Presto! A blog!

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...

When your house becomes infested with pests, you may think you can handle this on your own. You may have many reasons to take care of the pest problem yourself, but there are five reasons that a professional exterminator is best for the job. Cost Effectiveness When confronting a pest problem, the cost may be more than what your budget can handle. Do it yourself pest control is cheaper in the beginning, but home remedies do not work. You will need to continually keep on applying the home recipes or store bought chemicals. With the continual application, the costs continue to add up. The upfront cost of an exterminator is more, but in the long run, you will save money because it will get done right the first time. Dangerous Applying poisonous chemicals on your own is dangerous. You do not have the expertise on how often to apply or which...

Your business is something that you have invested money, time, and resources into. That is especially true for the facility or the property that you run your business out of. With that, you need an outstanding insurance plan that covers your property and your assets to make sure that you are covered, should those be threatened. Do you know exactly what your business insurance covers? Are you aware of everything that is included with the insurance that you have for your business? There is some common misinformation about what is commonly covered with business insurance that you should know about. What is Covered with My Business Insurance? There are many different types of insurance plans and policies that you can get for your business. Some of the most common forms of coverage include: Theft Certain types of property damage Fire damage Damage from natural disasters What may shock you is what...

Bed bugs are common pests in apartments. Just because you do not own the property, you cannot let a bed bug infestation fester and hope for the best. Instead, you need to take action to alleviate the situation. Your best bet is to work in partnership with your landlord and attack the problem together. Here is some important information to know if your apartment has bed bugs. Capture the Pest if Possible If you suspect you have bed bugs in your apartment, try to catch one in a leak-proof container with a bit of rubbing alcohol. Then, you can show it to your landlord and you both can confirm its identity. If you are not able to capture one, still tell your landlord or management company that you suspect there is a problem. Inform Your Neighbors Since living quarters are so close to each other in apartment complexes, you need to...

Nobody likes to enter a business and find bugs or other pests. Even one insect can detract from a positive experience. That’s why commercial pest control is an important part of any business. It doesn’t matter what kind of business you run, or how clean you keep your premises — if you don’t know how to prevent pest infestations, sooner or later you’ll have to deal with one. Presto Pest Control has the knowledge and experience to deal with all your pest control issues, specializing in the treatment and protection of hotels, restaurants, rental properties and health care facilities. How to Deal with a Pest Infestation at Your Business First things first; don’t panic. While pest infestations create problems for businesses, you have likely caught it early, before the situation gets out of hand. While you may find yourself tempted to use a do-it-yourself solution, keep in mind that doing so...

Running a nursing home is a demanding job. Not only are there many people depending on you, but you are also responsible for the upkeep of an entire building. With so much at stake, the last thing you need is a pest infestation. Here is why pest control in nursing homes is critical and how to make sure your building remains healthy and pest free. Why Nursing Home Pest Control is Critical If there’s one place where sanitation is needed, it’s in a nursing home. For starters, the elderly have weakened immune systems to begin with, so germ spreading creatures such as rodents, ants and cockroaches can cause serious problems. Diseases which a healthy adult can handle well enough may be much more serious for an 80-year-old man or woman. Whether it’s a rat wandering into patient’s rooms directly after dumpster diving or cockroaches crawling over sacks of rice in the...

Presto Pest Control prides itself on impeccable commercial pest control services. We fully understand the unique challenges that service industries face when attempting to keep their businesses operating at the highest possible standards. It’s unfortunate that so many aspects of the commercial service industry are favorable to pests. The high volume of food items, large working areas and high traffic can make avoiding any type of infestation a challenge. At the same time, you’ve got a job to do. As much as you want to keep your work area pristine, there’s no way that you or your employees can manage the task of total pest prevention and elimination alone, without it affecting your businesses bottom line. You no longer have to struggle to keep your business running with the standards you seek. We’ve made it our job to handle pest control for businesses, so you can concentrate on yours. Vigilance is...

Retail stores have a unique challenge when it comes to pests. Frequently, open doors, storage spaces and a lot of foot traffic mean easy access for different kinds of pests. While retailers strive to maintain a clean store to make a good impression on customers and keep their products in good condition, it only takes one customer seeing a mouse or cockroach to hurt your store’s reputation. Top 3 Worst Pests for Retail No pest is welcome in a retail store, but there are a few that are especially dangerous. Mice Mice are the largest and most visible pests usually found in retail stores. In colder areas like Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Washington DC, mice fight to come indoors and get away from the winter temperatures. It’s hard to miss a mouse running across the floor, and that always sends customers running in the opposite direction. Mice will chew through...

There are so many great apartment buildings in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and the Virginia/Washington D.C. area. Old apartment buildings have great charm and historical character, but they can also have some not-so-great hidden gems as well. Living in an apartment building means it is harder to keep your apartment pest-free, and older buildings are even more of a challenge. These older dwellings tend to have more water problems caused by leaky pipes, and that means more standing water pools and wet, rotting wood – two things that roaches absolutely love. Living in Close Quarters Living in close proximity to your neighbors means that if you have neighbors that are not so neat and clean, roaches from their apartment can quickly become your problem. Unfortunately, roaches might be nesting in common walls and traveling back and forth between apartments. If the walls are insulated, the chances are that roaches are actively breeding...

These days, more and more people are renting apartments than ever before. Rather than moving out to the suburbs and living in a mini-mansion, many modern citizens prefer to live the city life. While renting an apartment is more cost-effective and comes with a lot of perks, one of the most significant downsides is that they can be hotbeds for pest infestations. Unfortunately, no matter what you do, the fact that you share your building with other people means that pests have easy access to the internal structure, such as pipes and drywall. To help you sleep easier at night, we’ve compiled a list of helpful tips to remember when dealing with pests in your place. Although you can’t control how your neighbors live, you can help make sure that your apartment doesn’t become a danger zone. Step One: Identify the Pest Depending on where you live, pests come in all...

With their abundance of food and water, restaurants are likelier to attract pests than many other types of businesses. From cockroaches to rodents, food establishments are vulnerable to countless varieties of infestations. As a restaurant owner or manager, it may seem like the odds are stacked against you. The good news is, however, that you and your employees have a great deal of control over whether pests invade your place of business. What Attracts Bugs and Rodents? Food scraps and dirty dishes -- especially those left out overnight -- are pest magnets. One surprising place where dirty dishes, food and other forgotten waste draw pests is the employee locker area. Overflowing or otherwise neglected garbage cans lure insects, mice and rats with their sticky residue, food waste and other debris. Cardboard boxes make the perfect egg-laying spot for roaches, as well as a food source for roaches, termites, silverfish, moths, beetles...

If you've ever stayed in a hotel, there's a chance you may have experienced bed bugs at some point, but not every hotel has these small pests. Some of the hotels that aren't as cared for as much as others tend to have them in beds, box springs, and even the furniture. There are a few other pests that you should look for in hotel rooms aside from bed bugs, many that can hitch a ride in your luggage and go back to your home with you. A common pest that you might see in a hotel room is a roach. They are usually seen in bathrooms and in hotel rooms that have a kitchen. You might see roaches behind the headboard or crawling on the walls of the room, especially at night. Roaches usually live in conditions where they can easily find food, so if you notice any trash around...

If you run or manage an office and want to safeguard yourself and your team from the unthinkable, learning to spot common office pests is vital. Pests that get into your office can cause a range of issues before you notice the warning signs. Discovering how you can detect them in the early stages saves you time, energy and money. Always contact a pest control team the second your problem gets out of hand, and you won't need to worry about additional complications. Mice Mice are a common office pest of which you need to be aware if you don't want them to cause harm. Mice that get into your office can taint your food, chew on wires and spread harmful pathogens to your staff. Look for holes in the walls, chewed bags of food and rodent droppings if you believe mice have invited themselves inside. A professional can detect and...

Pest infestations often come as a surprise to homeowners, tenants and business owners. The basic idea is that if a pest infestation is happening, this must mean that the person in charge of the property has done something wrong. Minimizing Exposure Pests are just small animals that have the same basic needs as any other living creature, so it is important to understand the infestation from that perspective. Pests may appear at particular times of the year, for example. Many pests play a critical role in the local ecosystems, so it is not possible to eliminate them all from the area. You can minimize the amount of exposure these pests will have in your immediate living environment by taking a few simple precautions: Eliminate any areas where trash is stored on a regular basis. Failing to take out the trash can result in a faint scent being released into the air,...

Keeping nursing homes free of pests is important for both the health and safety of the residents. In addition to protecting the patients, nursing homes should also strive to keep pests out of their premises to protect their businesses. Pests in nursing homes can cause reputational harms and significant financial losses. Nursing homes are attractive to many types of pests. Because there is a lot of traffic in and out of multiple entry points along with large food preparation and storage areas, pests can easily invade. It is important for nursing homes to understand the pests that they need to prevent along with the vulnerabilities that they have. Pests That Cause the Most Problems Nursing homes should start by identifying the types of pests that can cause the most problems. In general, nursing homes should work to prevent infestations of ants, roaches, flies and rodents. All of these pests can spread...

If you are like the countless people planning to travel this year, you are probably feeling excited and motivated to take your trip. You might get so caught up in the fun that you forget to protect yourself from common threats, such as bed bugs. Going into a hotel that has bed bugs is a good way to invite the pests into your home when you return, and you won't always notice the threat. Learning the top signs that a hotel has bed bugs will reduce your odds of facing an infestation, putting your worries to rest. Red Marks on Other Guests To avoid disturbing their host, bed bugs release a mild painkiller while they are feeding, and you won't feel a thing when they bite. The painkiller, though, will cause red marks to appear on the skin after a few hours, so looking at other hotel guests can help you...

If you run or manage a restaurant and don't want to face unexpected problems, it's important you put in the effort to protect yourself from common pests. Inability to handle a pest infestation can prompt the health department to issue fines or shut you down, but it can also compel your customers to write negative reviews online. Learning to spot and secure your restaurant from these pests will go a long way when you would like to enjoy positive results. You will know you have chosen the right path when you see the outcome, and your customers and staff will appreciate your dedication. Cockroaches Taking a look at cockroaches and their behavior is a great starting point for those who want to protect a restaurant from danger. Since these pests do their best to avoid light, spotting them in the early stages won't always be easy. The worst part about cockroaches...

Pest management in healthcare facilities is an integral part of keeping patients healthy and safe. Even though the majority of healthcare facilities outsource this vital task, it is crucial for employees to be aware of areas where pests tend to accumulate and what to do if problems develop. Patient rooms are not often overlooked due to the constant influx of traffic in and out of these areas. However, pest problems can also develop in less common areas such as the ones mentioned below.  Parking lots  Parking lots are often an overlooked area concerning pest control. However, it is not uncommon for major pest problems to exist in parking lots. For starters, these open areas often have bright lights that can attract many types of insects. Parking lots are also a prime area for the accumulation of trash or food scraps that can attract rodents and cockroaches. Keeping your parking lot clean...