Pests We Treat - Delayed home maintenance in Red Bank, NJ leads to pests.

Recently, I was sent to a home in Red Bank, NJ after Cowleys had received a call from a new homeowner who had found both carpenter ant and mouse activity in his newly purchased home. He was planning on extensively renovating the home, but in the interim, he wanted the property completely serviced for pest activity. He wanted his new home to start out completely pest-free and who could blame him! 

These infestations were a prime example of how neglected home maintenance can often lead to pest problems. While treating the exterior perimeter of the home, I found several window sills that were water-rotted from years of exposure to the outdoor elements that were never repaired. Carpenter ants seek out soft, moist, water-damaged wood because it is easy for them to build their galleries and lay their eggs. Also, the holes from the carpenter ants further weaken the wood by allowing in more seepage. And with carpenter ants, it just gets worse year after year. As their colonies grow, they expand their galleries, eating and regurgitating more wood. Although carpenter ants do not actually consume the wood like termites, their nesting activities can still cause plenty of property damage. The homeowner was well aware of the carpenter any activity from the inspection report and was planning on replacing the sills as part of the renovation, but still wanted the ant activity resolved before starting. 

While examining the windowsills, I actually saw a peanut stuck in a crevice along the sill! Apparently, either a mouse or squirrel lodged the peanut in their for safekeeping. Finding a hidden stash of food or food “magically” relocated to an area of the home is a good indicator of rodent or wildlife activity. Here, all of the basement windows were in poor condition and their were plenty of openings that would give mice or even rats easy access into the home. It was a good thing all of this was going to be fixed. I advised the homeowner that I would be setting up rodent bait stations along the home’s exterior perimeter. These stations attract the mice with their bait and eliminate them before gaining access to the home. Once the bait is eaten, it doesn’t take long for the mice to meet their demise.  

The new homeowner was extremely grateful that this ant and rodent activity was resolved. He was anxious to begin the process of renovating this property into his dream home and did not want any ants or mice hampering the project. We were happy to help him start his renovations with a “blank slate” as far as pests are concerned. Also, this homeowner will be using Cowleys for preventative servicing through a homeowner protection plan to keep his home pest-free for years to come.