Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

After we successfully retrieved all wild squirrels in this homeowner's attic and then relocated them to a new, humane location, we returned to repair the damage. 

Originally, the squirrels were gnawing on the fascia board, chewed a tiny hole, and entered the attic. We completely deodorized and sanitized the attic area and then turned our attention to the fascia board. We sealed the access point with metal flashing and secured it in place with a premium sealant made up of terpolymer technology. Next, we painted the metal flashing to blend in with the color of the home so that the repair work won't be an eyesore.

After successfully removing all the mold out of this homeowner's crawl space in Metuchen, NJ, we're back to encapsulate it. First, we leveled the ground for proper draining and installed drainage matting. This material is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over to the sump pump. Once we finished, 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. It cannot tear and is extremely durable. The vapor barrier is also treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold and is installed over the foundation walls and floor to create a continuous air and moisture barrier.

Next, we installed SilverGlo™ on the walls of the crawl space. SilverGlo™ is a waterproof foam insulation that seals the walls from outside moisture and humidity. Lastly, we installed a Sani-Dry Sedona commercial-grade dehumidifier to control the humidity levels. The Sedona directs the extracted water pulled out of the air directly into the sump pump. Now the homeowner will no longer have any mold issues in his crawl space and have additional space for storage!

After noticing a large number of fruit flies in his sink room, this customer in Metuchen, NJ called Cowleys for help. During our inspection, we noticed that the fruit flies were hovering around one of the floor drains. As we got closer we noticed that there was some food debris sticking out. With the owners permission, we unscrewed the covers and discovered that the floor drains were loaded with food & liquid debris and fruit flies! This was were the fruit flies were harboring. 

First, we applied a liquid application in the floor drains and scrubbed them out with our heavy-duty scrubbing brush. This product removes the bad bacteria from the drain, which is the breeding ground for the fruit flies. Next, we applied a bio-foam solution that removes the organic build-up, odors, and scum in the drains. As a precaution, we repeated this process to ever single floor drain in the area. Lastly, we applied a fly bait, which will exterminate the adult fruit flies.

For the Cowleys installation crew, this particular insulation job for a homeowner in Tennent, NJ was one of our more was interesting and challenging assignments. This homeowner wanted to improve the level of his home’s insulation in order to make his home more energy-efficient and reduce his heating and cooling bills. He contacted Cowleys in order to install a layer of our blown-in environmentally friendly TruSoft cellulose insulation on top of his existing insulation. Our insulation not only has excellent thermal and acoustical properties but also has pest control properties because its fibers are treated with borates. Borates, while no more toxic than ordinary table salt, are deadly to insects. 

What made this job so particularly challenging? This attic was not your everyday attic. First, as far as its dimensions, this attic resembled a crawl space. You could not stand in it, and even hunching over was a challenge. The only way to maneuver your way, once inside, was crawling on your hands and knees, and even that was a challenge. Second, we were faced with a logistics issue: how could we even reach the attic. There was no attic access whatsoever from inside the home — no pull-down attic ladder, absolutely nothing. 

At Cowleys, we sometimes come across jobs that require out-of-the-box thinking, and our philosophy is that where there’s a will, there’s a way. We initially thought about making our own access by cutting out our pieces of the ceiling, and then patch up the holes afterwards. However, we were concerned about the collateral repair work and the added cost to the homeowner.

For this, we added about 10 inches of TruSoft blown-in cellulose insulation. Why blown-in cellulose insulation? With a higher R-value than standard fiberglass batts, cellulose insulation instantly improves home energy performance, provides more durability so it won't compress, become damaged by pests, and creates an incredible resistance to mold and pests. 

Not to mention cellulose insulation is treated with non-toxic borate, giving it the highest Class-1 fire safety rating, and is made primarily from recycled newspaper, making it the perfect choice for environmentally conscious property owners. By increasing the efficiency of the home’s HVAC system, the homeowners will see noticeable reductions in their heating and cooling bills. 

The homeowner was pleased that he could have the installation installed without causing any damage to the interior to his home. This was a satisfying job for the Cowleys installation crew, and is definitely one that we’ll remember!

A commercial client of ours in Butler, NJ called us because of a massive bird issue. A flock of dirty pigeons were resting, loafing, nesting, and messing up their roof with droppings. The customer was surprised they were having trouble because another bird control service had installed a shock track system that was not doing a great job of deterring these birds from taking over their roof.

Upon arrival, we inspected the old shock track. It was completely falling apart and had seen better days. We first removed the old non-functioning track and solar box. We then installed a brand new shock track system, and we improved the layout of the tracks, putting them all the way around the entire edges of their ac unit, which was a pigeon “hot spot.” We then installed a brand new solar box to power all of the tracks. Shock tracks use low voltage to give the birds an unpleasant shock. Bird control is all about behavior modification, using deterrents to encourage certain behavior — specifically, encouraging them to find another more hospital place besides your roof as a resting spot. 

After finishing the installation, we reported back to the property manager. She was extremely pleased that she no longer had a messy bird issue. Property managers are busy juggling a hundred different emergencies. Cowleys is always happy to at least take care of any bird, wildlife, or insect infestation that is wrecking havoc on their property!