Pest Infestations in Condominiums and Townhomes
In multi-family housing, there is a popular misconception that pest infestations are primarily a problem of apartment complexes faced with a more transient population. But from our extensive experience in the multi-family housing industry, pests do not obey economic boundaries. As we regularly hear in the news, bedbug infestations are becoming increasingly common throughout New York City. Even the tony multi-million dollar cooperatives and penthouses on the Upper East Side are not immune from this budding epidemic.
Perhaps the biggest difference between infestations in condominiums/townhomes and apartment complexes is that association managers tend to do a better job keeping the best infestation under wraps. They are tasked with protecting the reputation of the complex and maintaining the resale values of the units. They are also concerned with protecting the owners’ privacy. Also, association managers are more proactive in dealing with infestations because condominium and townhouse owners simply won’t tolerate it. On the other hand, tenants in apartment complexes do not enjoy the same amount of leverage. No doubt, that is why we are seeing proposed legislation in New Jersey that provides tenants with certain rights and assesses fines against landlords who fail timely handling infestation problems, especially bedbugs.
Controlling pests in condominiums and townhomes have unique challenges compared to stand-alone single-family housing. Single-family housing has the advantage of a stand-alone unit with limited access routes and nesting sites. Condominiums and townhomes have certain characteristics that add to the complexity of pest treatments. This includes shared, common areas such as hallways, community centers, clubhouses, locker rooms, pro shops, golf club storage racks, and other structures where owners and their possession come into contact with one another – which happens to give hitchhiking pests the perfect opportunity to distribute themselves throughout the complex. Also, there are walls and voids shared by units so the ease of an infestation spreading from one unit to the next increase.
Cowleys Has the Experience to Handle the Most Challenging Pest Infestations in Condominiums and Townhomes
Cowleys Termite & Pest Services is a fully licensed and insured pest control service. We are one of Monmouth County’s largest and most established pest control companies and service condominiums and townhomes throughout ALL of New Jersey. Cowleys is a member of NPMA, NJPMA, NWCOA, NJWDCOA, NJAA, BOMA NJ, CAI, and IREM. Our service manager, Hank Johns, has extensive experience in managing and servicing condominium, cooperative, and homeowner associations. He has joined Cowleys with a unique perspective in delivering quality services to the condominium and townhome market. We believe that his unique expertise in this particular market segment sets us apart from other pest control services.
Cowleys has earned a reputation for thoroughness and attention to detail. We understand the importance of an expeditious resolution of these matters and offer on-call emergency service. For overworked association managers, Cowleys is a welcome “one call, problem solved” service. We are equipped to handle all of your pest infestation needs so no time is wasted in finding a reputable company that will get the job done. Association managers have the peace of mind and enjoy the streamlined service of dealing with only one company for all of its pest control needs.
Cowleys is a One-Stop Shop for Pest Control, Nuisance Wildlife & Bird Control
In addition to our pest control division, Cowleys operates Little Rascals Wildlife Removal Services that handles the safe capture and relocation of nuisance wildlife such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks. Our Bird Solutions Division handles bird removal and installs a variety of bird control deterrents that make your structures inhospitable for roosting and nesting. So if your complex is having problems with Canadian geese, sparrows, starlings, or pigeons, Bird Solutions will remove the birds, implement preventative controls to keep them from coming back, and equally important, clean up the dangerous acidic droppings left behind that are not only an eyesore, but can destroy buildings and is a potential health hazard for your residents.
Bed Bugs
IIf there is an indication of bed bugs, Cowleys is an experienced, aggressive bed bug specialist that has the experience to contain the problem and keep your costs from escalating. We also have an experienced canine scent-detection team that helps us quickly identify bed bugs by performing quick, nonintrusive sweeps of individual units.
On–Call for Emergencies
Cowleys offers individualized, cost-effect contracts for regular inspections of the property and treatment when necessary. We are also on-call for emergency situations. Depending on the association bylaws, some complexes include pest control in individual units while in others the owner is responsible for their units and the association is responsible for common areas only. Whatever the situation, Cowleys offers flexible contracts that meet the particular needs of the condominium and townhome association. We understand the importance of treating individual units to stop the spread of an infestation and, as such, we offer special packages for individual homeowners recognizing that it is a critical component of keeping the entire complex pest-free.
A Trusted Partner
Finally, condo owners can be somewhat jittery about security and prefer having a trusted company on premises. All of our experienced technicians are in uniform and readily identifiable. We have serviced many complexes for years and the owners know our staff. We are proud to say that we have established good year-to-year communications and this makes us even more effective. During the summer months, we recommend regularly scheduled inspections and treatments when wasp nests and ants are especially problematic.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM): The Intelligent Solution for Pest Control in Condominiums and Townhomes
In condominiums and townhomes, pest management can be a tricky environmental challenge. Cowleys understands and has the expertise to resolve the unique challenges of removing pest infestations in a compact, shared living spaces. In an environment where there is a high density of people, the challenge is to find the best way to control unwanted invaders while minimizing the use of applications. And this is where Cowleys becomes a housing manager’s best friend. We have years of experience in Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM, which is considered to be the “gold standard” in reducing the likelihood of an infestation and readily resolving an infestation should one occur. IPM is markedly different from traditional pest control involving a heavy application of pesticides; instead, pesticide applications are used judiciously and intelligently so as to optimize their efficacy using the least amount of chemical. Not only does less chemical mean cost savings, but there is a safety issue as well. In multi-family housing, with a high concentration of people, especially in housing where there are children and the elderly (who often have respiratory issues or compromised immune systems), chemical treatments should be used sparingly. Above all else, Cowleys pest management protocols with multifamily dwellings are designed to protect the health and safety of your owners and employees.
Eliminate Pest Nesting Sites, Food & Water
IPM emphasizes the elimination of nesting sites and sources of water and food. Cowleys will perform a thorough assessment of your buildings to reduce pest access and close potential entry sites from doors and windows, HVAC components, and plumbing systems. While you can’t make your complex an impenetrable fortress from bugs, you can go a long way to reduce avenues of access, which, in turn, reduces the size of a potential infestation. Cowleys also determines whether there are conditions contributing to pest populations such as sources of standing water and recyclable bins and garbage dumpsters – and then taking corrective action. IPM focuses on resolving the underlying sources of the infestation to minimize future re-infestations while simultaneously removing existing infestations. It makes little sense to get rid of existing infestations without also proactively taking steps to eliminate those conditions that will likely lead to later infestations.
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