Pests We Treat Before & After Photos

A homeowner in Lincroft had been dealing with mice in their basement, attempting to handle the problem on their own for quite some time. According to the homeowner, they would trap some mice, and drive them 4-5 miles away to a wooded area, and release them. Thereafter, new “replacement” mice would soon appear. This cycle went on for a while. Finally, they decided that their DIY plan of action was not working, and they contacted Cowleys for a permanent resolution of the problem. 

A mouse infestation will not be resolved unless and until their access points into the home are identified and sealed. Without doing this exclusion work, you’ll be in the same situation as these homeowners and dealing with a never-ending stream of mice. Also, I pointed out to the homeowners that, although they had good intentions by not immediately killing the mice, they did not do them any favors by releasing them into a strange area. These relocated mice would likely die because they don’t know where to find adequate food, water, or shelter in their new surroundings, and in their weakened state would likely succumb to predation. 

Upon arrival, after speaking with the homeowners, I grabbed my flashlight and began my inspection. Finding the access points for mice presents a challenge for pest control technicians, especially if they really want to do the job right. Unlike larger wildlife that will use of carve out readily noticeable entry points into the home, mice can get through extremely small cracks and gaps. Because of their fur, mice are even smaller than their appearance. They only need a 1/4" diameter hole (about the size of a dime) to squeeze through. Mice don’t have collarbones. The rule of thumb is that if a mouse is able to poke its little head through a hole, the rest of their body will follow.

Looking for any potential entry points, I thoroughly inspected the basement perimeter, paying careful attention to any gaps around utility pipes or wires going through the foundation wall. These are often the preferred entry route for mice. I found two areas of concern: A PVC pipe discharge line from the sump pump and an outdoor water spigot. Both had sizable gaps that would easily allow rodent entry. 

Before laying out my equipment that I’d be using to control the mice, I first grabbed my hepa-vac to vacuum up all of the rodent droppings. Mouse droppings are toxic, and may contain many dangerous pathogens, including hantavirus. When the droppings dry out, spores can become airborne if the droppings are disturbed, creating a potential health hazard, especially in an enclosed area like a basement. After cleaning the area, I set up some rodent bait stations around the sill plate in the basement, dusted the two openings with a tracking powder, and sealed the holes from the outside with copper mesh. 

The homeowners were relieved that they would no longer be dealing with mice, a problem that had been going on for far too long. 

I was sent to Middletown, NJ with my colleague Alfonso to help a homeowner who had contacted Cowleys after finding mouse droppings in several areas of their home. With any rodent infestation, our priority is finding any actual or potential entry points. Finding mice entry points is a challenge since they can squeeze through the smallest of cracks and crevices. A mouse needs only about a quarter-inch gap to find their way inside your home. If a mouse is able to poke its snout through a hole, the rest of its body will follow. To successfully resolve a mouse infestation, it is critical that these entry points are located and sealed. Failure to do so means that you’ll likely have ongoing problems with these overwintering pests, even if the ones already in your home are eliminated. 

As outdoor temperatures drop, mice, other wildlife, and certain insects will look for harborage in your home to escape the harsh outdoor elements. if there is a weak link for them to gain access inside your home, they’ll find it. Mice commonly look for entry points around the home’s foundation. They’ll enter into the crawl space or basement and then find their way to the living areas of the home when they forage for food and water. One of the most common, and often overlooked, entry points for mice are pipe chases, those spaces where pipes, such as from air conditioning units and the home’s plumbing system, as well as electrical supply lines, are run into the home. Pipe chases often become entry points for overwintering mice and bugs when the original sealant around the pipes starts to become worn and disintegrates, creating a perfect “tunnel” for pests to enter the home. We found several possible entry points around some pipes, and sealed them with chew-proof copper mesh. To reduce the mouse population in and around the home, we set up rodent control bait boxes in the home’s interior as well as the exterior perimeter. Finally, as part of our protocol, we scheduled a two-week follow-up to re-inspect and replenish the bait boxes as necessary. We are confident that with the exclusion and the bait boxes. We’re confident that it won’t take long for the infestation to be resolved, and this homeowner will no longer find droppings and other upsetting signs of mouse activity in his home.

After finding a number of ants crawling all over his desk, this business owner in Brick, NJ called Cowleys for help and we were sent out. After finding them crawling over the carpet in the basement level office, we followed their trail to a window that was above the owner's desk. We examined the area and, sure enough, found the ants crawling all over the window and discovered that they were coming from the mulch bed. 

The natural decomposition of mulch creates a cool and moist environment that is the perfect breeding ground for ants and other pests. Additionally, the organic materials found in mulch are a natural food source for many ants and can aid in the development of larvae and eggs. We treated this area, the other mulch beds, and the entire landscape with a granular bait.

Once we finished with that, we applied a liquid non-repellant along the exterior of the building and, at the owners request, the baseboards and crevices around the inside of the office. The worker ants will bring these treatments back to their nest and then share them with the other ants in their colony and their queen. A short while later, the ants will be exterminated.

Recently, a homeowner residing in the coastal community of Belford, NJ contacted Cowleys because of a suspected mouse infestation. Upon arrival, I inspected the areas where there were rodent droppings. The size and shape of droppings contain a wealth of information (in addition to a wealth of pathogens and parasites!). As you’d expect, the size of the droppings is related to the size of the animal. A house mouse, which weigh less than an ounce, produce very small droppings, about the size of a grain of rice, and their droppings often have pointed ends. Rat droppings. Rats weigh many multiples more than a mouse, averaging 8 ounces or so, and not surprisingly their droppings are much larger and often have blunted, rounded ends. The holes I found were big enough for a rat. Although rats need a larger entry hole, it’s not by much. A mouse can enter a hold about the diaper of a dime while rats need a space about the size of a quarter. I told the homeowner the bad news that this was a rat infestation, but the good news is that this infestation would be resolved, and resolved quickly.

I started by cleaning up all of the droppings, which pose a serious health risk. When rodent droppings dry out, particles can become airborne carrying aerosolized viruses including Hantavirus, a potentially fatal respiratory disease. We can’t stress enough the dangers of rodent droppings in an enclosed area. They are a serious biohazard. After finishing up with cleaning the rat mess, I sealed the two entryways being used to access the living areas of the home, one in the kitchen and one in the closet. Because these holes were so large, I used hardware cloth instead of plugging the holes with copper mesh. 

Mice and rats typically enter homes through openings around the foundation, first finding their way into the crawl space or basement. From there, thy travel through wall voids to forage for food and water throughout the home. I located potential access points in the crawl space and also baited the areas where there were indicators of rodent activity. I’m confident that this rat infestation will be resolved quickly with their entry points sealed and the bait stations set up. There should be no more rodent activity in the home’s living areas. I scheduled a two-week follow-up to re-inspect, replenish bait as needed, and apply additional treatments if necessary. Before leaving, I assured the homeowner that there should be an immediate reduction in the quantity of droppings, and if not, to contact us immediately. Although rodent treatments work quickly, they are not instantaneous. It takes some time for those rats inside the home to be eliminated.

While treating this homeowners' property in Tinton Falls, NJ I discovered a large number of spider webs along with the columns on the front porch. Spiders are hunters, so if you see any in your home or their webbing around your property that means that they have a food source. By eliminating those pests, you’re eliminating the spider's food source and they’ll go elsewhere to find food.

With the homeowner's permission, I inspected the entire interior of the home to find any signs of spiders or any pests, to which I found none. I grabbed my broom and then dusted and vacuumed the spider webs. By removing the spider webbing, the spiders will get frustrated and leave that area. I also treated the columns, the front porch, and the exterior of the building with a non-repellant residual and sealed any gaps or opening around the property with a waterproof adhesive.