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Cowleys Pest Services Videos - Page 2

How to Apply Insect Repellent - NPMA

Watch this video to learn the proper way to apply insect repellent when spending time outdoors. Video provided by the National Pest Management Association (NMPA).

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The property managers for an elderly housing building in Asbury Park, NJ have contacted with Cowleys to perform a building-wide bed bug inspection twice yearly. It’s a tremendous undertaking, but one that’s well worth it, especially for those apartment complexes that have had bed bug issues in the past. Periodic bed bug inspections in senior housing is critical for a variety of reasons. Tenants in these buildings can have poor mobility, poor eyesight, and sometimes even diminished mental capacity to relax that there is an infestation in their unit. Because many are on anti-inflammatory medications for medical issues, they may not even be aware that they are being bitten. Also, there apartment units can have clutter issues, so there are more potential bed bug harborage areas. With these inspections, we left mattresses, boxsprings, couches, and other furniture. Bed bugs will hide in seams and on the bottom of furniture. Rarely do they stay in plain view. During these inspections, we often find bed bug problems that the tenant was unaware of, especially when the infestation is in its early stages and the insect populations are low.  When inspecting these units, we always inspect the bed and the areas around the bed such as nightstands and beside furniture. Bed bugs feed exclusively off human blood, and they prefer to stay near their food source between their blood meals. As such, we concentrate on those areas of the apartment where the tenants either sleep or nap. Our objective is to identify problems and get things under control before an isolated bed bug problem becomes a major building-wide nightmare for the tenants and property management.  Should we find a bed bug issue, we immediately set up a treatment plan for the resident. Any plan starts by instructing the resident as to how to properly prepare their unit for treatment. Clutter removal and other pre-treatment tasks are essential for our treatment to be effective. If the tenant is unable to do the preparatory work, the property manager must locate family members or other resources to help. Cowleys has extensive experience with bed bug infestations, especially in high density living arrangements like apartment buildings and nursing homes. We have a five-week treatment plan protocol. We perform an initial servicing followed by two follow-up visits, one after two weeks and a second after another three weeks. During these follow-ups, we re-inspect and perform additional treatments as necessary.  With these periodic bed bug checks during the year, we are able to keep problems under control before they become a serious issue.
Bed bug inspection in Asbury Park, NJ senior housing
Recently, I was sent to Manalapan, NJ to remove a large, active hornets nest. The nest happened to be built between two homes, both with children. Both families had a strong mutual interest in having this nest removed for safety reasons. Even with dropping fall temperatures, the nest was quite active and there was a large number of hardy hornets that were not yet done for the season. These aggressive, territorial wasps had plenty of life in them to protect their nest to the bitter end. Bald-faced hornets are large wasps, about three-quarters of an inch long. They are easily identified by ivory markings on their faces and abdomens. These wasps are close relatives of yellow jackets, and they are just as mean and ornery, often stinging without much provocation. While yellow jackets are typically ground-nesters that build their nests inside rodent burrows or other cavities, bald faced hornets typically build distinctive grey aerial nests a few feet off the ground. A mature bald faced hornet nest is a sight to behold. These nests, made of a mixture of chewed wood and saliva, can grow to basketball-sized proportions. Bald faced hornets are physically strong insects that can pierce through a layer of thick clothing to deliver a painful sting. Also, because a single wasp can sting multiple times, a swarm of these insects poses a serious medical threat, especially for children.  Any loud noises or sudden movements around a nest can trigger a swarm of attacking wasps. Suffice it to say, children at play around a hornets nests is trouble waiting to happen. These homeowners did the right thing by contacting Cowleys before anyone was stung. A mature nest can house hundreds of stinging insects! Please consider having an experienced pest control technician handle a hornet nest removal. DIY removal can easily turn into a DIY trip to the nearest emergency room. To resolve this infestation, I first used a foaming-action residual solution that I sprayed directly into the nest opening and around the surrounding area. As a residual application, it stays active to kill any foraging wasps that later return to the nest area and stops them from attempting to rebuild. I also applied a dust to eliminate any returning wasps. After waiting until the wasp activity slowed down,  I removed the nest and bagged it so I could take it with me off the property. With the wasp nest gone, the colony eliminated, and the area cleaned up of any nesting debris, these homeowner will not have to worry about their kids having an unwanted encounter with a small army of angry wasps. I was glad to help out and make this area safe again for outdoor play.      
Hornets scare Manalapan, NJ family
A homeowner from Aberdeen, NJ called Cowleys because while doing some gardening near her sidewalk, she came across a large, wasp with black and yellow stripes. This wasp was hovering close to the ground. This wasp was a cicada killer, a solitary wasp that burrows into the soil, preferably along the edges of driveways and sidewalk areas. These large, menacing wasps are not aggressive. The female does have a stinger yet she will only use it to paralyze its prey, such as a locust . Once it subdues its prey, it will it bring it back and put it inside its burrow. A cicada wasp burrow can be up to 24 inches long.   The female will then lays an egg on the paralyzed locust so it can feed on once it hatches. Treating the burrows with a residual insecticide dust will eliminate the hatchlings and returning adults. 
Cicada killer in Aberdeen, NJ
Recently, I was sent to Skillman, NJ, a small community within Montgomery Township in Somerset County for a bed bug inspection. This particular job reinforces that a bed bug infestation can happen to anyone anywhere. Bed bugs are not just a problem for apartment dwellers in high density urban areas!  The homeowner suspected that she had a bed bug infestation because she was getting mysterious bites and wanted a positive confirmation of bed bug activity to start treatment, if necessary. Waking up with insect bites is often the earliest sign that there may be bed bugs in your home. This homeowner did the right thing. She contacted us immediately instead of waiting until the problem got worse. Even if you are not 100% sure it’s bed bugs, contact a professional pest control service. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.  Bed bugs stay hidden near their hosts so that they don’t need to venture far for their blood meals. Often, we find them in and around beds, but they will be anywhere we nap, sleep, or rest. Here, I found sticky bed bug eggs and cast skins in the seams of a couch. Bed bugs hide in the smallest cracks and crevices they can find, and with their flat bodies they have a wide variety of hiding places to choose from in our homes. they can fit into spaces as thin as a business card. Bed bugs happen to love tight seams in furniture because it gives them a sense of security. They like to have multiple sides of their bodies touching a surface while they are hiding between feedings. As small as bed bugs are (especially nymphs), bed bug eggs are even smaller. A bed bug eggs is about the size of a pinhead or grain of salt. To me, bed bug eggs resemble a dramatically shaved-down piece of rice. They are pearl-white and covered with a sticky glue-like substance so they adhere to surfaces and are not easily dislodged. I’m often asked, how do you even see these little eggs? The answer is that, as a bed bug specialist, I’ve had to develop a close eye for detail and I know where to look. A bed bug inspection must be systematic and methodical because bed bug eggs, just like bed bugs themselves, are almost always found in hidden locations.  These insects naturally avoid open spaces, and unless there is an exceptionally heavy infestation, you’ll almost never find them hanging out in plain sight. To locate bed bugs, eggs, casings, and fecal deposits, you have to go beyond the surface and actually lift and flip things over (and do so carefully so that the bugs do not fly off!) to find their small, dark, quiet hiding spots.  Although no one is happy to find out they have a bed bug infestation, she was relieved to know that she wasn’t imagining things and there were bed bugs biting her. At least now she could treat her home and eliminate them. We set up a treatment date to give her some time to get her home properly prepared for treatment. Bed bug infestations can be challenging and require follow-up visits. However, we stay with it and work with the homeowner until the infestation is successfully resolved.
Bed bugs in Skillman, NJ
A homeowner in Brielle, NJ was having a serious, ongoing nuisance bird problem, Seagulls and crows had decided that his flat roof made for an excellent rest stop, and they had turned it into a an active waste deposit facility. Seagulls do not limit their food sources to ocean aquatic life. These birds are opportunistic scavengers similar to pigeons, and they will seek out and consume almost any food debris. Just like pigeons, gulls have thrived in human habitats and these birds routinely build nests anywhere they can find readily available food sources.    Gulls are large birds that produce large quantities of white, thick, soupy, glue-like droppings. Their droppings are a toxic stew of pathogens and are a nightmare to clean, especially once they harden. Gulls are a problem not just because of the aesthetics of a roof being covered with their slime (which is bad enough!). Their acidic droppings can cause property damage — dissolving paint and even disintegrating roofing materials and causing roof leaks.   The homeowner contacted Cowleys to resolve his bird issue. We handle all types of nuisance birds in addition to wildlife like squirrels and raccoons that often find their way inside our homes. With gulls and other nuisance birds, we use a variety of deterrents to make your property inhospitable to them. The particular deterrent depends on a number of factors such as the type of bird and the layout of the home or building. We change their behavior so that they go elsewhere. We do not harm birds in any way, In fact, gulls, as a migratory species are protected by both federal and state law.. You cannot harm or destroy them, their nests, their eggs, or their chicks.   The homeowner wanted us to resolve the problem, but he did not want us to install anything that would involve directly drilling or otherwise attaching any deterrent onto his roof. We decided that the most effective way to keep the birds away was to use large cinderblocks in which we secured six “eagle eyes,” strategically placing them  across the roof. For birds, an eagle eye is a major optical annoyance. Whenever I install these deterrents, I like to think of that 70s song, “Blinded By the Light.” As the wind catches the eagle eye, it spins around and emits an tremendously annoying glare that distracts them and limits their vision — just like glare affects our ability to see when we are driving. Because, birds have different color sensitivities, we use the red eagle eye to repel gulls.   Gulls want nothing to do with them! The video shows the gulls flying over the roof but avoiding landing on their once favorite hangout and the annoying flash that these devices give off. For birds, the eagle eye is a sign that says “Sorry We’re CLOSED.” To deal with the crows, we installed birds spikes on the railing where they were roosting. By taking away their landing area, the birds will naturally move to a more hospitable location off your property. The birds don’t go away mad, they just go away!            
Birds problem on Brielle, NJ building
Recently, I was sent to a home in Ocean Township, NJ to remove an active wasp nest. The homeowner contacted Cowleys after observing a steady stream of wasps entering and exiting a small opening under the external siding. Wasps start building their nests in late August to early September, and once they start, the nests just keep getting bigger and bigger as the colony grows. As we see here, even wasps nests in lat October can still be active with plenty of aggressive, territorial wasps looking to protect their nest against any perceived threats. There are many types of wasps do not build open nests in plain view. Instead, they seek out hidden cavities such as old rodent burrows or, like here, gaps in home’s siding. These are perfect private locations for wasps to build their nests. The problem is when the wasps happen to build their nests on or around homes in locations where there is a risk of agitating the wasps and someone receiving painful stings.   The worker wasps construct their nests using plant fiber (wood pulp) mixed with their own secretions to build small cells for the queen to lay her eggs. Over time, left unnoticed, they can become quite large. I’ve spoken with numerous homeowners who tried to remove the nest themselves with store-bought insecticides before contacting Cowleys. The result is usually someone agitating the wasps and getting stung. And with a wasp nest, you by multiple wasps multiple times. It’s an experience to best be avoided.  When dealing with wasps that build nests in a void, you can’t access the nest directly. In theses cases we use a dust that flows around the nest, and settles and clings to whatever pat of the nest it contacts, including the nest entranceway. As wasps fly in and out of the nest, they come into contact with the dust and soon perish. It doesn’t take long for the entire colony to be eliminated. 
Wasps enter this Ocean Township, NJ home
Recently, I was sent to a home in Monmouth Beach, NJ. This homeowner was having an ongoing issue of ants infesting various areas inside her residence. Upon arrival, the homeowner showed me several “hot spots” where there was a high level of ant activity. After thoroughly inspecting the home’s interior I applied a non-repellant product in all of the areas where there was ant activity. Non-repellants, unlike repellant products, do not “chase away” the ants, and they have proven to be far more effective in eliminating these challenging ant infestations. Non-repellants work stealthily. Ants can’t detect them, so they crawl through the treated areas not giving it a second thought. By doing so, they unknowingly track the product with them back to the nest where it is shared with all of their nest mates, including the reproductive queen. This results in complete eradication of the ant colony. It is an exercise in futility to simply kill the foraging ants that you happen to see. These ants are completely expendable, and there’s plenty more where they came from.  Whenever I am dealing with an ant infestation, I also perform an exterior inspection and treatment in addition to an interior treatment. For long-term ant control, it is important to determine how and where the ants are entering the structure. Fortunately, ants travel to and from the nest on the same trails established by other ants, so I conduct an inspection to find their established pathways into the home. Sometimes, it’s obvious and sometimes it’s not! These tiny insects may enter through a hollow block, the tiniest cracks in the foundation, or through windowsills in need of repair to forage for food. The foraging ants leave the home to return to the nest. Ants require soil that has the needed moisture for them to survive.  Here, at this home, I observed ants trailing along the foundation and entering the home underneath the siding. I treated the home’s exterior perimeter along the foundation. Once again, ants will have to pass through the treated area in order to reach the colony. They will pick up the product and transfer it to the other ants. With this interior-exterior treatment, it won’t take long for the entire colony to be eliminated and this ant infestation to be resolved.
Ant trail leads right into Monmouth Beach, NJ house
Recently, a quite frightened homeowner in Neptune City, NJ, contacted Cowleys. She was frightened for a very good reason: A huge bald faced hornets nest had attached to her house. She did not notice it until it had grown to an impressive size — it had grown into the size of a beach ball! Given time, the distinctive grey paper-like nests of wasps can develop into large nests with upwards of 400 hornets. A bald faced hornet is named after its distinctive white markings on its face and abdomen.  Bald faced hornets are a type of wasp, closely related to the feared yellow jacket. And like its close cousin, these wasps are aggressive, territorial, and often sting without provocation. A single wasp can sting repeatedly, and their stings really, really (really!) hurt. I know a thing or two about the potency of their venom from personal experience.  Bald faced hornets are aerial wasps as opposed to ground-nesters, sometimes building their nests off tree limbs, and sometimes, like here, on the sides of homes.   I arrived, and immediately started to treat the nest so that I could remove this stinging threat off the property. This particular nest had formed under the eave right nest to the downspout of the gutter. It was about ten feet above the home’s front door, so entering and exiting the house became a scary proposition for those living in the home.  I came fully prepared for the task at hand. Never treat a hornet nest removal lightly. Whenever possible, I avoid getting too close to the nest during treatment., and always have an extension pole with a special attachment. This allows me to apply an effective aerosol product while standing up to 30 feet away. Whoever said I wouldn’t touch that with a 10-foot pole must have been talking about bald faced hornets nests — because I shoot for triple that distance! Using the pole, I slowly moved the application straw of the aerosol into the nest opening. You need to be slow and steady because you want to apply the product deep in the nest before the wasps have a chance to get riled up. As the released product comes into contact with the wasps, it kills them virtually instantaneously.  I waited a few minutes to allow the product to take effect and make sure there was no more active hornet activity. By then, I can approach the nest and manually remove it. There is always the risk of stragglers out foraging and that return while I’m removing the nest, so I must work quickly. I bagged the nest to take it with me off the property.  When done, there was not a single remnant of a large wasp infestation. Everything was safe once again. The homeowner no longer had to worry about coming and going from her home because of a large, threatening hornet nest looming right above the door. 
Huge hornets nest removed in Neptune City, NJ
Homeowners in Shrewsbury, NJ recently contacted Cowleys because of a troublesome ant infestation in the master bathroom. When I arrived, they told me that the problem has gotten even worse since they called. Ants are attracted to bathrooms because of the heat and moisture. We aren’t the only ones that love a warm room filled with wet steam!  I noticed that they had set out an ant trap, and told them that they was likely why there was a sudden uptick in ant sightings. The ants were being drawn out to the bait.  I followed the ant trail and saw that they were entering the bathroom from a space between the bathtub and tile. Ants will exploit gaps and cracks in missing grout or caulk. Also these gaps can  and facilitates water seepage into voids that can cause all sorts of problems including mold and structural damage.   To treat the infestation, I applied an ant gel bait this small gap between the tub and tile. The foraging ants will use this gel as a food source and carry it back to the colony to feed the rest of its members.  In addition, I treated any other visible crack and crevice in the tile around the bathtub as added insurance to kill the colony. Any ants exploring in these areas will pick up the gel and bring it back to the colony. over the long-term, repair of the grout will help keep out pests and prevent water and moisture issues. Ants will seek out softened, damp, often rotting wood to build their nests.  Good home maintenance and timely repair of damaged materials is important for preventing pest infestations. Here, caulking the joints around the bathtub will help stop unwanted water seepage that can lead to pest infestations and other problems.      
Ant Problem in Shrewsbury, NJ Bathroom
During a routine Home Protection Plan (HPP) servicing on a homeowner in Brielle, NJ, I was performing a exterior perimeter inspection of the home to look for evidence of any pest infestations and found wasps. With our Home Protection Plan customers we perform periodic inspections and preventative treatments, and the homeowners can contact us at any time for any pests concerned under the plan, and we take care of the problem at no additional charge. It’s a great way for homeowners to budget for prevention of pest infestations. One benefit of these plans is that we often uncover infestations that were unknown to the homeowner. That’s what happened here.  During my exterior inspection, I observed ground-nesting yellow jackets entering and exiting a hole that was going into a side of the home. The homeowner had no idea of the problem because it was on a side of the house that is rarely walked by.  I stood back to watch their flight pattern. These insects typically fly in and out of their nest in the same direction, I prefer to not be in harm’s way when treating the area. Yellow jackets, as all insects, operate instinctually and their behaviors are remarkably consistent. Pest control technicians use this to their advantage when treating insects, especially with social nest-building insects where it is essential to eliminate the queen and all of the members of the colony in order to resolve the infestation.  Based on the location of the nest, I decided that the most effective treatment would be to dust the entry point of the nest. This dust is waterproof and stays active for as long as it is applied. As soon as the dust coats the entry point, instinct takes over. The yellow jackets will instinctively begin cleaning the area in an affect to protect the queen. However, by removing the dust, they wind up not only infesting themselves, but they bring the product inside the nest where it gets distributed throughout. It does not take long for the entire colony to be eliminated. It is important to give the product some time to work since there are foraging wasps that are out and will be returning later to the nest. I’ll schedule a follow-up to ensure that there is no more yellow jacket activity, and at that time, I’ll seal the hole with silicone to ensure that no further yellow jacket activity will occur in that location. Yellow jackets often return to the same location to try to build a new nest, and it is important to stop them in their tracks.
Yellow Jacket Removal in Brielle, NJ during Home Protection Plan
Recently, I was sent to a customer’s home in Shrewsbury, NJ to remove an active hornet’s nest that had formed in a large fir tree. When wasps or hornets build nests outside, sometimes they can just be left alone since when temperatures drop in the fall, the colony dies off except for the queen that overwinters in a protected location to start the cycle all over again in the spring. However, in this case, the tree was extremely close to the home — only about five feet away — in a high traffic area. In these cases, the nest poses a hazard to the home’s occupants and needs to be treated. Social wasps and hornets that live in colonies are territorial and can be aggressive if they perceive that their nest is being threatened. For those who are highly allergic to their venom, a sting can be life-threatening. Upon arrival, I immediately saw that the removal of this nest would be challenging because of where it was situated in the tree. the nest was located in the branches about 8 feet up in a way where it was difficult to access the entry and exit hole of the nest with my telescopic extension pole that has an attached sprayer. This pole allows me to treat the nest while still staying a safe distance from the insects that often become highly aggressive once their activities are disrupted.   After experimenting with different positions, I managed to find an angle for my pole to reach the nest that was partially blocked by the tree branches. I applied an aerosol that quickly knocks down most of the hornets in the nest. Of course, there can always be hornets deep in the nest or out foraging and returning that avoided the product that are ready and able to sting. After applying this product, I wait for the hornet activity to slow down. Once the nest appeared inactive, I removed the nest from the supporting tree limb and bagged it so I could take it with me. To prevent the hornets from rebuilding the nest, I treated the area where the former nest was build with a long-lasting residual product. This homeowner will no longer have to worry about a hornet’s nest that was dangerously close to their home.  
Huge hornets nest high up in Shrewsbury, NJ tree
I was sent to a home in Bridgewater, NJ who’s owner was walking to their car when he noticed a huge gray hornets nest in the tree adjacent to the walkway. Hornets make their own nesting material by mixing chewed-up wood pulp from tree bark mixed with their saliva, forming an enclosed nest around the comb where the queen lays her eggs.  First I want to say, gpod thing he did not try to remove it himself. These hornets are extremely aggressive, and will defend its nest if threatened. They are close relatives of yellow jackets and they are just as nasty and aggressive, singing anyone or anything that comes into the “danger zone” around their nest. These wasps, unlike bees, can sting repeatedly, so a swarm of them can pose quite a dangerous situation.  I quickly put on my bee suit. With these particular stinging insects, I wasn’t going to take any chances. With the protection of my bee suit, I was able to I walk right up to the nest, and find the entry hole. Once found, we Inject a foaming insecticide directly into the nest, quickly paralyzing all of the hornets and any stray hornets that might be returning from gathering nest building material. Once I was sure that there was no further danger from those hornets, I removed the nest from the branch, and let the homeowners know to stay away from the area for a while because there still could be returning hornets wondering where their home went. Eventually the hornets would go elsewhere.  
Huge hornets nest on home walkway in Bridgewater, NJ