Red Bank, NJ Bird, Wildlife & Pest Control Services

This restaurant in Tinton Falls, NJ had a massive infestation of dark-eyed fruit flies in the kitchen and trash room. Dark-eyed fruit flies breed around areas where organic matter can be found. 

As we closely inspected these areas, we found several sanitation issues. A number of the floor drains were full of food debris, there was a buildup of grease on several pieces of equipment, there was a bucket full of dirty rags in the corner of the kitchen, and floor drain the trash room was clogged and full of dirty liquids. We spoke to the owner and mentioned a few, simple sanitation protocols that will prevent fruit flies, as well as any other pests, from infesting his business. He and his crew immediately began cleaning the areas of concern and removing all the dirty items. Once the contaminated items are removed, so will the fruit flies.

In the meantime, we applied a liquid application in all the floor drains and then scrubbed them out with our heavy-duty scrubbing brush. This will remove the bad bacteria in the drains, which is what the fruit flies breed in. Next, we applied a bio-foam solution that removes the organic build-up, odors, and scum in the drains. Lastly, we treated the high infestation areas with a fly bait to control the adult fruit flies and installed several fruit fly traps. The attractant in the traps draws the fruit flies close and the bait inside the traps exterminates them within moments of contact. In a short while, the fruit flies will be neutralized for good.

After several customers were attacked and stung by yellow jackets, this business owner in Tinton Falls, NJ called our office for help and we were sent out. As soon as we inspected the business, we located the yellow jackets nest on the gutter line right above the front door.

To reach it, we grabbed our extendable pole, attached a knockdown dusting application to it, and then injected it directly into the yellow jacket nest. This treatment will neutralize the yellow jackets quickly. After some time had passed, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and then applied a liquid residual to the area. This will eliminate any yellow jackets that return to the gutter line and prevent them, and any other stinging insects, from building another nest. 

During a summer service of a new Home Protection Plan customer's property in Tinton Falls, NJ, we noticed some wasps flying around the top of the chimney. We equipped our protective bee suit and carefully climbed to roof to investigate. As we took a closer look, we were able to identify the wasps as yellow jackets. Turns out that the yellow jackets were nesting in a small crack in the chimney.

In order to eliminate them, we injected a knockdown dusting and a knockdown liquid application into the cracks of the chimney. Both of these treatments are going to quickly neutralize the yellow jackets. After a few moments went by, we then applied a liquid residual to the chimney. This will eliminate any yellow jackets that may return to this area as well as prevent them, and any other stinging insects, from building another nest. 

As we were servicing this property in Tinton Falls, NJ, we found an active bald-faced hornets nest expertly hidden in a tree back by the fence. We informed the homeowner who had no idea that the nest was even there! It’s good thing we found it because the owner is HIGHLY allergic to bee stings!

We injected a knockdown aerosol and a knockdown liquid application into the nest. Both of these treatments will quickly exterminate the bald-faced hornets. A short while later, we removed the nest and dispose of it.

The owner of a daycare in Tinton Falls, NJ, called our Pest Control Division after several of the children accidentally disturbed a hornets nest that was hidden in the bushes near the fence line. Luckily, the children weren't allergic to bee stings. We were immediately sent out to eliminate these pests.

As we examined the hornets nest, we identified these stinging insects as bald-faced hornets. Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellow jackets. They are EXTREMELY aggressive and will not hesitate to sting anything that invades their space. Their stings carry venom that makes the stings hurt, itch, and swell for about 24 hours. What makes them even scarier is they have smooth stingers, which means they can sting over and over again, can actually sense vibrations in the air, and remember their invader's face!

To exterminate these pests, we injected a knockdown liquid and a knockdown aerosol application directly into the nest. Both of these products rapidly neutralize the bald-faced hornets. After a short while we removed the nest and disposed of it properly.

A property manager of a community in Red Bank, NJ, called our office after several of the residents called and complained to management about seeing a large number of wasps flying around the landscape and the sidewalk near the front of the building. Once we arrived, we several a large number of burrows throughout the property. As we took a closer look, we identified these pests as cicada killer wasps. 

Cicada killers are large wasps, approximately 2 inches in size, and get their name from killing cicadas in order to reproduce their larvae. The adult female will paralyze the cicada with her stinger, carry the cicada back to their burrow, and lay her eggs under the left or right second leg of the cicada. The eggs then hatch and the larvae begin to eat the cicada while it is paralyzed.

Cicada killer wasps choose to nest in well-drained, light-textured soils that are in full sunlight. During the burrowing process, female cicada killers can displace several pounds of dirt making a big mess and damaging the roots of plants. Cicada killers may look terrifying, but there's no need to worry because, unless they're grasped roughly or stepped on with bare feet, they aren't aggressive. For treatment, we injected a residual dusting product into every single cicada killer burrow. This treatment will rapidly exterminate the cicada killer wasps.

As this homeowner in Tinton Falls, NJ, was trimming the bushes outside of her home, she found an active hornets nest on the back window! Since she is a Home Protection Plan client, she called our office and we were sent out to inspect and treat. Once we started inspecting the area and get a better look at these stinging insects, we identified them as bald-faced hornets.

Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellow jackets and are EXTREMELY aggressive! They won't hesitate to sting anything that invades their space. What makes them even scarier is they have smooth stingers, which means they can sting over and over again, can actually sense vibrations in the air, and remember their invader's face!

For treatment, we injected a knockdown aerosol and a knockdown liquid application directly into the nest. Both of these treatments exterminate the bald-faced hornets almost immediately. A short while later, we removed the nest and properly disposed of it.

After noticing that the wooden trim board in his garage appeared to be damaged by termites, this property owner called our office for help. Once we arrived and take a closer look, we found active subterranean termites and their mud tubes, not just in the wooden trim board, but throughout the garage! Mud tubes are pencil-width size tubes made by the worker termites that the termites use to travel to and from their nest when foraging for food. We informed the owner and went right to work!

For treatment, we drilled into the walls and wooden trim board in the garage and injected a foaming termiticide. Next, we drilled around the entire exterior of the property, as well as in & around the garage, and injected a liquid termiticide. The termiticide binds to the treated area and creates a protective zone that the termites can't detect. The termites will come in contact with the termiticide as they go about their normal routines and transfer it throughout their colony. In a short amount of time, the termites are exterminated!

An elderly homeowner in Tinton Falls, NJ has been dealing with an infestation of mice in her home for years. One day, she decided that enough is enough and called Cowley for help. As we began our inspection, we found a large buildup of mice droppings underneath the dishwasher, behind the fridge, and inside the cabinet beneath the kitchen sink. First, we carefully vacuumed up the droppings and then installed several rodent bait stations throughout the kitchen, the two adjacent rooms, and along the exterior of the home. Next, we stuffed every potential opening with chew proof stainless steel mesh and then sealed them with a premium adhesive. Lastly, we scheduled several follow up visits to monitor the infestation and replenish the bait stations as needed.

As this homeowner in Tinton Falls, NJ was doing her laundry, she was attacked by several yellow jackets as she soon as she opened up her dryer! She slammed the door and called Cowleys for help!  

After speaking with the owner, we suspected that the yellow jackets were getting inside the home through the external exhaust vent, so that's where we checked! Within minutes, we saw several yellow jackets flying around the vent. Although the vent was exposed, the yellow jackets were actually using the screw hole to enter the home!

First, we applied a knockdown aerosol application to quickly exterminate the yellow jackets. Afterward, we treated all the cracks and crevices with a knockdown residual dusting product. This treatment eliminates the yellow jackets and prevents them from returning and building a nest. Once the yellow jackets are gone, the owner will exclude the exhaust vent on his own.

One day property manager of a community in Tinton Falls, NJ noticed a squirrel was going in and out of the roof of one of the units, so he called Little Rascals for help.

When we arrived, we inspected the area and immediately noticed a chewed-out hole in the fascia board. As we took a closer look, we found squirrel hair stuck in the opening, confirming our suspicions that this was how the squirrels were infesting the building. In order to safely remove the squirrels from the property, we installed a one-way directly over the access point and set up several baited devices nearby. A one-way device is designed to allow the squirrels to safely leave the area but prevent them from getting back in. 

A short while later, we safely removed all the squirrels from the property, disinfected the attic area, installed sturdy metal flashing over the access point to prevent reinfestation, and relocated them to a new, humane environment.

We were sent out on a service call for a new commercial account, a restaurant in Red Bank, NJ. Both the owner and several customers have spotted a raccoon traveling along the awning’s framework.  Once we arrived and began inspecting, we found the main access point located in the corner of the ceiling right above an outdoor seating area. 

Raccoons are about 2-3 feet long with stocky, round bodies that are covered in salt-and-pepper colored fur. They are known best for the “black mask” of fur around their eyes. Not all raccoons have rabies, however, raccoons are major hosts of rabies in the U.S. Raccoons are omnivores, meaning they will eat both plants and other animals and prefer to live/reside near a water source. In addition to rabies, there are other harmful diseases that raccoons can carry, including raccoon roundworm, which is an intestinal parasite. 

This type of situation is rather difficult because we can’t set traps anywhere near the access. We tried trapping it in a few different locations in its path but to no avail. So eviction is our only option. A one-way device was set over the access and then taped the end of the device. A one-way device will allow the raccoon to safely leave the attic and prevent it from getting back in. The aluminum tape helps us monitor the raccoon activity. If the tape breaks, we know the animal came out. In a short amount of time, the raccoon was safely evicted from the restaurant and we properly sealed up the access area to prevent future intrusions. 

Recently, during an inspection of the back storage room of a food store in Red Bank, NJ I found two dead mice in a “tin cat” mouse trap, a low profile baited trap that has the capacity, according to the manufacturer, of catching and containing up to 30 mice.  

I wanted to identify possible nearby entry points into the store. After further inspection, just three feet away, I saw that the back door had an opening not he bottom of at least 1/2 inch. This gap was more than enough for rat to gain entry let alone a tiny mouse. I showed the gap to the manager and informed him that he needed to door sweep on the bottom of the door to block rodents and other pests from gaining entry. from coming inside. Door sweeps also provide a weatherproof seal that prevents drafts from coming in under the door — a nice feature during these cold winter months! 

The manager asked me to purchase a door sweep for the store and install it for him. I was happy to do so, and I’ll return shortly. With any rodent infestation, it is critical to identify and seal and potential access points. Otherwise, there is always the risk of a re-infestation, especially when temperatures drop and mice are looking for warm shelter. 

I was called out to a Red Bank residence. The homeowner had called Cowleys after seeing a "pile of wood shavings on the porch" that she correctly suspected was caused by insects. Sure enough, as I was walking up the porch stairs while inspecting the property, I observed a large pile of “sawdust” wood shavings under the railing. I immediately recognized this as carpenter bee frass, the tell-tail sign of carpenter bees. This material collects below any holes where the bees have been boring into the wood.

Carpenter bees are large bees that resemble bumble bees in both size and appearance. Upon closer inspection (which generally isn’t such a good idea!), carpenter bees have smooth shiny black abdomens while bumble bees are fuzzy all over. Also, carpenter bees are not social insects. Carpenter bees nest alone while bumble bees live in small colonies. For homeowners, the most important difference is that carpenter bees cause property damage. These wood-destroying insects bore holes into wood to construct their nests. Unlike termites, they do not actually eat the wood. Rather, the female carpenter bees hollow out holes approximately 1/2 inch in diameter and bore out tunnels, usually at a 90 degree angle to the entrance. Once the tunnels are excavated, nests are made with pollen to feed the developing larvae.

If the insect infestation is not stopped, these bees tend to reuse the same tunnels year after year, continuing to extend the damage into the wood. Over time, this tunneling weakens the wood not only because of the drilled holes, but also because of accompanying wood rot due to rainwater entering the entrance holes. The male carpenter bee, which is unable to sting, is most often noticed hovering around the entrance hole.

I treated the bee burrows on this Red Bank patio with an application that quickly resolved the infestation. After, I caulked the holes so they would not be reused. The homeowner was grateful that I was able to resolve her problem so quickly. Even though the female bees rarely sting, no one likes buzzing bees flying around. Also, it is important to resolve carpenter bee infestations to ward off wood damage because of their nesting behaviors.

This formidable opponent is back!! This Red Bank home owner experienced natures clear warning that “You have termites in your house!!” Termite colony's swarm to expand their colonies into new colonies. Maybe you've experienced this before. Have you ever seen the classic Alfred Hitchcock film " the birds"?? Well a termite swarm can be a scaled down version of that. As they emerge from their swarm castle they find a mate to create more termites with, in doing so they discard their wings. And often times, homeowners will find discarded wings all over their foyer, or near a window. As these are not your "worker " termites. They are a clear indication that those little albino looking  buggers are certainly close, and more importantly; they are doing damage to your largest investment. 

When I arrived to the home, I found discarded wings and crawling swarmer termites all about the foyer. This particular homeowner already knew what may be happening to his largest investment. His Home!! While being moderately aware of the damage that is occurring, he was unaware of what his treatment options were. Or that he actually had, options. 

He was concerned about drilling his newly installed paver patio. He also didn't like the idea of gallons of pesticides be injected into the soil around his home. As this is an effective method, he was just a bit uncomfortable with that approach. 

This customer is the proud new owner of the Sentricon® baiting system by Dow agriscience.. Termites relentless search for food (wood) keeps going even after finding wood, and when the Sentricon® baiting system "always active" is found by the foraging termites. It's then ingested by the foraging termite and brought back to the colony. This is then fed to the rest of the termite colony by regurgitation. Delivering a lethal dose of the active ingredient to the colony.   

Henceforth this homeowner can relax knowing that his home will be termite free..

Today I found several bed bugs nesting behind the outlet covers in a bedroom. Seems like an odd spot but once you learn about bed bugs habits you will realize why they make a great hiding spot. Bed bugs love to have pressure on their back and stomachs when resting. It makes them feel secure and safe.

Signs of bed bugs include black spots near where they nest. Here, we saw black spots the outlet covers. After I discovered the visual droppings, I unscrewed the outlet cover and found several live bugs nesting.

When treating around electricity you need to be extremely careful and cautious of electrical current. I vacuumed the outlet, then I applied a thin layer of dust around the box and sealed the cover back up.

Always be on the lookout for black specks and call a professional if you are concerned that you have bed bugs.