Pests We Treat Before & After Photos

I was recently sent to a residence in Ocean Township, NJ to deal with a mouse infestation. This particular homeowner was getting frustrated because of a continuing, on-going mouse problem. As temperatures drop, mice will start overwintering in our homes to escape the harsh weather conditions, and here, it seemed that more and more mice would find their way inside the home. 

Upon arrival, I performed a full inspection of the home’s interior and exterior perimeter to find any actual or potential entry points. Mice don’t need much of an opening to find their way inside — any gap about the width of a dime is enough for them to gain entry. It is critically important that these entry points are located and sealed. Otherwise, you can set up all the bait stations you want in the home and you’ll never get rid of the infestation. I sealed all of the possible entry points and installed rodent control stations in strategic areas where there were signs of mouse activity — under the stove, behind the fridge, and plumbing areas under the sink and laundry room. Gaps around piping coming into the home are a common trouble spot for rodent entry. Finally, I explained to the homeowner that as part of my treatment plan, I’d be returning in two weeks for a follow-up visit to make sure there were no more issues. The homeowner was relieved that the mouse problem was finally under control.

Recently, a Cowleys home improvement crew was sent to a home in Asbury Park, NJ to perform rodent exclusion work around the home’s exterior foundation. We were asked to perform a weep hole exclusion by installing metal screening over the home’s weep holes (often called just “weeps”) to prevent mice and other rodents from gaining entry. 

Homes with exterior brick veneer (thin stone over wood framing) have small openings periodically spaced in the brickwork. This isn’t because the brick mason was sloppy! These holes were left there on purpose. Why? Brick (and stone for the matter) is not waterproof. It’s a highly porous material that acts almost like a sponge and when it rains, the masonry wall absorbs a tremendous amount of water. In order to prevent rainwater from entering the building, masonry construction requires a drainage cavity that allows water to drain down the back face of the brick. The potentially damaging water is collected at the base of the wall by flashing, which is then channeled out to the exterior through these little holes, which are typically about a half-inch wide. Weep holes not only provide an opening allowing water to drain out through the wall’s bottom, but also allow ventilating air to enter behind the wall that helps to dry the structure. Moisture buildup in the cavity can cause mold, mildew, wood rot. If you look carefully, you’ll find these weep holes, a building code requirement, spaced about two feet apart along of the length of the wall. With this Fair Haven home, the entire home exterior was brick, so these gaps surrounded all sides of the house. 

Although weep holes are essential for water drainage and ventilation, they have a downside for homeowners. These holes are enticing entry points for mice, other rodents, and even on occasion, snakes, to enter the home. However, for this homeowner with the screening we installed, the wall will still be able to drain and breathe, but now rodents and other pests will no longer be able to use these openings to gain entry. 

Recently, I was called to a home in Asbury Park, NJ to handle a mouse infestation. As often happens this time of year when temperatures drop, mice seek refuge inside homes. Here, the homeowner found two common signs of mice — droppings and noises in the wall voids. Mice are nocturnal and do their foraging in the quiet of night. Often, the mice stay hidden but leave a trail of droppings behind. Here, the homeowner told me that he found droppings in their bedroom closet.

During me inspection, I found a trail of droppings along the bedroom baseboard heaters (mice are attracted to anything generating heat) leading to the bathroom. I also found mice were chewing up pieces of toilet tissue paper and the cardboard rolls and using it as nesting material. Whenever dealing with a rodent infestation, it is important to determine their entry points into the home and how they are able to move about once inside so that their access points can be sealed. Here, I found that there were gaps around the water pipelines into the bathroom, which explains why the homeowners had heard noises inside the wall voids. I sealed the gaps around the pipes using expanded foam resin and installed interior rodent bait stations in the bathroom. With the bait stations and access points sealed, these homeowners will not have to worry about mice scurrying about their bedroom and bathroom.

Tennis, anyone? Recently, I was sent to a country club in Wall Township, NJ that was having a wasp issue near their tennis courts. Fortunately, none of the members had yet been stung, and I was glad that I could remove the nest before anyone had an encounter with these stinging insects.  

Upon inspection, I found that a baldfaced hornet nest had formed on a nearby tree. A mature nest can grow quite large and house hundreds of wasps. Baldfaced hornets are a close relative of yellow jackets, and they are just as aggressive and territorial. These wasps are readily identified by their white markings on their face and abdomen. They commonly build their nests off tree limbs, but we also find them attached to homes and other structures. 

Like all social wasps, they aggressively respond to their nest being threatened. Before starting treatment, I alerted a pair of players in the court that I would be treating the nest and they may want to consider a brief delay of their match. They wholeheartedly agreed! 

I treated the nest from a safe distance, first using an aerosol to knock down the population before removing the nest. Once I observed that there was no more wasp activity around the nest, I removed it from the tree, and bagged it so I could take the nest with me. I thanked the players for their delay of game, and with the nest removed, their match could continue without these stinging spectators nearby.

Recently, I went out on a service call for one of our commercial clients, an apartment complex in Belmar, NJ. The property manager had contacted us after a tenant in one of the lower-level apartments reported a mouse infestation. Mice are more than a nuisance. They pose a significant health hazard. Mice can contaminate food and counter surfaces with their urine and droppings, particles of which can become airborne.  Mice can transmit numerous diseases including Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), a severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory disease and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM) that affects the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. If that weren’t enough, they often carry in Lyme-carrying ticks or disease-ridden fleas with them as well.

Once I arrived, I began my inspection along the exterior perimeter of the apartment where mice were reported to locate potential entry points. I discovered many access points where the mice could easily enter the structure. There were spaces around piping entering the building, gaps around the windows and doors and a large space between the soil and the landing to the staircase leading upstairs. 

As I continued my inspection inside the garage and apartment, I came across a large number of mouse droppings. This unit had a heavy rodent infestation that required extensive treatment.

With rodents, it is essential to keep them out in the first place by excluding any areas where the rodents are gaining access. I stuffed chew-proof copper mesh material into small spaces around pipes and sealed the gaps around the larger holes with metal flashing. Mice hate the taste and feel of copper mesh, and once they come in contact with this material, they quickly decide to go elsewhere. 

After all the points of entry were sealed, I placed several rodent bait stations throughout the property. Typically, the number of rodent bait stations we use depends on the severity of the infestation. In this case, I set up twelve small rodent bait stations in the inside of the apartment and one larger station along the exterior perimeter. After placing all rodent bait stations, I carefully removed all of the hazardous mouse droppings.

Due to the severity of this infestation, it will take longer than usual to rid this apartment of mice. I scheduled periodic follow-ups to monitor the level of infestation and replenish the bait in the stations until this mouse problem is completely resolved.