Lanoka Harbor, NJ Pest Control Contractor & Attic Insulation Professional

A new customer purchased his first home in Lanoka Harbor, NJ and the first thing we wanted to do, was encapsulate his dirt floor crawl space. So he called our Crawl Space Division for help and we were sent out. 

The issue with the crawl space was that the humidity levels were high, it was full of debris, and the flooring was dirt. Dirt floor crawl spaces attract and absorb moisture. Once the dirt dries, it causes humidity levels to rise and can lead to other serious issues, like mold. So the first thing we did, was carefully remove all of the debris out of the crawl space and then dispose of it.  Next, we added a drainage matting, which is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over to the brand new SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump we installed.

The SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump protects the crawl space by combining an intelligent WaterWatch® alarm system. It's specially designed to prevent collected water from evaporating back out into the crawl space. Any water from a plumbing leak or sump failure must first pass by the alarm and will then drain down into the sump.

We also installed an UltraSump® battery backup sump pump. In the event of loss of power, the UltraSump® battery backup will automatically kick in and begin removing water from the basement, preventing a flood. The battery backup also comes with an alarm to alert the homeowner in case of power failure, sounding when the backup pump is running and silencing when power is restored.

Next, we installed a vapor barrier, which is a heavy-duty, 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with a polyester-cord reinforcement. By encapsulating the crawl space & installing the vapor barrier over the foundation walls and floor will create a continuous air and moisture barrier. The vapor barrier is extremely durable and is treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold. Finally, we installed a Sedona dehumidifier to control the humidity levels in the crawl space. This is a powerful, energy-efficient, commercial-grade dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run. Now the homeowners have a clean and healthy crawl space as well as an additional area in their home for storage!

As this homeowner in Lanoka Harbor, NJ, was heading to her mailbox she was greeted by several angry bald-faced hornet's! She quickly ran inside and gave Cowleys a call. Bald-faced hornets are one the most aggressive and territorial stinging insects out there! They have smooth stingers, which means they can sting you over and over again and can actually sense vibrations in the ground.

After equipping our protective bee suit, we inspected the area, and found the basketball sized hornets nest high up in a tree right above the mailbox!

So we grabbed our extendable pole, attached a knockdown liquid application to it, and injected it into the nest. After several moments, we also treated the nest with a knockdown aerosol application. Both of these treatments quickly exterminates the bald-faced hornets. Once they were eliminated, we removed the nest and properly disposed of it. 

Recently, we were sent out to the home of a new Home Protection Plan customer in Lanoka Harbor, NJ to handle a rat problem in her shed. As we inspected the area, we immediately found a large hole on the right side of the shed. Continuing our inspection, we found multiple rat burrows around the exterior of the shed. Turns out that the rats had chewed a hole in the shed and were devouring the plant seeds that the homeowner had stored in there. We advised the homeowner to put the seeds in an airtight glass container and then store them inside her home in a cool, dry place (preferably the fridge) to avoid any future rodent problems. She agreed and starting doing just that!

In the meantime, we installed several Ready-to-Use rodent bait stations near the hole in the shed, around the shed, and the exterior of the home. Next, we installed several snap traps that are inside temper-proof, child resistant boxes near the rat burrows. Lastly, we scheduled several follow-up visits to monitor the rat infestation, apply any additional treatments, and replenish the bait in the bait stations as needed.

During a routine treatment for a home in Lanoka Harbor, NJ, we noticed that one of the crawl space vents was badly damaged and fell off. This is yet another reason why routinely inspecting your property is important! If not taken care of immediately mice, rats, pests, or nuisance wildlife will utilize this opening and infest this home!

We spoke to the owner and mentioned several options to properly seal off this exposed vent. Since he was looking to encapsulate his crawl space anyway, he will call our office and schedule a free inspection with our Contracting Division.

Homeowners in Lanoka Harbor, NJ, contacted Cowleys to inspect and treat for a possible mouse infestation. According to the homeowners, they were gone for three months, and upon their return saw the tell-tale signs of rodent activity like droppings.

During my inspection, I found rodent droppings underneath the sofa in and around a box of photographs that was being stored underneath. However, these homeowners were not dealing with mice. There was an infestation of Norway rats, also called sewer rats. Norway rats, which are brown or grey, are larger and more aggressive than roof rats. Roof rats are more slender and have a much longer tail than Norway rats.

Since Norway rats are larger, their droppings are larger as well. Norway rat droppings can be up to 1/2 inch in length and are capsule-shaped with rounded ends. Roof rat droppings are smaller and have pointed ends like mouse droppings. Pest control technicians can often identify the type of infestation based on the appearance of the droppings and track marks. 

I moved the couch to get a closer look. These industrious rats were taking leaves from the indoor house plants to use as nesting materials underneath the sofa. For any rodent infestation, I inspect the home’s exterior perimeter to look for entry points. Usually, the rodents exploit pre-existing gaps and cracks like openings around pipes entering the home. However, here, the rats with their razor-sharp teeth and strong jaws chewed through wood to enter the home. 

To treat this infestation, I was especially careful to selectively apply product. The objective is to target only the pest and you want to make sure there is not possible inadvertent human contact or contact with pets. These homeowners had dogs. I also applied tracking powder to the pipe chases in the crawl space, which are a favorite route for rodents. With rodents, it is never a one and done treatment. I’ll be back for a two-week follow up to re-assess. I’m confident that this rat infestation will be quickly resolved.

Cowleys handles all of the pest control matters for many condominiums, senior communities, and other multi-unit housing throughout New Jersey. I was recently sent to a condominium community in Lanoka Harbor, NJ for which we perform all of the preventative pest control treatments in addition to resolving any active pest infestations faced by the homeowners. The property manager informed us that the owner of one of the the units was plagued by small army of ants roaming around garage. As I was heading there, I thought that this was a somewhat unusual ant infestation because these insects are attracted to those locations in a home like kitchens and bathrooms where there is water and moisture.

Upon arrival, I inspected the garage. I observed several ants exiting a small hole in the beam going across the garage. The homeowner also relayed to me a valuable piece of the puzzle: The A/C repairman who was doing routine servicing of all of the units told her that he had found large ant nest in her neighbor’s attic. Whenever dealing with an ant infestation, one of the key objectives is to locate the ant nest so that the queen and the rest of the colony can be eliminated. It saved me a lot of time to be told the general location of the ant nest. This was also an example of how, in attached multi-unit dwellings, an insect infestation can easily transfer from one unit to the next. Here, this unit shared a common wall with another unit on the right side.

While in the garage, I observed ants trading across a garage beam. It was clear that these ants were coming into this garage from the other unit because there was no ant activity to be found on the unit’s exterior. I treated along the beam with a non-repellent application that the ants are unable to detect. We purposely don’t want the ants to avoid the product because we want them to bring it back to the nest and share it with the other ants through feeding and grooming. This way, we use the ant’s social behavior in order to eliminate the entire colony.