Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

During a scheduled summer service for a Home Protection Plan customer in Shrewsbury, NJ, we found a large bald-faced hornets nest next to the downspout. Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellow jackets. The surface of their upper midsection almost looks triangular from the side, and they have white markings on their face.

For treatment, we grabbed our extendable pole, attached a knockdown liquid product to it, and then treated the nest with it. This application exterminates the bald-faced hornets almost immediately. Once the hornets were eliminated, we attached a scraper to the pole and removed the nest. We then disposed of the nest properly and treated the area with a residual application to exterminate any returning hornets as well as prevent them from rebuilding a nest. 

While doing an inspection at a home in Asbury Park, NJ, we were approached by a frantic neighbor on the verge of tear. She said, "Please, sir, please. You have to help me. There is a giant bat on my back screen door, I've called 3 people to come and remove it. They all want several hundred dollars just to come out and remove the thing. I'm on a limited income and I don't know what to do. I just can't afford it." 

Without hesitation, we put on our protective gloves, went with her to her back door, removed the bat, and gingerly placed him in the nearest tree.  We can't vouch for the emotions of bats, but he seemed as happy to be out of the house as the poor lady was to have him taken out. It was a win-win situation for all.

She asked if she could pay us $50 because that's all she could afford. We didn't take a dime from her and told her that after that traumatic encounter, she deserves to use that money to go out for a nice, quiet dinner and calm her nerves.

Cowleys is a business, but we've been working here long enough to know that we're also about doing the right thing. Her gratitude was more than enough compensation for the few minutes that it took to remove the bat. She told me that I was her hero. Before that encounter, we never thought of my Cowleys uniform as a superhero outfit, but right then and there, we felt pretty good about ourselves and were proud to be a Cowleys technician.

This entire crawl space was encapsulated to prevent mold growth and excessive moisture due to water seepage. The client wanted to control mold and odors while promoting a healthier living space throughout the home- and Cowleys Pest Services was able to deliver!

Cowleys was contacted by a homeowner in Ocean that had a groundhog problem. At least one pesky, destructive groundhog was burrowing under his backyard shed causing damage to the wood. Groundhogs (woodchucks) are one of the most damaging pests that can invade your yard. Besides wrecking havoc on your lawn from digging their burrows and leaving unsightly holes and mounds of dirt all over, they have voracious appetites. Groundhogs will feed on just about any flower, fruit, vegetable, or plant that you’ve been growing on your property. With a groundhog infestation, all that time and money your spent on improving your lawn can be gone in an instant. Also, groundhogs can also cause damage to your home’s foundation if their burrowing activity is right around your home. To make matters worse, once these large rodents have settled on your home as their new residence, they are amazingly persistent about staying there. 

I was dispatched to this Ocean residence to inspect the area around the shed and determine the best strategy to capture the animals. Upon arrival, I went to the homeowner’s backyard to inspect around the shed and observe the aftermath of their destructive behavior in the yard. The groundhogs were free to come and go from multiple areas around the shed. There was no clear pathway that they were taking to gain access under the deck. Rather than setting up traps in arbitrary locations and hoping for the best, I dramatically improved the odds of a successful capture by installing one of my favorite products in our wildlife control arsenal to trap burrowing invasive animals, “Dig DeFence” underground fencing. “Dig DeFence” is a trenchless underground permanent barrier made of heavy galvanized steel. It’s a much better alternative than burying hardware cloth or repeatedly setting up traps. It can be installed around foundations, decks, sheds, yards, and any other location where groundhogs and other burrowing animals are a nuisance.

For pet owners, this product is of great help as well. It can be used to keep your pets from trying to dig out of the yard underneath your above-ground fencing, and it works will all fence types — wood, wrought iron, or chain link. Especially for homeowners with next-door neighbor dogs that want nothing more than to sniff each other face-to-face, this below-ground fencing will keep them apart, hold your fence down, fill any gaps. Besides keeping your pets out, it will prevent a variety of unwanted “ground level” wildlife from entering your property and causing damage. It’s particularly effective for keeping out skunks, opossums, raccoons, porcupines, and, of course, groundhogs.

With this Ocean home, I used the “Dig DeFence” to aid in trapping the animals. I blocked about 90% of the perimeter around the shed so the animals would automatically be funneled towards my traps. I installed one-way traps by the remaining openings. I’m confident that that, within a day or so, the groundhogs will be trapped. Once they are caught, I’ll relocate them away from the home. After the groundhogs are trapped and there are no more underneath the shed, I’ll seal off the remaining areas. 

Living in a wooded area of Ocean, this homeowner will always be dealing with nuisance wildlife in his yard. It’s one of the tradeoffs of living with nature. However, this underground fencing will go a long way to prevent future problems. The homeowner was quite pleased that the groundhog problem around his shed would be permanently resolved and that he would not have to worry about repairing ongoing damage caused by these animals. 

I was recently sent to a residence in Ocean Township, NJ to deal with a mouse infestation. This particular homeowner was getting frustrated because of a continuing, on-going mouse problem. As temperatures drop, mice will start overwintering in our homes to escape the harsh weather conditions, and here, it seemed that more and more mice would find their way inside the home. 

Upon arrival, I performed a full inspection of the home’s interior and exterior perimeter to find any actual or potential entry points. Mice don’t need much of an opening to find their way inside — any gap about the width of a dime is enough for them to gain entry. It is critically important that these entry points are located and sealed. Otherwise, you can set up all the bait stations you want in the home and you’ll never get rid of the infestation. I sealed all of the possible entry points and installed rodent control stations in strategic areas where there were signs of mouse activity — under the stove, behind the fridge, and plumbing areas under the sink and laundry room. Gaps around piping coming into the home are a common trouble spot for rodent entry. Finally, I explained to the homeowner that as part of my treatment plan, I’d be returning in two weeks for a follow-up visit to make sure there were no more issues. The homeowner was relieved that the mouse problem was finally under control.