Presto! A blog!

Professional pest control technicians can spot an infestation better than an untrained eye. To do so, they perform a series of steps to identify whether an infestation is a present and the causes behind it.  Signs of Infestation Each particular pest exhibits its own unique signs of an infestation. For instance, bed bugs may leave blood spots on the bed sheets within an infested home. Termites, on the other hand, often leave mud tunnels on the exteriors of structures. Pest control technicians know the specific signs of each infestation.  They can also identify the culprit based on these signs. And once they determine which type of pest is causing the infestation, they can perform the appropriate actions. Risk of Infestation In most cases, the average person doesn’t know the exact methods each pest uses to infest a commercial or residential property. But pest control technicians are familiar with pests’ tendencies, so...

Fly infestations in a commercial building can begin with just one employee leaving food in a locker or desk drawer. Flies are well-known for their stubbornness and rapid reproduction once they gain a foothold in a structure.  Even businesses that don’t prep, sell or package foodstuffs can attract fly infestations. Your commercial building provides food, water and shelter, in addition to multiple points of entry. To prevent infestations from starting, you need to identify the type of fly and where they breed in non-food-handling environments. Here is a quick overview of the most common flies that infest commercial buildings, and where to look for them if you are not in the food-handling business. House Flies Flies are common in houses and retail or office environments. Fortunately, they are more of a sporadic nuisance rather than a pest that stays for the long-haul. House flies are usually spotted near their breeding sites...

There are a lot of things to worry about when running a commercial kitchen: food quality, inventory and employee morale are just a few of the things on that list. However, as long a list as it might be, insects and rodents should not be on it.  It is very difficult to keep unwanted pests out of a kitchen. Because most commercial kitchens are busy places, there tend to be messes that attract unwanted critters before they are cleaned up. If you run a kitchen, here are three important things you can do to keep pests away. Implement a Strict Cleaning Schedule The biggest threat to any kitchen – in the pest-control game, anyway – comes in the form of a mess. When a kitchen is running, there’s bound to be things like spills and splatter. Over the course of a shift, this adds up until your kitchen is a veritable...

It is crucial to keep your customers and employees safe and satisfied. Keeping your business successful is multi-faceted. One of those facets is keeping your property free of pest infestations. Keep reading for why your business needs routine pest control.  Stay Up to Code All businesses are required to uphold certain codes. In particular, restaurants, hospitals and hotels must meet certain health code requirements or else they are subjected to violations. Serious violations can result in the closing of your business, which could result in a dramatic dip in your reputation as well as a loss in profits.  Maintain a Good Reputation If you do not maintain a reputable business, then it is doubtful that you will increase your clientele or your profits. A smart business plan is to keep high standards. Your customers will notice your efforts and can give you positive reviews online or through word of mouth. By...

Commercial buildings are more vulnerable to pests than most people think. Visitors coming in and out, along with deliveries all day long, provide plenty of opportunities for a flying insect or crawling rodent to slip through. Once they get in, it may be impossible to easily find them in the typical office clutter, storage rooms and lunchroom trash.  What to Look Out For Commercial buildings make for a comfortable year-round home for certain pests. Occupants are not usually around for half of the day and leave behind a plentiful supply of food. The most common pests you may encounter include: Mice Mice are due to the almost constant supply of food left behind. Mice can cause big problems for your building, including chewing through walls and on wires, getting into furniture and leaving behind obvious and alarming signs such as holes in walls, chewed bags of food and droppings. Mice are...

Trying to get through your work while dealing with office pests such as rodents or cockroaches is something nobody wants. There exist five strategies for office pest removal, though seeking professional office pest control assistance is ultimately the best solution. 1. Decluttering: A cluttered office attracts rodents and insects to your desk due to the fact that food left on your desk attracts hordes of ants, cockroaches and rodents, while disorderly storage spaces provide bedbugs with great hiding spots. This can be prevented by restricting food to the break room and kitchen areas or putting food away in the refrigerator or sealed containers. If eating at the desks is permitted, then all containers and wrappers should be disposed of in the kitchen as opposed to disposing of them in the workers’ waste-paper baskets. 2. Pinpoint and Get Rid of Problem Areas: It’s important to watch out for the regions of the office...

Termites can cause severe damage to a home. If you have a termite problem, the first step is to exterminate them, so your home can become termite-free. After extermination, you will need to focus on recovering your home, as the damage may make your home unsafe to live in. Here are the next steps you should take in your termite recovery process.  Assess the Damage Termites will eat anything made from wood or wood-based materials. This means that any solid wood, drywall, furniture, cabinets and countertops in your home need to be inspected.  You will also want to focus on all of the load-bearing support structures in your home, such as beams, joists and framing structures. This also includes frames around doors and windows.  Any severe damage to these elements of your home means that you need some repairs. Structural damage will make any home unsafe to live in, as walls,...

Bedbugs have been around since the early existence of human life. They are tiny brownish-red insects that survive by drawing blood from humans and animals. They do not fly but instead, move quickly over flat surfaces. Bedbugs do bite but do not carry harmful diseases. If you are new to understanding bedbugs, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about these small creatures.  Where Can You Find Bedbugs? These tiny insects can sneak into your home through luggage, clothing, and used furniture. Bedbugs do not nest but instead, live in packs. Once they enter your home, they prefer to stay in bed frames, headboards, mattresses, and box springs. If they survive long enough in your home, they will migrate to other rooms in your house, apartment, or hotel.  How to Know if You Have a Bedbug Bite Bites from bedbugs look similar to mosquito bites. You may misdiagnose...

Buying or renting a new storefront or house is an exciting step in anyone’s life. When you move to a new home or open a new store, you need to have a pest inspection at the top of your to-do list. Unoccupied buildings are the perfect shelters for pests like mice, cockroaches, termites, and birds. Unwanted pests can cause issues inside and outside of your building. Below you will learn how to determine if your new building has pests. Look Around The first way to determine if you have a pest problem is to look around the building. In many cases, you can spot obvious signs of pests like dead rodents, insects, or termite damage. Be on the lookout for pest droppings. Rat dropping or roach eggs are signs of a serious pest problem. Also, look to see if the building has any pest control products under sinks, in cabinets, or...

Pest prevention is an important part of any business operation. We think about pest prevention when it comes to our homes and even our businesses. But, places like warehouses are often overlooked since they are not inhabited regularly. They also cost money to protect, which can eat into bottom lines. However, failing to think about your warehouse space when it comes to pest prevention can lead to trouble down the road. Why You Should Pest-Proof Your Warehouse Space When you do business with customers, those customers expect a certain level of quality and cleanliness from your product or service. How can you guarantee that level when you have not taken adequate steps to ensure your spaces are pest-free? Failing to do so can result in: Customer complaints. Loss of customer trust. Loss of contracts. Loss of revenue. An overall loss of respect, stature, and reputation in the community. The potential reputational...

In order to maintain hygiene and sanitation levels, healthcare facilities are required to put in extra effort when it comes to pest control. The presence of pests in any healthcare facility can pose a threat to the wellbeing of both patients and staff, as they can bring viral and bacterial diseases with them. Depending on the nature and type of pests, the reputation of the facility may also suffer. This makes it imperative for healthcare facilities to create a comprehensive pest control plan. How to Tackle Pest Control Every healthcare facility needs to be individually analyzed to find the best pest control plan for it. It is vital to find possible entryways that pests can use and consider how pests can enter from the surrounding area of the healthcare facility. Check on doors and windows. Look at the plumbing system in the facility. Cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes use moisture to breed...

Staying in a hotel can be a wonderful experience. Hotels are famous for providing a place of rest, solitude, comfort and luxury in the midst of a hectic world. As a hotel owner, you offer people a spot to unwind and relax in the midst of their travels. However, there’s a chance your hotels may be harboring some unwelcome guests. Pests frequent hotels almost as much as people do, and they can make lodgers feel anything but tranquil. Here are the five pests that you are most likely to see in your hotel.  Rodents Many hotels allow dogs, but wild rodents like mice and rats don’t exactly count as pets. In fact, roughly one-third of hotels report problems with rodents, and that number is increasing as time goes on. The worst part is that rodents cause major harm to hotels, from spreading diseases to destroying property, making them a serious danger...

Owning a business requires round-the-clock attention. You need to keep the shelves stocked, bring the customers in, and, of course, keep the pests out. A pest infestation is one of a commercial building owner's greatest fears, as it can cause a business to close its doors for days. Unfortunately, commercial buildings are exactly the sort of buildings most threatened by pests. Here is what makes commercial buildings a pest haven, and some ways you can keep your business safe. Why Pests Love Commercial Buildings Many people think of pest control as a more residential issue, however, it is commercial buildings that are most vulnerable. One reason why this is the case is that many commercial buildings have customers and employees coming in and out on a regular basis. The more often a door opens, the higher the chances are that a fly or rodent may slip through. Not only that, but...

Whether you own or manage a restaurant, hotel, health care facility or you are a property manager, you know the importance of keeping your clients happy and safe from the threat of pests. But what exactly should you be looking for when it comes to pest control for your business? Keep reading for services that you should look for in pest control companies. Regular Inspections Having your building (or buildings) regularly inspected is extremely important for many reasons. The last thing that you want is for your hotel guests to experience bed bug bites or be stung by stinging insects. Nor would you want them to discover unwanted visitors such as mice or cockroaches in a restaurant, healthcare facility or in an apartment complex. This could hurt your reputation, could pose health risks to your clients and cause harmful damage to the building’s structure. Therefore, regular inspections are necessary, as these...

While the holidays are over, the winter season is just beginning and pests will be searching for a way to make an entrance into your home to escape the cold. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to prevent this. The following are five easy ways to winterize your home and keep pests out. Seal Up Your Home Pests will squeeze through the smallest cracks and crevices to enter your home. Use mortar or cement to patch foundations and walls and closely examine the exterior of your home to look for any damage or missing sections. Make sure that any screen doors are completely intact, and don’t leave any doors open that lead to the outside for an extended period of time. Store Food Properly Proper food storage will make your home less likely to attract insects and rodents. Use tupperware or sealable bags to store any leftovers, and never...

The holiday season is coming up, and you’re in-laws are already going to be criticizing you for enough. They don’t need further incentive via a spider creeping its way across your wrapping paper strewn carpets. While a spider can easily disrupt a family get-together, there are steps you can take to keep them out of your house. Here are some ways to stop spiders from inviting themselves to your party. Call Presto You don't have to track down and squash every spider in your house. There is a way to take them out without even having to look at them. Just call the professionals at Presto. We'll treat your commercial property and make sure this pests don't crawl around your business. De-web Your House Spiders use their webs to catch food, so clear away cobwebs wherever you find them. They usually spin their webs in closed off spaces like under couches...

Pests are among the most annoying home invaders in the world. They will find any crack or crevice and make their way through it. Of course, certain materials attract critters, such as dirt and food residue. Naturally, the hub of the food in your living space, the refrigerator, is prone to pest infestation. Here are some steps you can take to keep these bugs out of your refrigerator and away from your food. Patch Up That Fridge As mentioned, pests seek out any small sliver of space they can and will find a way to squeeze through it. Your refrigerator probably has numerous crevices all around it, especially if part of it is chipped or broken. Different kinds of appliance repair filler kits are available to help fix this. Even simpler home remedies such as Rust-Oleum or appliance-specific duct tape can be used to patch up cracks. Seal Your Food Unsealed...

Lice may be a harmless nuisance, but if you don’t take immediate action when you first notice them, you could be putting other people at risk. If not handled properly at the first site of infestation, it could put other people at risk who are nearby. All it takes is one egg or (nit), and you could have lice multiplying for months. Here are some steps to follow if you or a loved one have picked up lice. These tips will not only help you terminate lice and their eggs, but also save you time, money and endless itching. Over-the-Counter Treatment A common and effective first step for many people is finding a treatment shampoo. The right shampoo can have almost immediate results. Chances are, you will likely need to wash your, or you child’s, hair twice a day with the chosen treatment to prevent lice from coming back. Be aware...

Have you ever been peacefully taking a nap when you’re awakened because a fly keeps flying around your face or landing on any exposed skin? It’s annoying, but what’s worse is when you have a flyswatter and then suddenly all the flies disappear. Flies are nowhere near the most dangerous pest, but they are one of the most aggravating, especially when they become a health risk. That is why it is important to exterminate them before they get to be a problem. Steps to Remove Flies Effectively The most effective way to get rid of flies is to hire a professional service to ensure they are completely gone. However, there are some Do-It-Yourself, or DIY, methods you can try, such as: Pop bottle flytraps. If you take an empty pop bottle, clean it well, and cut off the top, you can have the beginnings of a homemade flytrap. The secret is...

If you live in an apartment, you probably have an idea of how important pest control is. If pests enter one apartment, they can easily spread to the other apartments in the building. This is why doing all that you can to prevent pests will help for the future, sparing you from possible fumigations and treatments. Keep reading to discover five tips to prevent pests from entering your apartment. 1: Seal All Cracks Insects can enter into your space easily through cracks and crevices. Cracks in your windows or tears in the screens, doors, under sinks and in walls- all can be a way for pests to enter your apartment. Alert your landlord of any major cracks that need to be sealed. 2: Keep All Food Stored Well Pests are attracted to any food that they can find- whether it be crumbs or spills. By keeping your food stored in airtight...