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Before and After Pictures from Avenel
Dig Defense® will Keep Wildlife from Entering Home in Avenel, NJ

Dig Defense® will Keep Wildlife from Entering Home in Avenel, NJ

Before After
Dig Defense® will Keep Wildlife from Entering Home in Avenel, NJ Dig Defense® will Keep Wildlife from Entering Home in Avenel, NJ

An Avanel, NJ homeowner contacted Cowleys for a nuisance wildlife technician to take care of a wildlife problem, and I was dispatched to his home. He told me that animals, possibly opossums, were gaining access under his cantilevered flooring. I have an interest in building construction and, to me, cantilevers are a great example of smart home building. With standard framing construction, joists are extended to a girder at the front end, and the framing looks like a bed frame. However, with cantilevered flooring, instead of a girder at the end of the joists, a beam is placed under the joists, so they can extend past that support.

That overhang that is past the beam is what’s called the cantilever. Using this construction, you can extend a home’s footprint and save on material costs— as long as it’s done right. For a safe cantilever overhang, you have to consider the strength of the particular wood and the spacing of the joists. Also, since the beam acts as a fulcrum, you have to make sure that the flooring can handle the weight put on the cantilever by taking into account the backspan of the joists (the distance of the joist up to the beam). Cantilevered engineering is like building a playground teeter-totter that you don’t want to budge an inch when weight is placed on the unsupported side. Unfortunately, some wildlife was as impressed with this cantilevered flooring as I was — and they wanted an up-close view by getting into the spacing under the flooring extending over the foundation!

For this particular job, the animals had made of mess of things with their clawing and droppings, and I needed to remove all of the debris and contaminated insulation underneath. I was able to access the area through the ceiling of the basement. After removing the debris, I sanitized and deodorized the entire area so that no other wildlife would be attracted to the same area by the left-over scent. For added measure, I blocked off every bay in the framing with Silver-Glo insulation and spray foam. Finally, I installed a Dig Defense® on the exterior portion of the cantilever and the rear deck to keep wildlife from being able to gain access. With a dig defense, the area invaded by wildlife is blocked by underground fencing to prevent them from re-entering. 

 

Crawl space makeover in Avenel, NJ

Crawl space makeover in Avenel, NJ

Before After
Crawl space makeover in Avenel, NJ Crawl space makeover in Avenel, NJ

This homeowner in Avenel, NJ contacted Cowleys for a crawl space improvement. Cowleys has an experienced crew that handles various crawl space improvements, up to and including full encapsulation and whole-house dehumidification for homeowners with water and moisture issues. These issues often result in mold growth that then affects the indoor air quality of the home.  

This particular installation job was more limited, and we are more than happy to adjust the scope of our work to meet the particular needs of the homeowner. The homeowner did not require full encapsulation (Cleanspacing”) because the crawl space was dry and did not have humidity levels that would be conducive to mold growth. However, the customer decided that it was time to replace his flimsy 6-mil “contractor bag” vapor barrier with something more durable and substantial in order to deal off the dirt and prevent dust and odors that periodically permeated the living areas above. 

To meet the needs of this homeowner we removed the old barrier and replaced it with our tear-resistant heavy-duty 20-mil CleanSpace vinyl vapor barrier. This vapor barrier is only available to licensed Basement Systems dealers. Our barrier is a specially engineered film made of layers of high density and low density polyethylene, and you  can walk on it without worrying about rips and tears. With its mil thickness, this barrier has the durability of a plastic tarp. 

The homeowner was quite pleased with our installation work and informed us that if he ever needed additional crawl space renovations, he’d have us back in an instant.

Company Awards
Cowleys Receives the Golden Osprey Award for Business Excellence
We are incredibly honored to receive the Golden Osprey Award from the Jersey Shore Chamber of Commerce for the Business... [Read more]
Cowleys Voted Best Places to Work in n NJ for a Second Year in a Row
We are honored to be named to the 2022 Best Places to Work in New Jersey list by NJBIZ magazine... [Read more]
Cowleys Wins Asbury Park Press's 2021 Best of the Best Community Choice Awards for Monmouth County!
Cowleys Services has been voted Monmouth County's BEST of the BEST 2021 Pest Control Provider by the Asbury Park Press!... [Read more]
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Avenel, NJ Pest Control Expert & Exterminator

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Avenel, NJ Expert Pest Control Company

Here at Cowleys Pest Services we not only adhere to the highest pest control standards, our goal is to provide you with an excellent experience and service in Avenel and nearby NJ.

From your first phone call through treatment and follow-up we at Cowleys Pest Services pledge to give you great customer service while fixing your pest problem.

Since 1991, we have been treating a wide variety of pests, bedbugs, insects and rodents -- just contact us to get more details on your home or building's issue. Take advantage of our expertise to get rid of unwanted pests or animals in your Avenel, NJ home.

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At Cowleys Pest Services we also have pest control plans where we routinely inspect your home or building and apply needed solutions ahead of developing a recurring pest problem. Our pest service plans have different levels too, to best suit your needs that you can change over time if needed. From our Green Service Plan to our Platinum Service Plan, we'll keep your home pest-free.

Business & Home Pest Services We Offer in Avenel:

  • Bedbug Extermination
  • Flea Control
  • Termite Control
  • Pest Control
  • Exterminators
  • Rodent Control
  • Ant, Beetle, Spider, Insect Control
  • Tick Control Services
  • Pest, Bird and Animal Control Services 
  • Attic Insulation Services
  • Gutter Guards
  • Crawl Space Encapsulation
  • Expertise and Technical Know-How to Fix Your Pest Problem
  • Financing Available
  • Written Estimates and Inspections
Case Studies From Avenel
Pill
As we were replenishing the bait for our rodent bait stations at this home in Avenel, NJ, we found an infestation of pill bugs underneath one of...
Termite
We are in the midst of termite season! Each spring, termites swarm to find mates and establish new colonies. When these swarms take place in and just...
Job Stories From Avenel, NJ
Bald-Faced Hornet Create a Nest Under the Lawn Chair in Avenel, NJ

As we were servicing this property in Avenel, NJ, we came across something unique on the front porch - a bald-faced hornets nest underneath one of the lawn chairs! Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellow jackets and have white markings on their face. They are territorial and extremely aggressive. If anything comes close to their nest, they will attack! Additionally, they have smooth stingers, which means they can sting over and over again, and can even remember their invader's face!

We equipped our protective bee suit and treated the nest with a knockdown aerosol product and a knockdown dusting application. These treatments are designed to quickly exterminate the bald-faced hornets. A short while later, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and then applied a liquid residual application to the area. This will neutralize any bald-faced hornets that return to this area as well as prevent them, and all other stinging insects, from building another nest.

Bald-Faced Hornet Create a Nest Under the Lawn Chair in Avenel, NJ - Photo 1
Termite bait stations strategically placed in Avenel, NJ

I performed a termite treatment for an Avenel homeowner who made the unfortunate discovery of a termite swarm in his bedroom. Termite swarms are when a small army of winged, reproductive termites are released from the subterranean nest to mate and start new colonies. Sometimes, these swarming insects manage to find their way inside homes through cracks in foundations and other gaps. While it is disturbing to see, finding a termite swarm can be a blessing in disguise for homeowners. It is an “in your face” sign that you have a termite problem. Otherwise, signs of termite activity can be quite subtle, and you may not realize that you have termite activity before there has already been significant property damage. Termites eat wood from the inside out so superficially the wood look okay until the hollowed out shell collapses from its own weight or disintegrates after you try to screw something in it. 

After our inspection and consultation with a homeowner, I determined that termite baiting would be the best solution to this problem. Termites are fragile subterranean insects that travel through soil. They cannot be exposed to the outdoor elements, and even when traveling from the soil to the wood in your home, will build protective mud tunnels over concrete foundations. After strategically installing bait stations around the perimeter of the home, swarmers began massing around one of the installed bait stations. This set-up will soon resolve the termite infestation and prevent any termite damage to the home down the road. In the attached photo, you can see the swarmers in the foreground with the bait station in the background.

Termite bait stations strategically placed in Avenel, NJ - Photo 1