Cowleys Pest Services Before & After Photos

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Beginnings of a Paper Wasp Nest Found in the Attic in Martinsville, NJ

During a startup treatment service for a new Home Protection Plan customer in Martinsville, NJ, we found a small but active paper wasps nest attached to the gable vent in the attic. Paper wasps are semi-social stinging insects that usually have brown bodies with yellow or reddish markings and received their name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. A sting from a paper wasp can be extremely painful and can cause allergic reactions in some people.

As we took a closer look, we noticed that there was a hole in the gable vent. Over time the gable vents get weathered and pests, as well as nuisance wildlife, take advantage of these openings and infest homes. For treatment, we grabbed our extendable pole, attached an aerosol product to it, and injected it into the nest. This treatment rapidly neutralizes the paper wasps. Moments later, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and applied a residual application to the area to prevent the paper wasps from returning and rebuilding their nest.

Although we offered to replace the gable vent for the homeowner, she mentioned that she will install it on her own at a later date. 

Soffit Gets Torn Apart by Raccoons in Far Hills, NJ

One evening, this homeowner in Far Hills, NJ heard some "odd noises" in her attic and suspected that something might have invaded her attic, so she called Little Rascals for help. As we inspected the property, we noticed an area of the soffit appeared to be damaged. So we took a closer look and determined that the damages were inflicted by raccoons. How did we know for sure? We also found raccoon paw prints near it.

First, we installed a positive set over the access point and temporarily enclosed it with hardware cloth. We also set up several baited devices nearby. A positive set is comprised of a nose cone, which will guide the raccoons into a two-gaited, heavy-duty device to it. This is called a positive set, because we are positive that the raccoons will have no other way to exit except through our device! Shortly after setting up our devices, we safely retrieved the raccoons and relocated them to a new, humane location.

Before we left, we went back to our trucks, fashioned a piece of sturdy, metal flashing, and installed in over the access point to prevent reinfestation.

Removing a Bald-Faced Hornets Nest from the Soffit in Far Hills, NJ

After noticing a small, but active hornets nest on his soffit, this homeowner in Far Hills, NJ immediately called Cowleys for help and we were sent out. Once we arrived and took a closer look at the nest, we identified these stinging insects as bald-faced hornets. 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. They are EXTREMELY aggressive and will not hesitate to sting anything that invades their space. What makes them even scarier is they have smooth stingers, which means they can sting over and over again, can actually sense vibrations in the air, and remember their invader's face!

We treated the nest with a knockdown aerosol and a knockdown liquid application. Both of these products exterminate the bald-faced hornets almost immediately. A short while later, we removed the nest, properly disposed of it, and applied a liquid residual to the area to eliminate any returning bald-faced hornets and prevent any future bald-faced hornets from rebuilding their nest. 

Wet Crawl Space Gets Cleaned and Encapsulated in Far Hills, NJ

Tired of dealing with wet and dirty crawl space, this customer in Far Hills, NJ, reached out to Crawl Space Solutions by Cowleys and wanted us to encapsulate his crawl space! Dirt floor crawl spaces attract and absorb moisture and once the dirt dries, it causes humidity levels to rise and can lead to mold and mildew issues (fortunately, there was no mold or mildew in the crawl space).

First, we removed all the debris and old insulation, leveled the ground for proper draining, and installed drainage matting, which is a dimpled plastic mat that allows all excess moisture to work its way over to the sump pump. We also cleaned off all the beams in the crawl space and installed SilverGlo™ on the walls of the crawl space. SilverGlo™ is a waterproof foam insulation that seals the walls from outside moisture and humidity.

Afterward, we installed a vapor barrier. A vapor barrier is a heavy-duty, 20-mil 7-ply sandwich of high and low-density polyethylene with a polyester-cord reinforcement. By encapsulating the crawl space & installing the vapor barrier over the foundation walls and floor will create a continuous air and moisture barrier. The vapor barrier is extremely durable and is treated with an antimicrobial to prevent mold. Lastly, to control the humidity levels in the crawl space, we installed a Sedona dehumidifier. This is a powerful, energy-efficient, commercial-grade dehumidifier that outperforms standard household dehumidifiers by as much as 10 times while using the same amount of energy to run.

Now the homeowner has no longer has a dirty, dirt-floored crawl as well as an additional area in their home for storage!

Repairing the Raccoon Damage in Gladstone, NJ

This homeowner in Gladstone, NJ, recently found herself with a raccoon infesting her attic. Fortunately, our Little Rascals Nuisance Wildlife Division was sent out and safely and successfully removed the raccoon from the home and relocated it to a new humane location. Now all that's left is to repair the damage that the raccoon had done to the home.

The raccoon actually had two access points, which were in two soffit areas above each of the downspouts. After we disinfected the attic, we installed sturdy metal flashing over each of the access points. Next, we installed a new portion of soffit over the metal flashing in order to blend it in better. Now the home is secured from raccoons and looks better than before! 

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