Pest & Rodent Control Company in Wall Township, NJ

I was recently in Wall Township, NJ performing a periodic inspection and perimeter treatment for one of our residential customers. The homeowner indicated to me that she there were no active insect infestations in or around her property, so I thought it was going to be a routine visit. However, I should have learned a long time ago that in this business, there is no such thing as routine and on any service call, a big surprise can be waiting for you just around the corner!

During the outside perimeter treatment, I have to admit, I was caught off-guard. I found myself nearby a baldfaced hornets nest, and they were quite unhappy with my surprise appearance. A slew of them came straight in my direction. An angel was looking out for me that day because despite a small army of aggressive, territorial wasps flying all around me, i was not stung a single time! Baldfaced hornets are large black wasps with ivory-white markings on their face and abdomen. They are a type of aerial yellowjacket. They usually form their distinctive large papery grey nests that can grow to the size of a basketball a few feet above ground. You’ll find their nests in bushes or trees, and sometimes they even attach them directly to homes under roof eaves.

Following these baldfaced hornets, i found their well-hidden nest. They built it right in some bushes nearby the home. As the colony continues to grow, this could have become a dangerous problem, especially for curious children or others who found themselves in they wrong place. 

I successfully treated and removed the hornets nest.For this homeowner, it was a good thing I came. She wasn’t even aware that she had a wasp problem on her property! Often, during these periodic inspections included with our home protection service, we discover insect and mice problems that the homeowner wasn’t even aware of it. When we find and treat these infestations, which are often in their early stages, it saves everyone a lot of trouble down the road. With insect reproductive rates, doesn’t take long for a small infestation to turn into a big one.

Recently, I was dispatched to a home in Wall Township, NJ, to help resolve a termite infestation. If left untreated, these wood-destroying insects can cause extensive property damage. Although countless types of insects invade our homes and properties, there is no other insect that causes more property damage than termites.  

The Wall homeowner had asked Cowleys to install a Sentricon baiting system around the perimeter of his home. This subterranean termite colony elimination system that actually uses termite biology and behavior against them. With Sentricon installations, we auger special bait stations into the ground, placing them every ten feet or so around the structure. To me, it is like installing an invisible, underground protective moat. The bait stations contain a matrix material, primarily cellulose (their favorite food), used as bait. The food is treated with a potent IGR (insect growth regulator) that prevents the insects from molting — and insects that can’t molt, die. Termites, like ants and many species of bees and wasps, are social insects that live in highly structured colonies. The worker termites bring the Sentricon bait back to share with the rest of the colony. The bait passes from termite to termite-like a virus. It does not take long for the entire colony to be eliminated. Sentricon is amazingly effective in preventing termite infestations, and there are plenty of independent research studies that confirm its benefits to homeowners. Sentricon installations are often requested by homeowners after a liquid treatment is applied to resolve an active termite infestation. After dealing with one infestation, few homeowners want to take any chances risking another.

Recently, I was sent to a municipal building in Wall Township, NJ to deal with a stinging insect infestation. Cowleys was called after a boy had been stung on a walking path close to one of the town’s building. The initial report we received was that the boy had been stung by “bees” hovering around their nest that had formed in a tree. As it turned out, the stinging insects in were actually bald-faced hornets, an aggressive, territorial wasp. They are a close relative of yellow jackets. These particular wasps have distinctive white markings on their face and body. One major difference between bees and wasps or hornets is that bees can only sting once while wasps and hornets can sting multiple times. With bees, their barbed stinger usually stays in the puncture wound. Since wasps and hornets do not lose their stinger, they can sting multiple times. Also, the chemical makeup of their venom is different. It’s not your imagination that wasp and hornet stings hurt much more than bee stings— they really do! Their venom has a higher concentration of acetylcholine, a chemical that stimulates your body’s pain receptors. 

It goes without saying that wasp nests in areas with high pedestrian traffic must be dealt with quickly, especially if the nest is in a commercial or public area where customers and visitors and coming and going.

When dealing with wasp nests, I always take appropriate precautions to avoid being stung myself. We have full-body protective suits if we feel the circumstances warrant it. Here, to keep a safe distance, I used a special extension pole that applies a dust inside the nest. This product quickly knocks down insect populations. After pumping the nest three times, I waited until I observed no more insect activity. Once I saw no more activity outside of the nest (there still could have been some live insects inside), I carefully cut the small branch where the nest had formed to detach the nest. I immediately bagged the nest in order to contain any insects that may still be alive. Once finished, I took the nest with me so I could later safely disposed of it. It is important to remove the nesting material from the property so it does not attract other insects. 

Recently, I was sent to a home in Wall Township, NJ for a homeowner who had contacted Cowleys because of suspected wildlife or rodent activity in the attic. The homeowner was hearing wildlife noises in the wall voids and in attic, but was not able to determine the type of animal that had entered his home. I was sent out to determine what needed to be done to resolve the infestation..

Upon arrival, I began my inspection to find out what animals gained access to the home and how they had gained access. With attic infestations, the usual suspects are squirrels, raccoons, and mice.However, with this job, you need to be ready for anything. Here, I observed a bird’s nest in one of the attic vents along with a hole in the vent that gave the birds a wide opening to come and go as they pleased.

To take care of this bird problem, we scheduled a nuisance wildlife technician who specializes in wildlife removal and exclusion to resolve the infestation. With bird infestations, we remove the nesting materials and sanitize and deodorize the attic because of the toxic bird droppings. Bird droppings can contain numerous pathogens and when the droppings dry out and are disturbed, airborne particles can be released. It is important to have any infested area in the home thoroughly cleaned. We will also need to assess the extent of contaminated insulation.  Finally, we will replace the vent screen and take whatever other precautions are necessary to ensure that there will not be a re-infestation. For any homeowner, one bird infestation in their attic is more than enough!

While treating a home in Wall Township, NJ, we noticed that a portion of the soffit area was damaged. So we took a closer look and fortunately, didn't find any signs of a pest, bird, or nuisance wildlife infestation. However,  if this isn't immediately repaired, it's only a matter of time until the homeowner does have an issue.

It's important when inspecting your property to keep an eye out for issues such as this. Catching them early and fixing them immediately is a great way to prevent any type of pest, bird, or nuisance wildlife infestation. After bringing this to the owner's attention he contacted our Little Rascals Nuisance Wildlife division to come out and replace the soffit area with sturdy metal flashing which is going to prevent any type of bird, nuisance wildlife, or pest problem.