Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

These homeowners in Carteret, NJ found themselves with a raccoon infestation in their attic. Our wildlife technicians quickly trapped and relocated the trespassing animals. Unfortunately, as often happens, the attic insulation was contaminated and destroyed. Raccoons, with their razor-sharp claws, will shred through the insulation and use it as nesting material. Also, they deposit their wastes and urine all over it. Once this happens, the saturated insulation is not salvageable.  There is no choice but to remove and replace it with new insulation.

A Cowleys installation crew arrived to make the attic as good as new. Our goal was to remove any traces that the attic was once a home to wildlife. After removing the contaminated insulation, we sanitized and deodorized the entire attic to remove any and all “evidence” that there once was a raccoon infestation, including the pungent smells left behind. After a wildlife infestation, it is critical to have the attic thoroughly cleaned — not only to remove dangerous pathogens but also to remove any remnants of an infestation, which can be an attractant for other raccoons and wildlife to follow. Wildlife cleaning and sanitation is not a DIY weekend project. This stuff is dangerous! When droppings are disturbed, airborne waste particles are released into the air that can be breathed in and cause serious, chronic respiratory infections. Animals droppings in an enclosed area are a serious bio-hazard. This waste should only be removed by someone who is trained in using proper protective equipment.

After the cleaning and sanitation, we installed our blown-in cellulose insulation. This insulation has excellent thermal properties and, because it is blown-in rather than cut to size like fiberglass batts, all areas of the attic, down to the smallest nooks and crannies, are insulated. This insulation will pay for itself over time with reduced heating and cooling bills. 

The installation crew was especially proud of this project. We successfully transformed an attic that was destroyed by invading wildlife into a clean, beautiful, functional space that will improve the home’s energy efficiency.

Homeowners in Lakewood, NJ had turkey vultures roosting on the edge of their flat roof. Vultures in Jersey? Actually, we are home to two vultures species, turkey vultures and black vultures. Turkey vultures bear no relation to our "gobble gobble" turkeys, so please, don't stuff and cook one for Thanksgiving! The only reason we call them turkey vultures is their appearance. Their bald red head and dark plumage resembles wild turkeys. The turkeys are historic residents of the state while black vultures are a more recent arrival to the state.

Although vultures, as any bird, can become a nuisance bird once they start roosting on a home or other structure and depositing their droppings all over, they are very important birds in our ecosystem. Vultures are nature’s clean-up crew. By feeding on dead, decomposing animal carcasses (carrion), tase birds reduce the risk of disease and contamination from rotting animals. So, if our road maintenance crews don’t get around to removing unsightly roadkill, these birds are happy to jump in.

Vultures are a protected migratory bird species, as are most birds. With bird control, we never "get rid" of birds. Rather, it is all about making your property inhospitable to birds. We install various types of deterrents, the choice of which depends on type of bird infestation and the specifics of the property. We change their behavior so they relocate elsewhere to a place that is more welcoming. Also, bird control is customized. There is never a one-size-fits-all single solution.

Here, the homeowners were pretty distressed with the activity of these birds. Their highly acidity droppings had caused some terrible staining on their home, and they were concerned that the droppings could damage their shingles, and rightly so. Birds excrete their liquid and solid waste together in one sticky "bomb." Their droppings contain uric acid, which is corrosive enough to dissolve paint, concrete, and metal.

Why did the birds choose this house? The likely reason is that this this house has the tallest roof in the general vicinity. Also, since the roof was flat, it made for easy landing.

Because of the roof structure, we decided that the best solution would be to take away their roosting areas by installing shock track on outside edges of the roof. Shock tracks send a clear message to the birds that they are no longer welcome by emitting a low-voltage shock when a bird attempts to land. the shock does not harm them in any way, but it isn't pleasant either. Even for a bird, which aren’t the brightest (being labelled a "bird brain" isn't exactly a compliment), it does not take too many negative reinforcements to change their behavior. All we want them to do is relocate to a new location (anywhere but this house) that doesn't deliver shocks every time they land.

We were sent out on a service call to a business in Toms River, NJ to treat for wasps that were attacking the shoppers as they made their way into the store! Once we arrived, we inspected the area more closely and discovered a baseball sized yellow jackets nest right above the entrance!

As we all know, yellow jackets are one of the most aggressive and territorial stinging insects out there! So extreme care is needed when treating them. So we equipped our protective bee suit, grabbed our extendable pole, attached a knockdown dusting application to it, and began liberally treating the nest. A few moments later, we treated the nest with a knockdown aerosol product. Both of these treatments quickly exterminate the yellow jackets.

After a few moments went by, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and then applied a residual liquid application to the area. This product will eliminate any yellow jackets that return to this area as well as prevent them, and all other stinging insects, from building another nest.

This crawl space is located extremely close to the Barnegat Bay in Toms River, NJ and was constantly having water and moisture issue. Now they have a clean and energy efficient crawl space that can even be used as additional storage space!

This Toms River, NJ home had a dirt floor crawl space that was poorly insulated, was likely to attract pests and insects, and (in its current state) allowed for the spread of mold and mildew due to the high humidity levels. 

First, we removed all the contaminated insulation and debris, leveled the ground for proper draining, and installed a drainage matting and a vapor barrier. The vapor barrier 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. Dirt floor crawl spaces attract and absorb moisture and once the dirt dries, it causes humidity levels to rise and can lead to mold problems.

To correct this, we installed Sani-Dry Sedona dehumidifier to control the humidity levels in the crawl space and a Smart Drain. The Smart Drain prevents any moisture from sitting on top of the vapor barrier. 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. Now the homeowner has a transformed crawl space that is clean and dry.