Residential and Commercial Exterminators in Sewaren, NJ

As this homeowner in Sewaren, NJ, was getting ready to leave for work, he noticed that a portion of his soffit was missing. As he took a closer look at it, a squirrel ran right out! He immediately searched for a reputable nuisance wildlife removal company, found Little Rascals by Cowleys, and gave us a call. We were sent out to inspect and retrieve these nuisance squirrels. 

Since we knew exactly and how the squirrel was getting into the home, we immediately installed our retrieval devices. We temporarily enclosed the area off with hardware cloth and installed a one-way device over the main access point. The one-way device will allow the squirrel to safely leave the area, but is designed to prevent it from getting back in the same way. We also installed several baited devices close by. 

Once we safely retrieve the squirrel, we're going to relocate it to a new, humane location, disinfect the attic, and installed sturdy metal flashing over the main access point in the soffit.

I was dispatched to a customer's home in Sewaren, NJ for a routine spring visit that is included with our home protection plan. Homeowners who are enrolled in our residential service plan receive three check-up visits per year where a pest control technician conducts an inspection and performs a preventative perimeter treatment. Homeowners are often unaware of insect or rodent activity, so these visits can make all the difference in nipping these problems in the bud before they get worse. In addition to these monitoring visits, the homeowner has unlimited visits for any pests covered under the service agreement. 

Upon arrival, I asked the customer if he was aware of any activity or signs of activity inside the home. He did not see anything amiss and thought everything was fine. As often happens during these visits, I found a pest problem — rodents! While inspecting the home’s exterior, I discovered a rodent burrow under the foundation to left of the front door. There are numerous animals that dig burrows (tunnels) to move from place to place while escaping detection and to use as a cozy home. Typical burrowing rodents found around homes include meadow voles, moles, chipmunks, ground squirrels, deer mice, and rats. The holes leading down to the burrows are usually 2 to 3 inches in diameter. 

I went ahead and completed the regular servicing around the home’s exterior before addressing the burrow problem. A good way to tell if a burrow is still active is to stuff something inside it and check the following day as to whether it has been removed. 

I didn’t want to take any chances, so I treated the burrow while I was there by dusting it with a toxic tracking powder. If a rodent traverses through the burrow, it will pick up the powder on its fur. Later, when the rodent later grooms itself, it will ingest a lethal dose of the powder. I also filled in the burrow to prevent a non-target animal from picking up the powder. If a burrow is still active, rodents will clear out the tunnel again, and when doing so, will pick up the powder that is mixed in with the dirt. in addition to the burrow dusting, I set up a low profile (LP) bait box nearby the burrow that will control other rodents that may be in the area.

I’m confident that this treatment will successfully get rid of this rodent infestation around the home’s exterior. Fortunately, there was no indication that the rodents had yet accessed the inside of the home. I told the homeowner what activity I had found and how I treated the problem. I told him to immediately contact Cowleys if he saw signs of rodent activity in or around his home, and that I’d be back to check on things.

This particular job shows the value of pest home protection plans. During a routine visit, I found and treated a rodent infestation that was unknown to the homeowner, and took care of the problem before these disease-carrying animals found a way to gain entry inside the home.