Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

The homeowner in Red Bank, NJ, contacted Cowleys because he was concerned about his crawl space access, which was wide open. Cowleys has a contractor division that specializes, among other things, in crawl space improvements. Vented crawl spaces are often a source of many homeowner issues.

These chronically humid below-grade spaces often develop mold, and their environment attracts insects, mice, and wildlife. This homeowner was motivated to fix this opening because he has young kids who play around the house, especially now that spring is here and temperatures have warmed up. He was justifiably  concerned that their curiosity may get the best of them and they could accidentally fall in the entry hole. A dangerous situation, to be sure. Candidly, upon arrival, when we first saw the opening, we were surprised that nuisance wildlife had not yet exploited this opening. There was a high likelihood, even if the homeowner was not aware of it, that overwintering mice had vacationed in the crawl space. 

We had the perfect solution for this particular type of crawl space access — The Turtl. It’s not what you think. We didn’t block the crawl space entry hole with a giant snapping turtle!  This particular “turtl” is the brand name of a solid PVC vinyl weatherproof crawl space door and entry system that eliminates the need for a crawl space door and access pit in one fell swoop. 

Crawl space entry doors made of wood or steel can weaken over time through rot or rust leading to unwanted water intrusions, mold, and insect an wildlife infestations. The Turtl crawl space entry, with its locking lid, provides a tough attractive entry system that protects your crawl space from the harsh outdoor elements and keeps out insects, wildlife, and even little kids looking for trouble! The Turl crawl space access attaches directly to the foundation so it can’t shift or move. Also, it is manufactured using a rotational molding process, as are many chemical and fuel tanks, so it is seamless and can’t split. As you can see from the before and after photos, the Turtl turned an unattractive and potentially dangerous crawl space hole into a safe, protective crawl space entry system.

Recently Middletown Township, NJ homeowners contacted Cowleys after noticing some debris coming out from the drop ceiling in their finished basement. Upon arrival, I immediately went into the basement to inspect. I popped out the tile and immediately noticed that something had been chewing on the tile itself. I had a strong suspicion that this homeowner had a mouse infestation. After entering the home through gaps and cracks around the foundation, they will make their way through wall voids or travel on top of drop ceilings to forage for food and water. We see a substantial uptick of mouse infestations when temperatures drop and mice attempt to gain access inside our homes to overwinter to escape the harsh outdoor elements and forage for food and water. 

Mice, as all rodents, have incisor teeth that constantly grow. To keep them at a reasonable length, they will gnaw on almost anything they can get their teeth around as well as grind their teeth as a way of slowing their growth. While inspecting the sill plate, I found the tell-tale sign of mice — the rice-like droppings they leave behind.  Adjacent to this area, I noticed several wires going to the outside with a noticeable gap around them, allowing mice to enter. Gaps around pipes and wires entering the home are one of the more common entry points for rodents.  

I vacuumed up the toxic droppings and then placed a rodent bait station on the sill plate. Mice will follow the same trail, so placing bait stations in their pathway is highly effective to reduce their populations. I temporarily sealed the gap around the wires using chew-proof copper mesh. The homeowners informed me that they would have their contractor permanently seal the gap with stucco to prevent a re-infestation. With mouse infestations, to permanently resolve the issue and prevent re-infestations, it is essential to locate and seal all of the potential entry points around the home.

After we inspected this homeowner's attic in Red Bank, NJ, we came to the conclusion that it was severely under-insulated. After bringing this to the homeowner's attention he wanted us to add blown-in cellulose insulation to his attic. 

Some of the consequences of having an under-insulated attic are uncomfortable temperatures throughout the home, a lower R-value, and high heating and cooling costs. Adding blown-in cellulose insulation is a great way to improve the R-value in your attic, improve the home's energy performance, and upgrade your attic insulation. Our cellulose insulation is treated with non-toxic borate, giving it the highest Class-1 fire safety rating and is resistant to mold and pests.

Once we arrived we first needed to remove the current insulation and then sanitize and deodorize the attic. Once that was done we began to add in the blown-in cellulose insulation. This blanket of insulation will create a thermal barrier and dramatically increase the home's energy efficiency

After we safely and successfully removed several gray squirrels from this home in Tinton Falls, NJ, we now need to seal up their entry point to prevent any future intrusions from squirrels or any other nuisance wildlife.

There was a portion of the roof shingles that had a pretty big opening on both ends that was perfect for the squirrels to enter the home. After we disinfected the area, we installed sturdy, metal flashing on each end of the shingles, screwed them in place, and sealed them with a premium, waterproof adhesive.

A homeowner in Tinton Falls, NJ was having an issue with groundhogs harboring under her shed. Fortunately, at the time of our inspection, the groundhog had moved on and was no longer hiding under the shed. However, if nothing is done, the groundhog will return and continue to harbor under the shed and cause structural damage.

The best method to protect this shed is to remove all the debris surrounding it and install Dig Defense®. Dig Defense® is a below-ground fence system that is 15 inches deep and 4 feet across and protects structures against invasive nuisance wildlife and feral animals.