Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

Recently, I was sent to a home in Jackson, NJ that had a troublesome mouse infestation. Mice will commonly enter homes through gaps, cracks, or openings around the foundation to gain access to the crawl space or basement, and from there, travel through wall voids throughout the home searching for food and water. More often than not, they wind up foraging for roof debris in the kitchen and find hidden harborage areas, often where there is heat like around ovens and under refrigerators around the motor housing. 

Here, after discussing with the homeowner, where mice were spotted, I moved out the oven from the wall. There were extensive droppings and an opening around the gas pipe providing the mice with easy access into the kitchen. I sealed the opening around the pipe with hardware cloth and also placed mouse bait stations behind there. Mice will travel in the same pathways alongside walls. Inevitably, they will enter the stations enticed by the tempting bait. Soon thereafter, any mice that visited the station and consumed the bait die. 

After finishing up with the kitchen, I entered the crawl space to determine how the mice were first gaining entry into the home. While down below, I placed more bait boxes right below the kitchen to catch more mice before they even had a chance to venture into the living spaces above. While inspecting the interior perimeter of the basement, I found openings around the crawl space vents that were more than enough for mice to enter. I sealed these openings to prevent new mice entry into the home. With the perimeter entry points sealed and bait stations to deal with any mice already inside, I’m confident that it will not take long for this rodent infestation to be completely resolved. With rodent activity, we schedule a two-week follow-up to reinspect, replenish bait as needed, and determine additional treatments, if necessary.

A homeowner in Jackson, NJ had an unsuspecting visitor take up residency in her home — a raccoon! She called our office for help and we were sent out to find out how the raccoon got into the attic and safely remove it.

Moments into our inspection, we noticed that a portion of the soffit was ripped open and there was raccoon hair stuck in the opening. This was the main access point. We temporarily enclosed the area with hardware cloth and installed a one-way device over the access point. The one-way device allows the raccoon to safely leave the attic but prevents it from getting back in. We also placed several baited devices nearby.

A short while later, we safely retrieved the raccoon, relocated it to a new, humane environment, and disinfected the attic area. Lastly, we sealed up the access point with sturdy metal flashing to prevent reinfestation. 

This homeowner in Sayreville contacted Cowleys to resolve a raccoon infestation in their attic. The raccoons were nesting right above the dining room, and even chewed through the wiring connecting the chandelier. One of our wildlife technicians performed an exclusion, which is  locating, repairing, and sealing the wildlife entry points. He also cleaned up the droppings, which are a bio-hazard, containing disease-transmitting microorganisms. Homeowners should not come into contact or even breathe the air in a small enclosed space where there are droppings since they can contaminate the air. To safely clean wildlife droppings, you must wear a respirator and use proper protective equipment. 

Raccoons are large, aggressive animals that can easily weigh up to 20 pounds. Their clawing and waste materials, as these homeowners found out, can cause extensive attic damage, including destroyed insulation. After the wildlife was taken care of, a Cowleys installation crew arrived soon thereafter to repair the attic and make it as good as new. We first removed the contaminated insulation, then sanitized and deodorized the entire attic to remove all traces and smells of a raccoon infestation. it is important to thoroughly clean the attic not only to remove dangerous pathogens, but also to remove the smells and remnants of the infestation, which can be an attractant to other raccoons and wildlife.

Finally, we installed brand new R30 fiberglass batt insulation, the same type of insulation that the customer had prior to the infestation. Cowleys recommends blown-in cellulose insulation for a variety of reasons, and most customers ask us to install our TAP Pest Control Insulation. Its paper fibers are treated with a borate solution that is a barrier for many insects, including ants, beetles, and termites, stopping them dead in their tracks. Also, cellulose insulation has excellent thermal properties and, because it is blown in rather than cut to size, this type of insulation ensures that all areas of the attic are actually covered, even the smallest nooks and crannies. 

However, some homeowners still prefer traditional fiberglass batt insulation, and Cowleys is happy to install that type of insulation as well. This homeowner decided to go with what product he knew from his own experience. 

A commercial facility in Egg Harbor Township, NJ, nearby Atlantic City, was having an on-going problem with birds gaining access to a tool storage area of the building. The manager contacted Bird Solutions By Cowleys to resolve this bird infestation once and for all.  

Our two-man crew inspected the area to determine how the birds were gaining access. It did not take us long to find the opening. The problem was a gap above an I-beam that gave the birds wide open access. To restrict the bird from further entry, we constructed a bird barrier by closing this space off with hardware cloth. With this access point permanently closed, birds will no longer be able to enter this space and make a mess of things.

After we successfully retrieved all wild squirrels in this homeowner's attic and then relocated them to a new, humane location, we returned to repair the damage. 

Originally, the squirrels were gnawing on the fascia board, chewed a tiny hole, and entered the attic. We completely deodorized and sanitized the attic area and then turned our attention to the fascia board. We sealed the access point with metal flashing and secured it in place with a premium sealant made up of terpolymer technology. Next, we painted the metal flashing to blend in with the color of the home so that the repair work won't be an eyesore.