Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

During a regular treatment service of this customers home in Colonia, NJ, we spotted the beginning of a wasp nest on the soffit, right next to the back door. As we closely inspected these stinging insects, we were able to identify them as paper wasps. Paper wasps received their name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. They are semi-social stinging insects that usually have brown bodies with yellow or reddish markings. A sting from a paper wasp can be extremely painful and can cause allergic reactions in some people.

For treatment, we grabbed our extendable pole, attached an aerosol product to it, and liberally treated the nest. This product rapidly neutralizes the paper wasps. Moments later, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and then applied a liquid residual application to the soffit. This will prevent the paper wasps, as well as other stinging insects, from returning to this area and build another nest.

A homeowner in Keasbey contacted Cowleys after hearing strange wildlife scratching and scurrying noises in her basement and inside her wall voids. Mice use wall voids to travel unseen inside a home when foraging for food. Even though mice inevitably find their way into the kitchen for food, they may be nesting anywhere. Rodents have a “gift” for staying out of sight since these nocturnal creatures do their foraging at night. Often, you’ll see signs of rodent activity well before spotting a live rodent, and it is important to keep your eyes, ears, and nose open. Mice populations increase rapidly, and you want to address these infestations as early as possible.

This homeowner was quite happy to see me when I arrived, and was thankful that I was sent out immediately to deal with the infestation. For a homeowner, those unfamiliar squeaks and scratches can be quite disturbing, and she wanted whatever trespassers were hiding in her home to be gone.

All indications were that this home has a mouse infestation. I inspected both the home’s interior and exterior for rodent activity. Although the mice themselves may be hard to spot, they are messy creatures that leave behind plenty of signs, including clusters of their tiny, dark pellet-like droppings, smelly urine, chewed wires, and clumps of insulation, paper, cardboard, or other nesting materials. Sometimes you’ll see mouse markings on walls, which are stains left from the dirt and oily residue in their hair.

Also, during a rodent inspection, I am always on the lookout for potential access points. Entry points need to be identified, so an exclusion can be performed. Exclusions prevent more animals from finding their way inside your home using the exact same routes. In this home, I found several gaps around pipes and other areas, as well as a small basement window that had been left open for some time giving the rodents an open invitation for entry.  

I closed the window and spoke with the homeowner about making sure that all ground-level windows stay shut. After setting a rodent tracking powder inside the gaps and voids, I sealed them with copper mesh. Copper mesh effectively blocks out mice. Mice can chew through wood and a lot of other material, but not this stuff. After treating burrows and patching the holes and gaps, I set up rodent bait stations around the exterior of the home and inside the basement in order to trap any mice still lurking in and around the home. 

After we successfully removed and relocated a raccoon that invaded this home in Freehold, NJ, we needed to fix the damage it caused.

We replaced the broken soffit with water pressure lumber to provide structural integrity to the area. This is also treated with an application to prevent termites as well. Afterward, we enclosed the area with sturdy, metal flashing to prevent future intrusions from any nuisance wildlife. 

Recently, a homeowner in Freehold, NJ, found himself with both a bird and squirrel infestation in his attic. It’s more common that you would think having different wildlife infesting a home at the same time. An entry point that’s good enough for one animal is often good enough for others. Our nuisance wildlife technicians had already come out and were able to successfully and safely remove all the birds and squirrels from the home, and seal up the entry points.

Then it was our turn! We carefully removed all the contaminated insulation and then vacuumed and disinfected the attic. Next, we added TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation, which will fill the attic to its recommended insulation levels. TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation has a higher R-value than standard fiberglass insulation, has the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, is resistant to mold and pests, and is eco-friendly. Now the attic is transformed from dirty and unhealthy to a clean and energy-saving one!

Recently, a homeowner in Freehold, NJ contacted Cowleys because of a troublesome mouse infestation. Mouse droppings were all over the home. This poses a serious health hazard because droppings can contaminate food surfaces, and contain many dangerous pathogens. For animals that weighs less than an ounce, mice can transmit serious diseases and cause significant property damage with their incessant gnawing. We see a sharp spike in mouse infestations when outdoor temperatures drop in the fall and winter, and the rodents are looking to escape the harsh outdoor elements. 

Upon arrival, I stated my inspection to determine where there was active rodent activity and how they were gaining access inside and around the home. Because of their size, finding mouse entry points is a challenge. They only need a space around the diameter of a dime to gain entry inside a home. Here, there was extensive rodent activity in the kitchen, which is common since the mice are attracted to accumulated food debris and the heat and moisture in this part of the home. Mice are especially attracted to appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators because of the heat generated by the motors. 

During my kitchen inspection, I found mouse droppings and a mouse hole nearby the dishwasher. I cleaned up the droppings and plugged the hole with a chew-proof copper mesh. I also placed a rodent bait station underneath the dishwasher before closing everything back up. Next, I checked under and behind the stove. There were many droppings, but no holes. Moving onto the next room, I found a hole in the closet along with mice droppings. Mice are attracted to the dark, private locations of closets and it’s quite common to have an  unwanted mouse encounter when opening a closet door. I did the same here: cleaned up the droppings, plugged the hole with copper mesh, and placed a bait station inside. Finally, the last location inside the home where there were droppings was the garage. The garage already had some bait stations inside and I replenished the bait. 

I then turned by attention to the home’s exterior perimeter to determine how the mice were gaining access inside the home in the first place. There was a mouse hole neat the garage area that I sealed. There were already two bait stations outside the home and I replenished the bait. Based on the remaining bait, it was evident that there was heavy rodent activity around the home. With the movement of mice restricted inside the home and all of the bait stations, the mouse population and mouse sightings should dramatically drop down shortly. I’ll be returning for a follow-up to re-inspect and determine additional treatments as necessary.