Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

I was dispatched to a summer home in Bayville, NJ for a possible wildlife infestation. The homeowners, while in the process of closing their home and heading back to their permanent residence, heard wildlife noises in the chimney. After investigating the situation, I determined that there was indeed wildlife presence. At least one raccoon was using the chimney for shelter. Raccoons may look cute, but they are the primary carrier of rabies in New Jersey and can be aggressive. Most likely, the chimney was being used by raccoons as a temporary shelter, and was not its "regular" shelter. Raccoons often avail themselves of numerous rest areas, selecting them near food and water sources. According to wildlife experts, a raccoon can occupy a ten-mile radius of territory.

We set two traps on the roof and placed silver metallic tape over the gaps in the chimney top. I use tape as a signal. I’ll know the raccoon has left an enclosure like a chimney if the tape is broken, and often I’ll find animal fur stuck ago the tape. Good news! After four days, the tape had not yet been broken. This was more than enough evidence that the raccoon was not in the chimney a at the I had set up the traps and put on the tape. Since any raccoons were long gone, I removed the traps and the tape. Before leaving, I wanted to be sure that raccoons or other wildlife would be excluded from the chimney by placing hardware cloth over the chimney holes. Now, with the exclusion in place, wildlife will no longer be able to access the home through the attic. 

Recently, we went on a service a call in Bayville, NJ for a homeowner who was complaining of an excessive amount of moisture in his crawl space. Excessive moisture in your crawl space can have a major impact on your family’s health. In fact, 40% of the air in your home comes up through the crawl space — which means that moisture and mold can seep into your home, where you're breathing it in. 

Once we arrived at the property, we equipped our personal protective equipment (PPE) and began our inspection. After surveying the crawl space, we noticed that the homeowner had a dirt floor crawl space and that his home was located right on the bay. Dirt floor crawl spaces attract and absorb moisture. When the dirt dries, it causes humidity levels to rise in your home. After a thorough inspection, we determined that this was the cause of the moisture build-up in the crawl space.  

The best treatment method to remove the moisture is to encapsulate the crawl space. First, we installed a vapor barrier. A vapor barrier is a super-durable, 20-mil 7-ply plastic sheet material made up of high and low-density polyethylene with polyester-cord reinforcement. The vapor barrier resists the passage of air and by stopping air movement from the ground, it can also turn your crawl space into a semi-conditioned space. Next, we removed the existing fiberglass insulation and replaced it with encapsulated comfort thermal insulation. Then, we installed a smart pump with a battery back up and auxiliary pump to remove any groundwater underneath the liner.

Finally, in order to prevent mold growth, we installed a SaniDry XP commercial dehumidifier. These machines are specifically designed and manufactured for the challenging environments of basements and crawl spaces. The SaniDry XP is a powerful energy-efficient dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. The SaniDry XP can effectively cover indoor living spaces over 3000 square feet, making it well-suited for basements and crawl spaces over 40” high. 

Now, the moisture in the crawl space is greatly reduced, helping prevent mold growth.

This homeowner in Bayville, NJ was fed up with his attic getting uncomfortably cold in the winter and unbearably hot in the summer, so after seeing one of our Ads in a magazine, he called our office for a free inspection.

After inspecting the area and discussing different options with the owner, he decided that the best course of action would be to add blown-in cellulose insulation. So we arrived, removed all the fiberglass insulation and debris out of his attic, and added over 10 inches of TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation.

TruSoft insulation maximizes home comfort, has the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, is resistant to mold and pests, is eco-friendly, and optimizes energy usage for year-round peace and savings. Additionally, as a high-performance product, cellulose insulation can raise the insulation R-value to recommended conditions needed for your attic.

Recently, a was sent to a residence in Howell, NJ. The homeowner had contacted Cowleys after a surprise run-in with two mice in the kitchen the night before. Since mice are nocturnal, if these is a mouse sighting, it is usually at night when they are doing their foraging. Mice are experts at staying hidden and you’ll usually find signs of mouse activity like droppings, nesting materials, and relocated food well before observing the rodents themselves. Also, mice don’t travel far from their nest and they are not loners. Mice live in groups known as a horde or mischief of mice, so if you see one or two, it’s a safe bet that there are quite a few others hiding in the wall voids or behind your kitchen appliances. 

I first checked the basement. Often, mice first gain entry through gaps and cracks around the foundation. The perimeter of he home appeared well sealed with no obvious entry points. Asking the homeowner, where he saw the mice running to before he lost sight of them, and he said they had scampered from a closet to underneath the refrigerator. Mice commonly nest underneath refrigerators because the area is well hidden and warm from the motor. Here, I moved the fridge to look behind and there were no openings in the wall behind. Next, I checked out the closet, and found a hole in the wall along with mice droppings in the area. When these mice weren’t foraging for food in the kitchen their home was a wall void that they accessed in the closet. 

I temporarily sealed the hole with chew-proof copper mesh until the homeowner could permanently have the hole patched. I also placed rodent stations in the closet, and for good measure, also put two rodent stations in the basement. Upon a closer exterior perimeter inspection, I found one potential crack that could have ben used to gain entry into the home. I also sealed this opening with copper mesh and also set up another rodent station nearby.  With these internal and external holes closed, the mice infestation should resolve. I told the homeowner to contact us if he saw any new signs of mouse activity, and we would be out there again for a follow-up.

Previously, we conducted a thorough inspection of a homeowners attic in Howell, NJ and reached the conclusion that it was under-insulated. We brought this to the homeowner's attention and, after thinking about for a little while, wanted Cowleys to add cellulose blown-in insulation in his attic. 

Blown-in cellulose insulation is used to fill the attic to the recommended insulation levels. The blanket of insulation will create a thermal barrier and help keep the home more comfortable and efficient. Cellulose also has higher R-value than other insulation and instantly improves home energy performance. Our cellulose insulation is treated with non-toxic borate, giving it the highest Class-1 fire safety rating and creating incredible resistance to mold and pests. Not only does cellulose insulation efficiently optimize energy-usage, but it is made primarily from recycled newspaper, making it the perfect choice for environmentally conscious property owners.

Once we arrived, we re-inspected the attic and then began adding approximately 10 inches of blown-in cellulose insulation. Now the home has an extra layer of insulation to prevent against heat loss.