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Hornet Infestation in Toms River, NJ

Hornet Infestation in Toms River, NJ

Before After
Hornet Infestation in Toms River, NJ Hornet Infestation in Toms River, NJ

Summer is not only a busy time for us, but for insects as well. This is time of year when many insects are most active. They are at their population peaks and working hard to expand their colonies. Hornets in particular rear their heads (and stingers!) in the summer. During the summer, we see hornets busily doing their construction work. They build their nests not only in trees, but often on man-made structures as well. We will find their perfect hexagonal chambers attached to soffits, inside garages, attics, on window sills and door frames, attached to exterior walls, and pretty much anywhere they can attach their nest “building materials.” Hornets make their own nesting material by mixing chewed-up wood pulp from tree bark mixed with their saliva, forming an enclosed nest around the comb where the queen lays her eggs.

Hornets nests can grow quite rapidly, with a surprising number of hornets living in what we would consider cramped quarters. Often, homeowners don’t even realize that they have a wasp infestation until the nest grows to a decent size, especially if the nest is formed in an area of the home or surrounding property that isn’t visited too often. Often, by the time a Cowleys tech is called out to the home, the nest has grown to the size of a melon. Once these guys get going building their nest, they mean business. Nest sizes can double in just a week!

These particular homeowners in Toms River, NJ called us after discovering a hornet's nest that was built, of all places, on the side of a raised playhouse in their yard. Fortunately, no one had yet been stung, but this was a potentially dangerous situation. Hornets usually don’t go out of their way to bother anyone. The problem is when someone unknowingly walks into the path of foraging wasps. With kids playing around this structure, there was a high risk of a swarm of wasps stinging children. This nest was not noticed immediately because it was built pretty high up on the playground— about twelve feet up a side wall of the structure. 

To treat this hornet infestation, I used an aerosol pyrethrin application attached to an extension pole to access the nest. After spraying, I waited for about 20 minutes for the application to take effect. This product immediately knocks down the wasp population, and after waiting, there were no more visible wasps swarming around the nest. Now, with a nest that was substantially inactive (of course, there could always be a few live wasps still hiding in the nest), I removed the nest with a scraper attached to the pole. I then bagged the nest to take it off the property. Finally, I treated the area where the nest was attached that would help prevent the Hornets from trying to reconstruct the nest. 

This type of stinging insect assignment is very satisfying to me. When finished, I knew that by removing this nest, I likely prevented some innocent kids from being attacked by a swarm of hornets just because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mice in Toms River, NJ

Mice in Toms River, NJ

Before After
Mice in Toms River, NJ Mice in Toms River, NJ

Recently, I was called out to help homeowners in Toms River, NJ, who were having a troublesome mouse infestation problem. As temperatures drop, rodents will seek to overwinter inside our warm houses to escape the harsh outdoor elements. Their very survival depends on it. The objective for a homeowner is to eliminate potential entry points into your home so they go elsewhere. Mice will find the tiniest gaps, cracks, and opening around the foundation to enter the basement or crawl space and once inside, they have no problems traveling through wall voids throughout the home, usually winding up in the kitchen foraging for food debris.

Conducting a careful exterior perimeter inspection, I determined how the mice were getting in. Mice only need an opening around the diameter of a dime, so you have to be systematic and methodical, inspecting every inch of the perimeter. Here, I found holes in the crawl space vents and access door as well as spaces in the garage door jambs (the trim around the perimeter of the garage door that helps keep out insects and small critters. Because this trim is exposed to the elements, they are susceptible to splitting, rotting or warping, creating an opening for pest entry. I sealed the openings with an expandable foam, and also set up some rodent bait traps in strategic locations. I set up a two-week follow up to re-inspect and check the bait in the traps to determine the level of rodent activity. With the access points blocked and traps set, this mouse infestation should be quickly resolved.

Company Awards
Cowleys Receives the Golden Osprey Award for Business Excellence
We are incredibly honored to receive the Golden Osprey Award from the Jersey Shore Chamber of Commerce for the Business... [Read more]
Cowleys Voted Best Places to Work in n NJ for a Second Year in a Row
We are honored to be named to the 2022 Best Places to Work in New Jersey list by NJBIZ magazine... [Read more]
Cowleys Wins Asbury Park Press's 2021 Best of the Best Community Choice Awards for Monmouth County!
Cowleys Services has been voted Monmouth County's BEST of the BEST 2021 Pest Control Provider by the Asbury Park Press!... [Read more]
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Pest Control & Extermination in Island Heights, NJ

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Pest Control & Home Repair Professional in Island Heights

Cowleys Pest Services is Island Heights, NJ's leading pest control and home repair contractor, offering a wide variety of services to keep your home healthy, efficient, and safe. We employ a customer-first philosophy when it comes to running our business, so you know you're getting only the best when you partner with us. We are committed to providing affordable, safe, and effective solutions for all your pest control and home repair needs.

Reliable services by Cowleys Pest Services:

  • Pest Control
  • Commercial Pest Services
  • Wildlife Removal
  • Bird Control Services
  • RainDrop Gutter Guards
  • Attic Insulation
  • Crawl Space Encapsulation
  • And more!

Ready to get started on your pest control or home repair project? Contact Cowleys Pest Services today at 1-848-233-3918 or click below to schedule a free, no-obligation estimate in Island Heights and nearby.

Trusted Pest Control Company Proudly Serving Island Heights

Have you been dealing with termites, cockroaches, or bed bugs in your Island Heights home? At Cowleys Pest Services, we understand how unsettling it can be to discover that you have a pest problem. That's why our team works quickly to resolve your pest problem, using only the best pest control solutions in the industry. We've been helping homeowners remove pests since 1991, so we have the experience, solutions, and determination to fix your problem once and for all.

Pests we treat:

  • Bed bugs
  • Ants
  • Bees & wasps
  • Cockroaches
  • Flies
  • Mosquitoes
  • Rodents
  • And more!

Island Heights Crawl Space Encapsulation Services

One way that pests can make their way into your home is through your crawl space. An unsealed crawl space also lets in moisture, leading to structural damage and mold and mildew growth. Structural damage results in uneven interior floors, which can become hazardous if not resolved. Mold and mildew growth can lead to increased asthma and allergy symptoms for you and your loved ones. Fortunately, Cowleys Pest Services offers a complete crawl space encapsulation system to keep your crawl space and the rest of your home dry, safe, structurally sound, and healthy.

Our crawl space encapsulation products:

  • Vapor barriers
  • Crawl space access doors
  • Crawl space insulation
  • Sump pumps
  • Dehumidifiers
  • Crawl space vent covers

Keep pests out and prevent structural damage with crawl space encapsulation by Cowleys Pest Services! Get in touch with us today at 1-848-233-3918 or fill out our online form to schedule a free crawl space encapsulation estimate in Island Heights and nearby.

Case Studies From Island Heights
Yellow
As this homeowner in Island Heights, NJ was sweeping her back porch, she heard some odd "buzzing" sounds behind her. When she turned around to...
Bed
Recently, I conducted a series of bed bug inspections in apartment units located in a senior-only apartment building in Toms River, NJ. Although bed...
Commercial
Recently, Cowleys was contacted by a landlord in Brielle, NJ to install a Sentricon termite baiting system. This system stops termites dead in their...
Job Stories From Island Heights, NJ
Yellow Jackets Found in the Flower Pot in Island Heights, NJ

This homeowner in Island Heights, NJ was tending to her garden on her back porch when she was suddenly attacked and stung several times by yellow jackets. Fortunately, the owner wasn't allergic to yellow jackets. After treating her wounds she called Cowleys for assistance and we were sent out. Yellow jackets are aggressive, territorial wasps, with distinctive yellow-and-black coloration. They're famous for their propensity to sting anyone and anything that comes too close to their nests or their food.

After equipping our protective bee suits, we began investigating the area. As we inspected the area, we noticed that the yellow jackets seemed to be hovering around a particular flower pot. So we took a closer look and found out that the yellow jackets had built a nest inside the flower pot! To get rid of these aggressive pests, we injected a knockdown dusting product and a knockdown liquid application.

Both of these treatments are designed to quickly neutralize the yellow jackets. After several moments went by, we disposed of the nest and, (with the owner's permission) the flower pot properly.

Yellow Jackets Found in the Flower Pot in Island Heights, NJ - Photo 1
Ants Are Swarming All Around the Rodent Bait Station in Island Heights, NJ

We returned to this home in Island Heights, NJ to check up on the mice activity. As we went to check on one of the rodent bait stations, we found a massive amount of ants all over it! We found even more ants inside the bait station as well. First, we placed an ant gel bait in several areas along the rodent bait station. Lastly, we applied a granular bait around this area and across the entire landscape. The ants go crazy for these baits and the worker ants are going to bring them back to their colony to share with the other ants and their queen. They have no idea that they're sharing treatments that will exterminate their entire colony in a short amount of time.

Ants Are Swarming All Around the Rodent Bait Station in Island Heights, NJ - Photo 1Ants Are Swarming All Around the Rodent Bait Station in Island Heights, NJ - Photo 2
Ants Trailing Along the Baseboards in Island Heights, NJ

A new client in Island Heights, NJ called our office after spotting a few ants in her sons bedroom. Once we arrived and inspected the bedroom, we found the ants trailing along the baseboards. With the owners permission, we pulled back the trim and found a large colony of ants hiding behind it! Turns out that there was a leak in one of the pipes behind the wall and all that moisture buildup attracted the ants to that area.

For treatment, we flushed the ants out of hiding with a knockdown aerosol application. Afterward, we treated the baseboards, cracks, and crevices with a liquid non-repellent. Next, we applied an ant gel bait directly to the ant trails in the bedroom. Lastly, we went outside and treated the entire exterior perimeter of the home with the liquid non-repellent. Once the worker ants come in contact with any of these treatments, they will bring them back to their nest and then transfer the products throughout their colony. They'll do that by feeding one another, grooming one another, or eating their own dead.

A short while later, the ants will be exterminated. Once they're gone, the homeowner can repair the leaky pipe behind the wall. 

Ants Trailing Along the Baseboards in Island Heights, NJ - Photo 1
European Hornet Set Up Inside Bird House in Island Heights, NJ

We received a phone call from a frantic homeowner in Island Heights, NJ who was having an issue with hornets in the backyard. Moments before she called our office, her son and dog were stung by these hornets. We were sent out to inspect and treat.

Once we arrived, we were shown the area of concern, which was bird house in one of the trees. When we examined these pests, we identified them as European hornets. European hornets are much larger than yellow jackets and, unlike most stinging insects, can be active at night. Their bodies are brown with yellow stripes on their abdomens. They have pale faces, two pairs of wings, and six legs.

First, we treated the nest with a knockdown aerosol application and then a knockdown liquid application. Both of these treatments exterminate the European hornets almost immediately. Shortly after, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and treated the area with a residual product to prevent the European hornets from constructing a new nest.

 

European Hornet Set Up Inside Bird House in Island Heights, NJ - Photo 1