Pest Control Service Company in Parlin, NJ

A new customer in Parlin, NJ, called our office after noticing some rodent droppings in his attic. Once we arrived and inspected the property, we determined that it was mice that infested the home. We also discovered a wide gap around the A/C utility line on the exterior of the home and two gaps around the utility pipes that led into the attic. This was how the mice were infesting the home!

First, we carefully cleaned up all the rodent droppings. Next, we installed several rodent bait stations in the attic and around the exterior of the home. Once that was completed, we stuffed each opening on the exterior and interior of the home with Xcluder™ Fill Fabric and then sealed them with a premium, waterproof adhesive. Xcluder™ Fill Fabric is made from a blend of coarse stainless steel and poly fibers to form a highly resilient and impenetrable barrier against rodents and pests. 

Lastly, we scheduled several follow up inspections to replenish the bait in the bait stations and monitor the mice activity. 

As this homeowner in Parlin, NJ, was cleaning off his children's swing set, we spotted a HUGE hornets nest about 15 feet above the swing set. The homeowner never spotted it before because it was cleverly hidden in the branches. He heard about Cowleys from his neighbor, gave us a call, and we were sent out!

As soon as we spotted the nest, we quickly identified them as bald-faced hornets. Judging by the size of the nest, there were hundreds of angry and territorial insects inside. 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. They build paper nests at least three or more feet off of the ground, usually in trees, shrubs, overhangs, houses, or other structures.

For treatment, we grabbed our extendable pole, attached a knockdown aerosol application to it, and then injected the product into the nest. This application will exterminate the bald-faced hornets almost immediately. Once they were gone we removed the nest, as well as the branch it was attached to, and properly disposed of them.

As we were treating the home of a new Home Protection Plan client in Parlin, NJ, we noticed something unusual near the back fence - several rat burrows! Rats create these burrows to travel from their nest to a food source and to escape predators. Rat burrows usually contain a main entrance and 1 or 2 exit holes away from the main entrance.

For treatment, we installed several Ready-to-Use rodent bait stations near each of the burrows. Next, we installed several snap traps that are inside temper-proof, child resistant boxes near the burrows. Lastly, we scheduled several follow-up visits to monitor the rat infestation, apply any additional treatments, and replenish the bait as needed. 

One of our home protection plan customers in Parlin, NJ reported a mouse problem in her basement. Home protection plan customers benefit by periodic preventative treatments throughout the year. In addition, the homeowner can always call us for a pest control technician to come out and take care of any covered insect and rodent infestations as part of the service. 

I was dispatched to take care of her mouse problem, and was able to get there that day. Mice are persistent and this was not the first time that these little rodents managed to find their way inside her home. I conducted a perimeter inspection to determine where the mice were entering the home and sealed the point of entry. I also replenished the bait in the rodent bait boxes. It may take a few days, but I’m confident that this homeowner will not be seeing or hearing any more mice scurrying about in her basement. 

While at her home, the homeowner let me know that she also had large bees swarming around the home and her mailbox. She was especially concerned about bees around her mailbox because she was afraid of being stung every time she went to get her mail. She also did not want the mailman to risk being stung when delivering her mail. 

Upon inspection, I observed gallery holes consistent with a carpenter bee infestation. Carpenter bees are wood-destroying insects, but unlike termites do not actually eat wood. As their name implies, they bore holes into wood. More specifically, it’s the females that do the boring. They tunnel into wood to lay their eggs. Common nesting sites are fascia boards, eaves, window trim, deck posts and rails as well as outdoor sheds and outdoor wooden furniture. Carpenter bees holes look as through they have been drilled with a 1/2 inch drill bit.

I applied a residual insecticide dust to the gallery holes that I could find outside the home. This method, while more time-consuming than spraying, is highly effective for eliminating the female from the gallery. With the female out of the picture, the nest will soon die. As a bonus, the dust kills the male bee as well. Even though the male does not do the wood boring, he goes into the gallery at night when temperatures drop, and would be exposed to the dust at that time. Finally, the dust has a long residual effect, which is so important with insect infestations. Once the larvae mature into bees, they will be killed as well. The dust will patiently wait for them.

Next, I ventured out to the mailbox. There was an active infestation with carpenter bees were swarming around. It was easy to see why this homeowner was afraid to get her mail with bugs circling about!

I found several carpenter bee holes bored into the old support post of the mailbox. Since there were only a few bored holes bored holes, I decided to use the same treatment that I did for the home — an insecticide dust. Because of its excellent residual properties (that is, it continues to work for a long time after it is applied), I like to use the dust whenever I can. Spraying works well when there are many galleries. However, to me, , when there are a limited number of holes, the dust treatment has the advantage of pinpointing the treatment areas and making sure that the female bees and the larvae are killed. By killing multiple generations of insects, you know that the infestation will be resolved for good.

Shortly after dusting the holes, I also noticed ants swarming out on the post covered with dust. This dust will also kill the ants. So, I was able to effectively treat for two insect pests at the same time. This would be a good time to change the expression “killing two birds with one stone” to “killing two insects with one application!”

The homeowner was pleased that I was able to resolve three different infestations — mice, carpenter bees, and ants — during one visit. She was also happy that she could now pick up her mail from her mailbox without worrying about being stung. I’m also glad that I could help the mailman — he should now be able to deliver the mail without worrying about being attacked by stinging insects. 

About a year ago Cowleys installed Sentricon termite bait stations for a Parlin homeowner. Sentricon is the premier termite colony elimination system that leverages termite biology and behavior against them. The bait stations contain cellulose bait treated with an insect growth regular that prevents molting. The worker termites bring the tainted bait back to share with the colony. The termites, unable to molt, die, and soon the entire colony is eliminated. 

We inspect these bait stations annually to clean them out, make sure they are in good working order, and check that there is still bait and that the bait is still in good shape, ready to attract termites. When inspecting this station, I observed termites actively feeding on the bait. Since the homeowner happened to be there, I showed this to him. This homeowner was fascinated to see the Sentricon system in action. He commented that it was a whole lot better to see termites feeding on the bait rather than eating the wood in his home. I couldn’t agree more! 

I look at a Sentricon bait station installation as an underground protective moat for homeowners, giving them peace of mind from termite damage. Bait stations do a great job luring termites away from homes. Sentricon helps prevent the significant property damage that can be caused by these wood-devouring insects.