Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

Our Crawl Space team was sent out to the home of a new customer in Basking Ridge, NJ, to help them out with their humid and messy crawl space. Due to the high humidity levels in the crawl space, the insulation was saturated and falling down. Fortunately, there wasn't any mold growing in the crawl space.

First, we removed all of the contaminated insulation, as well as other debris, out of the crawl space and properly disposed of them. Next, we removed the old vapor barrier and added a drainage matting. This is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over to sump pump. Afterward, we added a reinforced polyethylene plastic film on top of the drainage matting. The next thing we did was seal off all the exposed vents throughout the crawl space. This will prevent any outside moisture, as well as any rodents or pests, from entering the crawl space.

Next, we installed ComfortTherm® Insulation throughout the crawl space. ComfortTherm® Insulation is poly-encapsulated and is ideal for moisture-rich crawl space environments. The insulation also helps to preserve the air quality and reduce energy costs. ComfortTherm® insulation also provides excellent temperature and noise control, and comes with a vapor-retarder for use in hot, humid climates. Lastly, to control the humidity levels in the crawl space, we installed a Sedona dehumidifier. This is a powerful, energy-efficient, commercial-grade dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run.

One day, this homeowner was cleaning out his shed to get ready for the summer. As he was cleaning it out, he saw a fox stick its head out from under his shed and then go back underneath it! He immediately went inside and called Little Rascals Nuisance Wildlife Removal for help. Once we arrived and examined the shed, we found the main burrow that the fox was using to go underneath the shed.

First, we dug a 12 inch deep trench and then installed hardware cloth around the entire perimeter of shed. The hardware cloth is installed 12 inches deep and 12 inches out from the bottom of the shed. This creates a sturdy "L shaped" perimeter that will prevent foxes, and other nuisance wildlife, from digging and nesting underneath the shed. Afterward, we cut a portion of the hardware cloth that was over the main burrow, installed a one-way device directly over it, and set up several baited devices nearby. The one-way device allows the fox to safely leave the shed, but prevent it from getting back in.

Once we retrieve the fox, we're going to relocate it to a new, humane location, fill in the burrow, and install another piece of hardware cloth over the opening. 

During a startup treatment service for a new Home Protection Plan customer in Martinsville, NJ, we found a small but active paper wasps nest attached to the gable vent in the attic. Paper wasps are semi-social stinging insects that usually have brown bodies with yellow or reddish markings and received their name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. A sting from a paper wasp can be extremely painful and can cause allergic reactions in some people.

As we took a closer look, we noticed that there was a hole in the gable vent. Over time the gable vents get weathered and pests, as well as nuisance wildlife, take advantage of these openings and infest homes. For treatment, we grabbed our extendable pole, attached an aerosol product to it, and injected it into the nest. This treatment rapidly neutralizes the paper wasps. Moments later, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and applied a residual application to the area to prevent the paper wasps from returning and rebuilding their nest.

Although we offered to replace the gable vent for the homeowner, she mentioned that she will install it on her own at a later date. 

We were sent out to a home in Martinsville, NJ to encapsulate the owner's crawl space. As we began inspecting the area, we noticed that the crawl space was extremely humid and had a dirt floor. The major issue with floor crawl spaces is that they attract and absorb moisture. Once the dirt dries it causes humidity levels to rise dramatically and can cause mold growth.

First, we removed all the debris in the crawl space, leveled the ground for proper draining, and installed a drainage matting. A drainage matting is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over to the newly installed SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump. The SmartSump™ Crawl Space Sump Pump combines an intelligent WaterWatch® alarm system with a sump pump that's specifically designed for crawl spaces. The lid and floor drain are specially designed to prevent collected water from evaporating back out into the crawl space. The WaterWatch® alarm will make the owner aware of crawl space water issues as soon as they begin. Any water from a plumbing leak or sump failure must first pass by the alarm and will then drain down into the sump.

Once that was 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. Installing the vapor barrier over the foundation walls and floor will create a continuous air and moisture barrier. Also, the vapor barrier is extremely durable and is treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold.

Lastly, to control the extremely high humidity levels, we installed a Sedona dehumidifier. This is a powerful, energy-efficient, commercial-grade dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run.

Now that we safely removed all the squirrels from this home in South Bound Brook, NJ and relocated them to a new, humane environment, we're going to prevent them from getting back in. The squirrels were able to infest the home through the builders gap. A builders gap is the gap between the fascia board, where the gutter is hung, and the roof decking. It's caused when roof decking is stopped too short and isn't flush with the fascia. The gap is meant to help with airflow throughout the attic, but also presents an opportunity for squirrels, as well as raccoons, birds, and bats, to infest the attic.

To exclude the squirrels, as well as any other nuisance wildlife or nuisance birds, we installed Pest-Blok over the builders gap. Pest-Blok doesn't restrict airflow, undergoes a silicone-protected polyester coating process that makes it last longer, and guards the home against squirrels, pests, birds, and all other nuisance wildlife.