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Detective work finds multiple mice entry points in Fords

Detective work finds multiple mice entry points in Fords

Before After
Detective work finds multiple mice entry points in Fords Detective work finds multiple mice entry points in Fords

I arrived at a home in Fords, NJ to inspect for possible rodent activity in the attic. The homeowner, who was hearing light “pitter-patter” noises in the wall voids and attic at night, suspected a mouse infestation. 

I’m often asked why attics such a popular location for mice to live and breed. Well, from their perspective, this “penthouse” location offers everything that a mouse could ask for in a home — it’s warm, dry, small, dark, safe, and out-of-the-way. Also, there is little human traffic up there. Other than using the attic to store clothing and other household items, a home’s occupants rarely venture up there, so mice have the place all too themselves. Attics also offer mice a ready supply of comfy insulation that they use for nests, and there are a virtually infinite number of nooks and crannies to explore and hide in. 

Once mice infest the attic, they not only destroy expensive insulation with their droppings and urine, but they can also chew on electrical wires, creating a potential fire hazard. Mice in the attic are a health hazard for the entire home. While mice may live in the attic, they are scavengers that venture throughout the entire home in search for food. And they inevitably find their way into the kitchen where they bore through cereal boxes and other cardboard containers, contaminating food and spreading disease. Mice are especially attracted to homes where pet food is left out all day. For a mouse, there is nothing better than a continuous supply of food left out in the open for the taking. 

While in the attic, I observed several areas with the most obvious sign of a mouse infestation: distinctive pellet-shaped mouse droppings. A single house mouse can deposit up to seventy-five pellets daily. Multiply that by a dozen or more mice and it doesn’t take long for these filthy droppings to accumulate. I also observed rodent burrows, those little tunnels and runways, in the insulation. Finally, during my inspection, I look for potential access points. In this attic, there were gaps and open voids around electrical lines and pipelines, giving them easy potential entry points.

I started my treatment by setting a tracking powder inside all rodent burrows, pathways and entry points. Mice may hide in the attic, but they have to leave in order to feed. Mice come into contact with the tracking powder because these creatures of habit use the same runways and entry points over and over. This potent powder, which adheres to a rodent’s fur and paws, is ingested when the rodent grooms, killing them soon thereafter. I also sealed and patched the rodent entry points with copper mesh. Finally, I set up rodent bait and snap traps in the attic. After finishing my interior service, I moved to the outside of the home, inspecting for possible entry points. I found a large potential rodent access point around the A/C unit lines going into the home. I sealed that opening and treated around the area. Finally, as an extra precaution, I set up some exterior rodent bait stations.

I explained my findings and treatment to the homeowner. He was pleased that he was well on his way toward having this troublesome mouse infestation permanently resolved. 

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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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Fords, 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 Fords 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 Fords, 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 Fords:

  • 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
Job Stories From Fords, NJ
Worried homeowners in Fords, NJ calls about honey bee swarm

I was sent to a homeowner in Fords, NJ who was one of our home protection plan (HPP) customers. She contacted Cowleys because there was a swarm of bees outside her front door. She was especially concerned about the potential for stings, especially because of her husband’s frail health. He was in no condition to be recuperating from painful bee stings.

Upon arrival, I immediately observed a large swarm of bees covering a portion of a garden hose reel about 15 feet from the front door. It soon became apart that it was a swarm of honey bees on the reel. 

Honey bees are valuable, beneficial pollinating insects. As many are aware, there has been concern about declining honey bee populations since the late 1990s that has been attributed to habitat loss and industrial agriculture’s use of pesticides.  About 1/3 of our food supply comes from pollination, and the majority of that from honeybees. Also, these bees are the only insect that makes food we eat. Unprocessed honey has an indefinite shelf life, and has many health benefits. 

We don’t come across honey bee swarms too often, but when we do, we approach them carefully. Honey bees are protected in New Jersey and it is illegal to kill a nest unless it is located inside a dwelling. At Cowleys, we virtually never attempt to treat honey combs ourselves and kill the bees. As a practical matter, sprays are not effective because the intricate structure of the honey comb blocks the spray from reaching all of the bees. The remaining hive members inevitably regroup and continue to grow. Beyond that, we consider it irresponsible and environmentally wrong at Cowleys to kill an insect that is so critical for producing many of the fruits and vegetables that we enjoy. 

With this particular swarm, there was not yet even a honey comb built. These bees were swarming around a resting queen looking for a structure to build the comb. It was likely that the bee swarm would soon be moving away on its own. However, considering the concern of this homeowner, I did not want to work on the timetable of the bees and when they decided to leave. The best and most effective course of action would be to call in a professional beekeeper to remove the bees.
  
I informed the customer that the bees did not pose a danger as long as they weren’t undisturbed. Honey bees are not aggressive like wasps or hornets. We gave the homeowner the contact information of a reputable beekeeper that we work with in these situations. Beekeepers are skilled in removing the combs filled with honey and larvae and transferring it to a bee hive box that will become their new home. The collect any remaining swarming bees by either scooping them up or vacuuming them up in a special bee vacuum. 

The beekeeper keeps bees to collect their honey and other products the hive produces, to pollinate crops, and to produce bees for sale to others. These beekeepers, by caring for these insects, are providing a much needed environmental service, and I, for one, am thankful for the work they do.

 

Worried homeowners in Fords, NJ calls about honey bee swarm - Photo 1