Photo Album: Raccoon clean up in Spring Lake, NJ

Recently, homeowners in Spring Lake, NJ had a raccoon infestation in their attic. Our nuisance wildlife division successfully trapped and relocated the trespassing animals. However, as often happens, after a wildlife infestation,  there was substantial damage in the attic arising from the infestation. A two-man crew from Cowleys contractor division was called in for the clean-up. Wildlife droppings are toxic hazardous materials that contain many pathogens. It is especially dangerous in small, enclosed areas.  This particular home had a Cape-style attic with only about three feet of space below the roof, and most of the attic space was occupied by a main HVAC duct running through the length of it. Since it was impossible to gain direct entry into the attic, we had to gain access by removing the ceiling sheetrock. Once we could observe and reach into the attic, we carefully removed the contaminated insulation and sanitized and deodorized the entire area. Unfortunately, the raccoons had damaged the HVAC lines and we were concerned about electrical issues and the potential of a fire hazard. The homeowners will be retaining an electrician to repair that damage.  Once those wiring repairs are made, we’ll return to re-insulate the attic with our TAP (Thermal-Acoustical-Pest Control) cellulose blown-in insulation. This highly effective insulation has a great R-value and, unlike most insulation on the market, offers a pest control component. The paper fibers are treated with a borate solution that, while harmless to people, pets, and any mammals, is an effective protective barrier for many types of insects.