Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

Usually, raccoons are messy creatures that leave behind plenty of evidence of their activities to indicate how they managed to break in to someone's home. Raccoons are large animals that can weigh up to twenty pounds, and usually, it doesn’t take much effort to find the hole used to gain access inside the home. However, this particular job in Lakehurst was one in which the point of access into the attic wasn't so obvious. 

During my attic inspection, I saw raccoon droppings, which are fairly large like dog poo. If you see berries in the poo, you're pretty much guaranteed that it was deposited there by a raccoon. And, whatever you do, don’t touch it! Their waste may have raccoon roundworm that can be transmitted to people, causing a host of serious problems, including blindness. Also, insulation had been pushed down and moved. So, I knew that I was dealing with at least one raccoon, but where and how entry was made was not immediately clear. I searched the exterior perimeter of the house looking for the usual entry points. Often, weaken soffits and fascia boards are used by raccoons to gain entry. There was no indication of any breach. I was determined to determine how these little rascals where gaining access. I then checked a less usual entry point, the attic fan in the middle of the roof. Sure enough, something was amiss. The fan’s mesh liner that acts as a barrier to prevent things from getting in, was visible. Something strong had grabbed it and pulled it off. 

I knew that I was “in the zone” and inspected more closely. I saw distinctive raccoon paw prints,and scratch marks on the metal flashing around the attic fan. Raccoon tracks are very distinctive from other nuisance wildlife. These animals have five long splayed toes with small sharp claws. Their tracks are asymmetrical  and resemble small human hands. Their front tracks having a crescent-shaped palm pad and their hind tracks have a long heel pad. There were also raccoon droppings on the roof in the area of the fan. 

I placed an exclusion (an attic fan cover with a raccoon exclusion built into it), over the attic fan. I also set two traps next to the exclusion. This setup will ensure that any raccoons have a one-way trip out of the attic. I expect to quickly and safely capture this wildlife. After, I will release them far away from human habitats where they can live out their lives in peace. Wildlife is wonderful, but wildlife infesting a home can not only cause significant property damage, but is also poses significant health risks. Raccoon urine and droppings carry many dangerous pathogens, and these sometimes vicious biting animals are the primary carriers of rabies.

I was recently sent out to a senior citizen development in Monroe Township, NJ to resolve a mouse infestation. The homeowner, who had quite a sense of humor considering there were rodents in her dwelling, told me that she was seeing “Mickey and friends,” but she was stumped as to how these little critters were gaining access to her home.

Usually, when inspecting for rodents, you’ll only see signs of rodent activity and not the pests themselves. Here, i found one of the most common signs of rodent activity — their droppings that they leave behind. Here, I found mouse droppings Considering near one of the poles in the closet. This pole happened to extend all the way up from the crawl space, and there was enough of a gap around the pole for mice to squeeze through to reach her closet. 

I applied a tracking powder along the pole and also excluded the space around the pole to seal off access. For rodent infestations, it is also important to conduct a thorough inspection of the home’s perimeter. During my outdoor inspection, I noticed a large opening underneath the exhaust. I took a picture of the potential rodent entry point to show the homeowner, and then proceeded to seal up that hole as well. 

After returning for a follow-up visit two weeks later, I was greeted by one happy homeowner. She told me exactly what i love to hear. She said that there were no further mouse sightings, mouse droppings, or any other signs of mice activity since my first visit.

A resident in Monroe Township, NJ contacted our office after finding squirrels in his attic. Squirrels can be very dangerous and destructive when in a home. Not only do they carry disease, but they like to burrow and make a mess of areas they can get into. Squirrels are rodents that need to chew, and they like the texture of wires or electric wires in the attic, which can present a fire hazard for the homeowner.

We began inspecting the exterior and discovered that the squirrels had chewed their way through this gable vent, which was their main access point to the attic. We then inspected the attic thoroughly and found squirrel feces in the insulation. To safely remove the squirrels, we temporarily sealed off the gable vent and installed a one-way device. A one-way device allows the squirrels to safely leave the attic, but prevent them from getting back in. We also set up a few baited traps in the area.

In a short amount of time, all the squirrels were safely removed from the attic. We then returned, removed and replaced the contaminated insulation, sanitized the attic area, and then replaced the gable vent with a brand new metal one. We also used fine 1/8 hardware cloth and screened it from the outside. The reason why we screen from outside is that it doesn't allow anything to roost or nest in the vent fins.

A short while ago, our Nuisance Wildlife Removal team recently came out to this home in Monroe Township, NJ to safely remove bats in the attic. Although the bats were safely removed and relocated to a new, humane location, they left behind a huge mess and contaminated the fiberglass insulation. At the owners request, we carefully removed all the old fiberglass insulation, cleaned the area, and then added over 12 inches of TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation.

TruSoft cellulose insulation is a safe, non-toxic type of insulation that is 85% composed of recycled material and 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!

After a raccoon infestation had ruined this homeowner's attic insulation in East Brunswick, NJ, she called Cowleys to remove the old insulation and replace it with Trusoft blown-in cellulose insulation. 

Previously, our nuisance wildlife team had successfully & safely removed all the raccoons from the home and properly sealed up all the access points. So what we did was carefully remove all the contaminated insulation and then vacuumed and disinfected the attic. Next, we added TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation, which will fill the attic to its recommended insulation levels. TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation 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!