When flies are buzzing around, you probably don’t take too close of a look. You just want them away from you. However, you may wonder if they’re fruit flies or gnats. Fruit flies and gnats are both tiny insects that annoy a lot of people but are completely different.

Physical Differences Between a Fruit Fly, Eye Gnats & Fungus Gnats

You probably will not get close enough to a gnat or fruit fly that’s bothering you to notice that they don’t all look exactly the same. Mature fruit flies are generally beige or brownish-orange color and roughly 1/8th of an inch long. Eye gnats are usually glossy and black and around 1/16th of an inch long. Fungus gnats are generally deep gray or black. When they reach maturity, they are usually about 1/8 of an inch long.

Where Are Fruit Flies & Gnats Found?

The fruit fly species are found across the globe. They can live up to 30 days and reproduce very quickly. Fruit flies are the ones that you usually see in the kitchen. They are found in warm and wet areas with airflow. They are named fruit flies because they invade fruits and vegetables and are prevalent at the end of the summer and during the fall season. They are particularly fond of mature fruit. If you’re outside and find yourself waving your hands around you, chances are you’re dealing with gnats, rather than fruit flies. Gnats are generally found outdoors. Fungus gnats will be found in moist outdoor soil and will spend a lot of time in rotting organic matter, so you may see them near compost piles. They may find their way inside and find an area to breed. Eye gnats, like fungus gnats, live outside.

Gnat or Fruit Fly Infestation Prevention

If you see little pests flying around, chances are you have an infestation somewhere. Getting rid of fruit flies in your home is very difficult. Regularly wiping counters, cleaning spills and emptying your trash cans help to prevent fruit fly infestations. After you have located the breeding ground, other fly control methods can be added. Eradication may require several treatments and the absence of food for them will eventually cause them to die out. You will also need to locate the food source with gnats. Correct any problems and prevent fruit from exposed, open air. Keeping food stored in the refrigerator protects it from gnats and will also keep your fruit from spoiling sooner.

Fruit Fly & Gnat Control

Fruit flies can carry diseases, bacteria, and viruses and they enjoy rotting food. Females of some species of gnats feed on blood and have been known to carry parasites and spread diseases to humans. Not only are these pests extremely annoying, but they can also be harmful to your health. Most at-home efforts to eradicate these pests will not properly treat the entire infestation, it’s best to consult a pest control professional. Call Rentokil today.

Green grass is part of the beauty summertime has to offer. However, in the heat of the summer, it can be hard to keep that grass a beautiful shade of green. You don’t want to find yourself battling dead or bare patches of grass in your yard this summer. Rentokil is here to share some tips that will help you keep your grass green in the heat of the summer.

Use Fertilizer to Make Grass Green in Hot Weather

When you are trying to attain that perfect shade of green this summer, make sure you are using fertilizer. It is important to give your lawn the nutrients that it needs. The easiest way to do this is with fertilizer. Fertilizers usually come in granule or liquid form and can be synthetic or organic. No matter which one you choose, they will promote lush, green grass.

Best Time to Water Lawn in Summer

If you are watering your lawn in the middle of the day, you should make some changes right away. Not only is it a waste of water because of evaporation, but your lawn also isn’t getting the water it needs to be healthy and green. The best time to water your lawn is in the early morning. If you water during the night, your lawn will be too damp for too long and end up having the perfect conditions for lawn disease. By watering in the morning, your lawn can use sunlight to effectively make use of the water it just received. Don’t water every day either. If you water less frequently, the roots of your lawn won’t be shallow and they will be stronger. This will help your lawn look healthier too.

Mow Grass High or Low

Mow your grass at the right height. If you are cutting your lawn too low, it will dry out quicker. Make sure your lawnmower blades are at the height so your lawn looks neat and tidy, but has enough length that it won’t dry out as quickly during the heat of the day.

Aerate Your Lawn

Your lawn needs extra oxygen to breathe. A great way to get this is by aerating your lawn. Your lawn will absorb water more efficiently this way as well. This can be done with a push aerator or a machine powered one. Either way, it will help your lawn breath better and be greener in the process.

Use Cool Water on Your Lawn

When you are watering your lawn, you should always make sure the water is cool. Using hot water on your lawn will damage it rather than help it. If water has been sitting in your hose, it can get very hot. Clear the water out of the hose before tending to your grass to avoid hurting it.

Having green grass during the summer is not an unattainable goal. The steps listed above are not difficult things. It takes a very small amount of time and energy to have a beautiful lawn to enjoy all summer long. Rentokil can assist you with any problems you might be having when it comes to having a healthy, green lawn. In addition to troubleshooting the cause of your brown lawn or bare spots, we offer lawn care, weed control, insect and disease treatments as well as tree and shrub deep root fertilization and more. Call us today!

No one wants to see bugs, insects, arachnids and other pests running around your home! Most people also want to do what they can to save money and some people think that taking care of their own pest control can save them money. The problem is that there are several risks of doing your own pest control and it can also end up costing you more money than if you would have hired a professional in the first place.

Rentokil Lists the Risks that You Take When You Do Your Own Pest Control

Dangers of DIY Pest Control To Your Health: Many of the pest treatments that are used to deter and reduce the number of pests in a home have several types of chemicals. These chemicals, if they are not treated appropriately can be harmful to your health and your family’s health. If the treatment is done carelessly and left in areas that a pet or small child can get to they can end up sick. The chemicals are not for human consumption so getting it to close to where people congregate can be bad. The chemicals can be sent up in the air and if someone is close by they can be exposed to it.
DIY Pest Control is Bad For The Environment: If you start to take care of your own pest control you are most likely going to a store to pick up the spray can that you think will do the trick. The biggest problem is that you are most likely picking up an aerosol can that is going to spread the chemicals in the air. If you are not careful with the treatment you choose you can be harming a very important pest. The honey bee is very sensitive to the chemicals that are sold and used out of stores. A professional can come out and treat the area without unintended consequences.
DIY Pest Control Costs More Money: So you start your pest control when you start to see pests. You think this is a great idea but it is a terrible idea! If you are actually seeing pests running around the house you have a much bigger problem than you thought. The pests are known to hide in the day and if they are out and about there are many more still hiding. When you wait to treat a problem after it has gotten out of control it is going to take much more time and products. You will be spending more money and you will have to go back and forth to the store to get products that might work. A professional pest control company will come out and treat your home on a regular basis which would prevent a pest infestation before it takes hold.

Pest Control Inspections, Control, Management, Treatment & Removal Services in Logan, Hyde Park, Smithfield, Brigham City, Tremonton, Garden City, Hyrum, Richmond, Ogden, Park City, Woods Cross, Lehi, Orem, Provo & Salt Lake City UT & Northern Utah | Preston ID & Southern Idaho

Rentokil offers expert pest control and lawn services. Contact us today!

Ants are no stranger to being pegged as home invaders, especially if they discover a convenient food source. With the thousands of species of ants found throughout the world, ants can be discovered foraging nearly anywhere. Some ant species are more common and plentiful in different areas and Utah is no different.

Rentokil relate the more common species infesting your home or landscape in Utah.

The most common offenders of ant species roaming through Utah’s residents are; Carpenter Ants, Pavement Ants, Little Black Ants, and Argentine Ants. Pharaoh Ants can also be found occasionally.
Carpenter Ants: These ants are a bit larger than other ant species, measuring in at ¼”-1/2” in length on average, but can get to be an inch long. They are either black or a dark reddish-brown color and will nest in damp and decaying wood. Carpenter ants do not consume wood like termites, but they chew through wood to form their nesting tunnels and to carve routes to convenient food sources. They will often leave sawdust-like particles in areas where they are nesting. Carpenter ants are the worst offenders in infiltrating the homes in Utah.
Pavement Ants: Pavements ants are rightfully named due to their travel methods in cracks in the pavement. They get to be approximately 1/8” long and are dark brown to nearly black in color. Pavement ants are ants that will eat nearly anything; insects, honey, honeydew, meats, cheese, seeds, nuts, bread, and even ice cream. They sometimes are misidentified as sugar ants, but true sugar ants are located in Australia and are much larger and either black or orange.
Little Black Ants: Little Black ants are tiny, with the queen measuring in about 1/8” and worker ants are but 1/16” long. When these pests intrude in your home, they are typically found in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, but can spread extremely quickly. The reason being is that they form additional colonies with queens in each colony. The queen lays quite a few eggs a day and it takes only 10 days for the eggs to hatch.
Argentine Ants: Approximately 1/16″ long they range from light to dark brown in color. Colonies are enormous, and they have many queens within the colony. These ants usually seek refuge to construct their nests in damp soil, right next to or under buildings, under wood boards, and along sidewalks. They will eat nearly anything, bat favors sweet foods.
Pharaoh Ants: These ants are yellow with red and black markings on their abdomen and are also only about 1/16” long. When the weather is warm they don’t mind roughing it out in the outdoors, but will often wonder inside looking for warmth during winter. They prefer a well-hidden, safe area to build up their nests.

Ant Pest Inspections, Prevention, Treatment & Control in Logan
Hyde Park, Smithfield, Brigham City, Tremonton, Garden City, Hyrum, Richmond, Ogden, Park City, Woods Cross, Lehi, Orem, Provo & Salt Lake City UT & Northern Utah | Preston ID & Southern Idaho

No matter the species of ants intruding into your home, Rentokil has the expertise to exterminate ant and other pest infestations in your home or business. Call us today to get started!

Springtime is here and warmer weather welcomes in a slew of new activities that the winter would not permit. Backyard barbecues, baseball games, visits to the park and roasting marshmallows around the fire pit are all great ways to welcome in the spring. One of the most annoying insects that humans come into contact with also enjoys welcoming in the spring, the pesky mosquito. Mosquitoes are sometimes the party spoilers and send guests inside seeking shelter from being eaten alive by these hungry bloodsuckers who not only leave itchy welts behind but also have the ability to spread dangerous diseases to humans.

Repelling Mosquitoes from Your Backyard

If you want to live somewhere where mosquitoes do not exist, then pack your bags and book your flight to Antarctica, because that is literally the only place on the planet that does not host this harmful insect. Mosquitoes are found in areas that are warmer and wetter which makes the equator their most popular destination. With the latest discovery of the Zika Virus flooding the news and being responsible for birth defects, many professionals are encouraging people to stay away from areas where mosquitoes flourish. These areas include Central and South America, South and Southeast Asia and Africa. While these places are considered mosquito Mecca’s, do not count out your own yard from mosquitoes invading.

Inspect your Home & Yard for Areas that Maybe a Magnet For Mosquitoes

One way to keep mosquitoes out of your yard is to eliminate any sign of standing water. Mosquitoes love standing water, they thrive on it and are able to breed and grow their numbers when they discover standing water. You may think that there is no standing water anywhere on your property but think about everything that is sitting in your yard right now. Flower pots, birdbaths; any type of container that could hold rainwater is a place where mosquitoes could begin to gather. Perform an inspection of your property and get rid of any unnecessary objects that could hold water. After a rainfall, be sure to dump all water out onto the ground to avoid creating an environment that mosquitoes would be attracted to.

Mosquito Pest Inspections, Prevention, Control & Removal in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho

Mosquitoes are said to be attracted to warm bodies, so do your best to keep cool this spring and summer. Dark-colored fabrics absorb more heat than lighter colored fabrics, so avoid wearing darker colors. Avoid excess exercise as well, this will radiate heat and cause you to breathe heavy. Carbon dioxide can be smelled by mosquitoes from long distances away. If you are experiencing a heavy population of mosquitoes near your home, contact Rentokil today.

Springtime is the Perfect Time to Get Your Yard Looking Fantastic

Springtime often ushers in a frantic rush of yard work, landscaping and other exterior efforts to make your home look its best. Rentokil will get your lawn looking fantastic this spring and your yard will be the envy of the block in no time at all. There are specific steps you can take yourself to help improve the look and health of your lawn this spring. Do not waste your time doing chores that produce little to no results, focus on the important aspects of your lawn to get an excellent looking yard this spring.
 

Avoid Starting your Year Work Too Early

One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make when it comes to lawn care is starting much too early in the season. While an itchy green thumb is not always a bad thing, it can become dangerous to your lawn if you begin caring for it too early. Fertilizers and other materials that are put on your lawn too early in the season can backfire quickly and leave your lawn over cared for, dead and unable to grow this coming spring. The best way to treat your lawn with the love and attention it deserves is to hire Rentokil to get your lawn looking fabulous this spring and summer.
 

Early Spring Lawn Care Tips; Raking your Lawn is a Great Way to Start

Raking your lawn is probably how you ended your fall last year and it should be the way you start your lawn care this spring. Raking is a great way to wake your lawn up, remove any foreign materials and get off on the right foot. Raking allows you to pull up any thatch that may have accumulated over the winter months when your grass was less springy. It also gives you a chance to find any dead areas of your lawn that may require a little more attention than the other areas of your lawn. So pull your rake out and go to work this spring to get your lawn started off right.
 

Spring Lawn Care, Weed Control, Troubleshooting, Insect & Disease Treatments, Tree and Shrub Deep Root Fertilization in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho

The absolute sure-fire way to get your lawn looking its best this spring is to hire Rentokil. We know exactly what it takes to get your lawn growing strong and healthy this spring and last throughout the summer months as well. Rentokil is skilled and experienced in producing the most beautiful lawns and will make your home much more attractive this spring.

Getting a good night’s sleep is almost impossible if you are worried about the presence of bed bugs in your home. Bed bugs are becoming more and more common for homeowners in Utah and across the country to deal with and they can be extremely difficult to remove without the assistance of a professional pest control service. Bed bugs often go unnoticed for quite some time in a home due to their small size and their ability to hide during the day time. They are small insects shaped like an oval and are usually brown in color. Bed bugs that are inside of your home survive and feed off of the blood of humans and household pets.

Bed Bugs Hide During the Day

There are many different avenues in which a bed bug can take to gain access to your home. Bed bugs can enter into your home undetected through luggage, used furniture, clothing and other items that you bring into your home. The body of a bed bug is extremely flat, making it almost impossible to notice them at all. Bed bugs are known to hide in areas like the mattress of your bed, box springs, bed frames, headboards, sheets, and pillowcases. These areas are the most popular for bed bugs to hide because they can easily feed on humans at night.

How Long do Bed Bug Bites Last

Bed bugs typically bite humans at night time when humans are sleeping. Bed bugs feed on human blood by piercing the skin of a human and withdrawing the blood through an elongated beak. A bed bug will feed on a human anywhere from three to ten minutes at a time. The bed bug will stop feeding on human blood once it becomes engorged on the blood and crawls away back into its hiding place until it becomes hungry once again. The bite of a bed bug will not typically wake up a human, as it is not very painful or noticeable. It does become painful after the fact when it turns into an annoying welt that is extremely itchy. Bed bug bites are typically found on areas of the skin that are exposed when you are asleep.

Signs that Bed Bugs Are on Your Mattress & in Your Home

There are common signs that bed bugs leave behind that can alert you that you may have a bed bug problem. If you wake up in the morning with small welts on your skin that were not there when you went to bed, then you may have a bed bug issue. Bed bugs will also leave bloodstains on your sheets and pillowcases. Inspect your mattress for rust-colored spots, this is a stain left behind from bed bug excrement. Bed bugs are also known to leave behind an offensive, musty odor from the bug’s sweat glands. If you suspect that you have bed bugs inside of your home, contact Rentokil today.

A successful and reputable business requires a great deal of hard work, faithful employees and dedication. Keeping your business running properly also takes a certain amount of attention to the small details. Keeping your place of business free from annoying pests, spiders, bugs, and rodents is an essential part of running a successful and reputable company. An office building, warehouse or storefront all provide the perfect environment for insects and rodents to thrive, and if not addressed properly, these nuisances will quickly take over in the form of a nasty infestation. Professional commercial pest control is the best and more effective option when it comes to keeping your business pest-free.

Business Pest Prevention Tips

For employees to be an effective workforce and accomplish their tasks in an efficient matter, a clean and pest free work environment is essential. No employee will be able to focus on their assignments if they are worried about a roach crawling across their toe, or a mouse nibbling on their lunch in the break room. To have effective employees a clean and pest free work environment must exist. Keeping your workspace clean is the number one way to keep insects and rodents away from your place of work. Food left out in the break room will attract all sorts of pests, while work areas can become hiding places for roaches and other filthy insects.

Commercial Pest Management

When you hire a professional commercial pest control service you will greatly improve the environment of your place of business, creating a pest-free and rodent clear workplace where your employees can feel comfortable and more focused on their specific duties. Some businesses choose to take care of pest control on their own, even assigning existing employees to perform the task. This never produces positive results. Hiring a professional guarantees that the most effective methods are being used to target whatever type of pest is attempting to infest your office.
Avoid spending extra money on chemicals and other materials you know nothing about, their effectiveness or how much to use. Avoid paying an employee extra wages to get this job done only half of the time. When you hire a professional commercial pest control service, you can be sure that your office will be pest-free and you will keep the positive reputation you have among your peers. Contact Rentokil today for the best commercial pest control service available.

The most prominent mammal within most cities, other than humans, is the common house mouse. Homeowners will experience the presence of house mice at least once in their lifetime. House mice live close to humans and rely on some of the same food sources as we do. Although they will eat any type of food, house mice actually prefer seeds and grain over other options. A lone roaming house mouse can be taken care of easily and cause little to no damage if caught quickly. However, if house mice are breeding within the walls of your home, you may be dealing with a serious infestation that can cause damage to your home and health risks to you and your family.

Identification of Nocturnal House Mice

House mice are normally nocturnal and are rarely seen throughout the daytime. It is not unlikely to see some activity from them during the day; however, this may be an indication that there are quite a few house mice present within the walls of your home. House mice rely heavily on their sense of smell, taste, touch, and hearing. They have very poor eyesight and are believed to be color blind. House mice are generally a brown grayish color with no hair on their skin-colored tails. They have larger ears and protruding black eyes; some have been known to have white feet as well.

Preferred House Mice Habitats and Breeding Nests

House mice do not only find shelter inside of homes. They have been found nesting in and around farms, commercial establishments, open fields, and agricultural lands. Sometimes house mice actually live quite far from humans, especially in a mild climate. Once temperatures begin to drop, house mice will start looking for warmer shelter in other places to build a new nest and begin breeding. Litters of five to six mice are born nineteen to twenty-one days after mating. When mice are born, they have no hair and their eyes are shut for days. After about two weeks they have a full body of hair and their eyes and ears are fully developed and functioning.

Structurally Damaging and Disease Transmitting House Mice

House mice have the ability to cause a significant amount of structural damage to your home. They will gnaw on almost anything and will search your home for materials to use in their nest building. House mice are also known to eat into food storage and ruin stored grains, cereals and more. This can cause a serious health risk as the mice may leave urine or fecal matter on your food. Mice can transmit diseases to humans, such as salmonellosis, rickettsialpox, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Mice have also been known to cause ringworm and tapeworm among humans they come into contact with. If you suspect that house mice have invaded your home, it is time to contact a professional. Rentokil will eliminate your house mice problem and leave your home free from any rodent related health risk or structural damage that mice can cause. If you suspect mice or rodents in your home (or have a problem with any other kind of pest), give us a call today!