Brielle, NJ Bird, Wildlife & Pest Control Services

A new customer in Brielle, NJ called our office after finding odorous house ants in his kitchen. Odorous house ants are smalls ants, only 1/8 of an inch in size, are dark brown or black in color and are attracted to sweets, meats, and pastries. I'm sure right now you're thinking, why the funny name? Well if you step on one, you'll find out! They emit a rotten, coconut smell when they are crushed or alarmed. They usually enter homes after heavy rainfall.

I applied a liquid, non-repellant application directly onto the ants, throughout the kitchen and home, and all along the exterior. The application is designed to keep the ants alive long enough so they can transport the product back to their colony and then transfer it to the other ants through grooming or feeding. In a short amount of time, the entire colony is eliminated. 

This homeowner in Brielle, NJ called Cowleys complaining of hornets in her backyard. We arrived on the scene and conducted a thorough inspection in the backyard. Within minutes we located the hornet's nest in a nearby tree. As we took a closer look, several bald-faced hornets emerged and charged right at us!

Bald-faced hornets have black bodies, a white-patterned face, and two slanted lines running from their midsection towards their head and on parts of their abdomen. Like yellowjackets and paper wasps, their upper-midsection almost looks triangular from the side. Their nests are grey and paper-like and are enclosed. Bald-faced hornets are extremely aggressive and will defend their nest against anything that comes within close proximity.

Avoiding contact is key in order to safely and effectively treat this nest. Using our extendable pole we equipped a foaming residual application and began treating the nest from a safe distance. This foaming residual will immediately knock down all the hornets in the nest on contact and prevent any future hornets from building a nest in the same area. Once all the bald-faced hornets have been eliminated, we removed the nest and the attached branch and properly disposed of them. 

I was recently dispatched to a home in Brielle, NJ that was undergoing some extensive renovations.We were told that there’re “flying insects” bothering the workers. Upon arrival, I observed some  insects crawling around and underneath the exposed Tyvek house wrap, attached to all of its nooks and crannies. 

Upon closer examination, I saw what I was dealing with. These were European hornets  building a nest in a wall void. With European hornets, you’ll rarely see those freely suspended football-shaped nest that are common with bald-faced hornets and paper wasps. Instead, just like here, they usually build their nests in a hole or cavity. With these insects, their nests are usually hidden and difficult to reach and treat. 

European hornets, like many other stinging insects like yellow jackets and bald-faced hornets, are social insects that live in large colonies. Social insects are often highly territorial and will aggressively defend their nests. European hornets happen to be especially intimidating because of their size. They are one of the larger stinging insects we regularly deal with — about an inch long!  

European hornets have orange, brown, and yellow markings. Because they have a bit of yellow in them, they are often confused with yellow jackets. These hornets just happen to be much larger than the slender yellow jacket. For homeowners, it’s enough to know that both are aggressive insects that can deliver painful stings. Also, if these insects get inside a home, they can build nests inside wall voids, chewing their way through sheetrock.

I treated the opening with a highly effective dust. When insects comes into contact with the dust, they bring it back with them and share it with the rest of the colony. Here, once I applied it, the hornets did not even want to advance into the opening. After treatment, it takes about a day for the activity to cease. Now, the home renovations could proceed uninterrupted without anyone worrying about being stung.

Two members of Cowleys residential home improvement crew were sent to a home in Brielle, NJ to conduct an inspection for a gutter cleaning.  

Your gutter system is designed for one purpose: to capture and direct rainwater off your roof and  away from your home’s foundation. Extensive damage and expensive repair bills can result from clogged or otherwise obstructed gutters. Types of damage include wood rot, stagnant water around the perimeter leading to foundation damage (and even collapse!), damage from water seeping into your basement or crawl space (which can also trigger mold growth and attract insects and wildlife), damaged shingles/roofing, damage from water seepage into your attic and eventually into your home’s living spaces if severe enough, damaged fascia boards on which the gutter system is attached, landscape damage to trees and shrubs around the base of the home, and ice dam formation on the lower edge of your roof in the winter. 

At a minimum, gutters should be cleaned annually. However, if you have deciduous trees (such as the Northern red oak, our official New Jersey state tree!) growing nearby your home, a gutter cleaning performed twice per year would be safer. Gutter cleanings are especially during the fall when leaves are falling. 

Cowleys offers full gutter cleaning services, a critical home maintenance task that homeowners ignore at their own peril. A professional gutter cleaning is especially important for those homeowners who do not have the time, interest, or mobility to climb up and down ladders to do it themselves. 

Recently, I was performing a routine servicing at the clubhouse of an active “over 55” community in Brielle, NJ. Upon arrival, I spoke with the property manager to determine what pest issues, if any, had been reported to him. He told me that a hornets' nest had formed on a tree in the front yard of one of the homeowners in the community. Because of the cold weather over the past few weeks, I was confident that the nest was likely abandoned.  

I arrived at the residence to assess the problem. The homeowner greeted me and told me that he had not seen any wasps, but he was highly allergic to stinging insects and concerned when he found the nest. He did not even know the nest was “hiding” in the tree until the leaves had dropped. I explained to the homeowner, that unlike yellow jackets, these wasps are not particularly aggressive unless they feel threatened. He was not bothered by these wasps all the time they were there because he did not bother them. Also, in colder climate areas like New Jersey, Hornets will abandon their nest in the winter. Only the young queen and her eggs survive by finding some protected area like under tree bark or behind the siding of a home.

The nest was empty with no active wasp activity. For the homeowner’s peace of mind, I removed the nest. I set up a ladder and used a putty knife to remove the dormant nest attached to a tree branch. The homeowner was visibly relieved that I was able to remove the nest and take it off the property. For those who are highly allergic to stings, it can be a life-threatening emergency, and I understood the homeowner’s concern.

I was sent to an older home in Brielle for an annual inspection covered under our carpenter ant contract. The home had previously been treated for an infestation of these wood-destroying insects, and I wanted to make sure the home was still free of any infestation. Usually, you will find carpenter ants nesting inside dead, damp soft wood. Unlike termites, they do not consumer the wood; rather they bore holes to establish and enlarge their nests. They are capable of hollowing out sections of trees, and, one particular species, the black carpenter ant, likes to infest wooden buildings and structures, causing major structural damage. I thoroughly inspected inside the home and along the sill plate in the basement, and found no evidence of carpenter ant activity. But as often happens, when inspecting for one insect you find evidence of another. With this Braille home, one of the main beams was damaged by powderpost beetles, a type of wood-boring beetle capable of causing extensive damage, in part from the wood being exposed to water damage from the exit holes. (See picture.)

Powderpost beetles are the most destructive beetle pest of seasoned wood. They are second only to termites in the amount of damage caused to wood and wood products. These small, wood-boring insects damage both hardwoods and softwoods, although hardwood infestations are more prevalent. The term “powderpost” refers to the type of damage done by these insects. The larvae of these beetles feed on wood and, given enough time, can reduce it to a mass of fine powder. You’ll see this powdery wood dust as the beetles emerge from their nests. Powderpost beetle larvae spend months or years inside wood while developing, feeding mainly on the starch content. Their presence is only apparent when they emerge as adults, leaving behind pinhole-sized openings. They may also leave piles of powdery frass, which is the waste excreted by the insects when boring through the wood.

The interior and exterior of this home had been treated three years prior after a Cowleys technician had discovered carpenter ant activity by the back porch area. Since the property was covered by a warranty plan, after treating to the exterior of the home, I informed the customer about the powder post beetle damage in the basement. We set up an appointment to treat the support beam before any more damage could be done.

This Braille job is yet another example of the importance of periodic, thorough pest inspections. Insects are seeking to infest your home from every direction, underground, on the ground, and in the air. Pest inspections are a critical part of those steps a cautious homeowner takes to protect his home investment. Insects, especially termites and wood-destroying ants and beetles, are silent destroyers of property. Early infestation detection translates into easier, localized treatments and less property damage.