Pests We Treat Before & After Photos

We were sent out to a condominium association in Point Pleasant, NJ to safely remove birds that were harboring in one of the dryer vents. When we arrived, we spotted a bird coming out of one of the dryer vents on the second floor. In order to safely remove the birds, we installed a customized one-way device over the dryer vent. The birds can push the flap open when they exit, however, because the flap is weighted, they'll be unable to reenter the vent. The best part of this device is that, if there are young birds inside, the adult female will still be able to feed them through the flap, until they leave.

A short time later, we were able to safely remove all the birds from the home. We then removed all the nesting debris out of the vent, disinfected the area, and installed a DryerWallVent® to each of the dryer vents. The DryerWallVent’s large opening and angled damper provide maximum airflow efficiency for the safe venting of the dryer. Integrated magnets keep the damper closed when the dryer is not in use, keeping nuisance birds and other pests on the outside. 

During a scheduled summer service for a Home Protection Plan customer in Shrewsbury, NJ, we found a large bald-faced hornets nest next to the downspout. Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellow jackets. The surface of their upper midsection almost looks triangular from the side, and they have white markings on their face.

For treatment, we grabbed our extendable pole, attached a knockdown liquid product to it, and then treated the nest with it. This application exterminates the bald-faced hornets almost immediately. Once the hornets were eliminated, we attached a scraper to the pole and removed the nest. We then disposed of the nest properly and treated the area with a residual application to exterminate any returning hornets as well as prevent them from rebuilding a nest. 

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.