Pest Control Contractor & Exterminators in Plainsboro, NJ

As this homeowner in Plainsboro, NJ, was mowing his lawn one warm and sunny afternoon, he came across a horrific and strong smelling odor on the right side of his home. Afraid that he might have a skunk living underneath his home, and since he had previously used Cowleys for a carpenter bee service, he called our Little Rascals Nuisance Wildlife division for help and we were sent out. 

As we investigated the exterior of the home, we came a large burrow that was underneath the foundation of the home. As we got closer, we were smacked in the face with a horrible smell. Turns out that this was a skunk burrow and there was indeed a skunk residing underneath the home! First, we installed our positive set directly over the burrow and set up several baited devices nearby. A positive set consists of a nose cone that will safely guide the skunk into a two-gaited heavy-duty device.

Next, we dug approximately 10 inches down into the ground and then dug 10 inches out from the home. Afterward, we installed our hardware cloth, folded it into an L-shape, secured it along the entire exterior perimeter of the home, and then filled the hole back up. Skunks prefer to burrow at a 45-degree angle. So when they try to burrow along the home, they will come in contact with that hardware cloth and be deterred from the area.

Once we safely retrieve the skunk we will relocate it to a new humane environment, fill in the burrow, and install hardware cloth over the access point.

As this homeowner in Plainsboro, NJ, was mowing his lawn one sunny afternoon, he was suddenly attacked by a group of yellow jackets! Good thing he wasn't allergic to them! He immediately ran inside and called Cowleys for help!

As we inspected the backyard, we spotted the yellow jackets coming from the ground a few feet from railroad ties in the front yard. We took a closer look and discovered that they had an in-ground nest! No wonder the owner never saw them! For treatment, we injected a knockdown dusting and a knockdown aerosol application directly into the nest, which will rapidly exterminate the yellow jackets. A few moments later, we dug up the nest, properly disposed of it, and then filled in the burrow.

During a Home Protection Plan service for a new customer in Plainsboro, NJ, we spotted multiple ant hills throughout the landscape of the property. In order to eliminate the ants, we treated the entire landscape with a granular bait. Afterward, we treated the ant hills along the driveway and the along the exterior of the home with a liquid non-repellant. The worker ants will come in contact with either of these products and bring them back to their nest.

The worker ants will then transfer the treatments to the other ants in their colony and their reproductive queen. A short while later, the ants will be exterminated. 

Recently, we were sent out to a home in Plainsboro, NJ to handle a severe bed bug infestation in one of the bed rooms. Once we arrived and inspected the area, we found bed bugs all over the walls, in the mattress, and even on all the packages! The infestation was so bad that approximately 90% of the items in the bedroom had to be removed and disposed of. 

First, we vacuumed up all the live bed bugs and their eggs throughout the room. Next, we treated the baseboards, bed frame, and the surrounding areas with a bio-pesticide application. This product creates a barrier that infects and exterminates the bed bugs over a short period of time. At the owners request, we treated the other bedrooms in the home with the bio-pesticide application.

Once we finished, we treated every outlet throughout the bedrooms and the hallway with a residual dusting product. This treatment eradicates bed bugs of all life stages, sex, and feeding status within a short amount of time. Lastly, we scheduled several follow-up visits to monitor the infestation and apply any additional treatments if necessary.

A new customer in Plainsboro, NJ noticed a few "flying ants" in her basement and wanted them eliminated, so she called our office for help. As soon as we identified these insects, we quickly realized that these weren't flying ants, but termites! What's worse is that we found several active termite mud tubes around the beams in the basement. 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 followed one of the termite mud tubes that led to underneath the basement stairs. After removing about 30 boxes from the area, we found a MASSIVE termite swarm! There must have been thousand of termites in that area. We showed the owners who immediately signed up for one of our Home Protection Plans. For treatment, the first thing we did was inject a foaming termiticide into the wooden beams in the stairs and in several walls around the basement. Afterward, since termites live beneath the soil, we drilled into the floor of the basement and into the concrete around the home in order to inject our liquid termiticide.

Both the foaming and liquid termiticide will bind to the treated area and create a protective zone that the termites can't detect. They 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. Once we finished, we plugged and filled each drill hole we made.

Next, we drilled around the exterior perimeter of the home and installed Sentricon® termite bait stations. When the termites come in contact with the Sentricon® bait system, they eat the cellulose material, unknowingly consuming an insect growth inhibitor. The termites then go on to share this "food" with their colony members. The growth inhibitor then takes over and prevents the termites from being able to molt. If they cannot molt, then the colony is eliminated. Now the home is protected from termites for many years to come!

Homeowners in Plainsboro found termite damage on a section of sheetrock (drywall) inside their garage. While most everyone knows that termites devour wood, many are surprised to learn that termites can also damage processed building materials. One of the most common materials destroyed by termites is sheetrock. Sheetrock is a plasterboard made of gypsum sandwiched between two sheets of heavy paper. Gypsum is a soft mineral that is used as a fertilizer and as a primary material in sheetrock and other building products. While termites do not eat gypsum, as this homeowner found out, they easily destroy sheetrock by eating its “edible” paper coating. 

Termites infesting a home can potentially eat and destroy any material made of cellulose. What’s cellulose? It’s an organic fiber that is a type of carbohydrate. Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It’s what  gives wood its remarkable strength. Because of its strength and durability, we use wood to build many of our long-lasting structures, including homes, that are still standing, even after more than a century. 

Humans don’t have the enzymes to digest the cellulose. For us, it’s just an  undigestible fiber that helps keep our digestive tract flowing smoothly. However, many other animals can digest cellulose. For example, cows, horses, and many other animals eat grasses and plants. However, none of these animals holds a candle to termites. These insects are the true kings of cellulose digestion. They not only eat wood (whether it’s a dead tree stump or the plywood used to build a home), but also any processed materials containing cellulose. Termites will eat and destroy a variety of cellulose-containing materials that bear no resemblance to anything that was once living. We’ve seen termite damage to carpet, insulation, cardboard, fabric, and, as this homeowner learned the hard way, sheetrock paper. 

Unfortunately, termites typically damage walls form the inside out and visible wood damage is a late sign of termite trouble. Earlier signs, such as mud tubes built by termites where they enter the home, are subtle. Often, they are only observed by a licensed termite expert during a termite inspection. It’s important to periodically have your home inspected for termites, not just when you require to have one in order to sell your home. By then, you may have already suffered significant hidden damage. Also, many homeowners proactively protect their home against termite damage by installing a Sentricon termite protection system.