Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

These homeowners in Allentown, NJ  had a partial basement foundation, that is, part of the first floor living space was built over a basement while the remainder was built over a crawl space. Partial basements can also be split between a basement and partial slab on grade. We often find partial basements with homes that have an addition built onto the original structure, but homes are also built with a partial basement to save on some construction costs. It is more expensive to excavate and construct a full basement than it is to build a crawl space or lay down a concrete slab.

With this home’s partial basement the homeowner’s wanted a sturdy, permanent, more aesthetically pleasing solution to separate these two foundation areas. They periodically had problems with insects, mice, and other pests in the basement area that were getting inside their home through the crawl space. In residential construction, crawl spaces are often considered to be the “black sheep” of a home. They often cause a lot of problems for the rest of the home, including pest infestations, water and moisture issues, and mold growth. Since crawl spaces are rarely visited, these “out of sight, out of mind” problems can fester for years before they become serious enough for a homeowner to take notice.

The homeowners contacted Cowleys since we have a specialized division dedicated to waterproofing and encapsulating problem crawl spaces, and they thought we could help. And they were right!  We came out to inspect the home, and recommended a quick, cost-effective solution that would work perfectly. We replaced the hardware cloth (which wasn’t really even a barrier at all between the two areas) with a customized Everlast door. These Everlast covers are usually installed on the outdoor entry point into the crawl space to completely block outside air and moisture from entering the crawl space. However, it worked perfectly here to separate the two sections of this home’s foundation. Made with a hard durable plastic, these doors can be installed against wood framing or masonry. They stand up to the worst weather conditions, and are completely maintenance-free. They are made out of a material that is impervious to water and any outdoor elements, so they will rot, warp, or crack and, unlike wood, they never need to be painted. From our experience, they are virtually indestructible. 

For these homeowners, this door did just the trick. They were pleased with our solution to their problem and our quick installation. The homeowners thanked us, and my partner and I were off to help our next customer!

This property manager of an adult community in Hamilton Township, NJ recently had an issue with squirrels destroying their main office building. Previously, we safely retrieved the squirrels and relocated them to a new, humane location, but the damage they did was quite extensive! They literally chewed out the crown molding on the window! Fortunately, we can not only safely remove the invasive wildlife, we can repair the damage they inflict as well!

First, we measured the crown molding and then cut sturdy, metal flashing to the measurements. Next, we installed it, secured it in place with screws, and sealed it in place with a waterproof, premium adhesive. We offered to paint the area so that the material blends in with the crown molding, but the property manager told us that his maintenance team will do that. Now that the area is repaired, the community will no longer have an issue with squirrels or any other nuisance wildlife invading the office. 

After we safely removed and excluded nuisance birds from this home in Allentown, NJ, we noticed that several of the gable vents were damaged from the sun. Nuisance birds or wildlife infesting a home via the gable vents is very common. Over time, the gable vents get weathered and raccoons, squirrels, birds, and bats have no problem ripping away these vents to find shelter inside a home.

After bringing this to the owners attention, she agreed that they needed to be secured, so we installed Pest-Blok over each gable vents. Pest-Blok doesn't restrict the airflow to the attic, undergoes a silicone-protected polyester coating process that makes it last longer, and guards the home against squirrels, pests, birds, and all other nuisance wildlife. Now the gable vents are properly protected from all nuisance birds & wildlife!

I was sent to a home in Bridgewater, NJ who’s owner was walking to their car when he noticed a huge gray hornets nest in the tree adjacent to the walkway. Hornets make their own nesting material by mixing chewed-up wood pulp from tree bark mixed with their saliva, forming an enclosed nest around the comb where the queen lays her eggs. 

First I want to say, it’s a good thing he did not try to remove it himself. These hornets are extremely aggressive, and will defend its nest if threatened. They are close relatives of yellow jackets and they are just as nasty and aggressive, singing anyone or anything that comes into the “danger zone” around their nest. These wasps, unlike bees, can sting repeatedly, so a swarm of them can pose quite a dangerous situation. 

I quickly put on my bee suit. With these particular stinging insects, I wasn’t going to take any chances. With the protection of my bee suit, I was able to I walk right up to the nest, and find the entry hole.

Once found, we inject a foaming insecticide directly into the nest, quickly paralyzing all of the hornets and any stray hornets that might be returning from gathering nest building material.

Once I was sure that there was no further danger from those hornets, I removed the nest from the branch, and let the homeowners know to stay away from the area for a while because there still could be returning hornets wondering where their home went. Eventually the hornets would go elsewhere.

This homeowner in Basking Ridge, NJ, decided it was time to add some much-needed blown-in cellulose insulation to his attic space, so he called our office and our Contracting Team was sent out.

As soon as we arrived, we went right to work! First, we carefully removed all the old fiberglass insulation, cleaned the area, and then added TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation. TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation will reinforce the barrier between the home's attic and other rooms. It has a higher R-value than standard fiberglass insulation, has the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, is resistant to mold and pests, and is eco-friendly! The blanket of insulation will create a thermal barrier and help keep the home more comfortable and efficient — which will lead to year-round savings for the homeowner!