and we do deep root injections into the base of the tree."

Truly Nolen is now getting more than a half a dozen calls a day about these irritating insects.

"It's spreading like wildfire because again these things can fly and lay eggs, hundreds and hundreds of eggs on the trees, the leaf blades."

The flies strop nutrients from the trees. The insects can damage over 60 plant and tree species including palm trees like coconut and royal palms.

After an infestations, you'll notice a white waxy substance under the leaf blade and then the blade will turn black.

These whiteflies will produce "honeydew," a sugary substance, which causes the growth of sooty mold. The honeydew can also damage cars and pools.

If you believe your trees may have a whitefly infestation, Truly Nolen offers free inspections. For more information visit www.trulynolen.com