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Missing Piece of Wood Allows Squirrels to Enter Home in Woodbridge, NJ

Here we are at a community building in Woodbridge, NJ dealing with a squirrel issue. We set-up a one-way exclusion device over the access point and wrapped the entire soffit end with hardware cloth around the one-way device so it’s the only way out.  A one-way exclusion device is a device that allows the squirrel to safely exit the home, but prevent it from getting back into the home. Once the squirrel is safely removed from the home, we're going to repair the soffit. 

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A homeowner in Parlin, NJ contacted Cowleys after finding a groundhog running throughout her yard and feasting on her plants. Groundhogs are notorious for making a meal out of homeowners gardens. After inspecting the exterior of the home, we found the groundhog burrow. A groundhog’s burrow are holes with large piles of dirt at the entrances. Groundhog tunnels are very large and have many chambers. We set up a nose cone over the burrow and secured it with a rebar, so it cannot go side to side. The nose cone leads right into a Comstock two gated trap. A Comstock trap is a heavy duty trap that features super strong coil springs that powers the trap door. The door locks into place which prevents animals from escaping. Nose cones are an extension of the trap that'll guide the groundhog safely into the Comstock trap. In a short amount of time, we’ll have our groundhog.   
Groundhog Burrows Under Home in Parlin, NJ
Recently, we went on a service call for a new commercial client, a condo association in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. A mother opossum and her babies made a home in the storage area of the parking garage. Opossums are the only marsupial found in North America. They usually live alone and are only active at night. Though a relative of the kangaroo, opossums are much slower and produce a nauseating smell when threatened.
Opossums Take Shelter in Storage Bin in Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Recently, we went on a service call in Middletown, NJ for a homeowner contacted Cowleys for a mole issue. What we’re going to show you is the differences between mole travel tunnels and feeder tunnels.
Moles Trick Homeowner in Middletown, NJ
Recently, we went on a service call for a new homeowner in Toms River, NJ who complained of raccoons in his attic. The homeowner just recently purchased this property and was going to renovate it. Once I began my inspection I immediately noticed that the gable vent was ripped apart. Gable vents are very brittle after long time exposure to the outside elements, so it wouldn’t require much effort for a raccoon to damage to it. Continuing my inspection to the other side of the home, I found soffit pieces on the ground. Taking a closer look, I found raccoon hair left behind in the soffit. After a thorough inspection, I determined that this was the main access point for the raccoon. There were all kinds of water damage to the soffit, which is what attracted the raccoon and made it easy for the raccoon to gain access to the attic. First, I temporarily sealed off the bottom of the soffit. Then, set-up a nose cone in front of the access point and attached it to a two-door Comstock trap. Due to how fragile the soffit was, I had to be a bit creative and create a custom nose cone out of hardware cloth. A Comstock trap is a heavy duty trap that features super strong coil springs that power the trap door. The door locks into place which prevents animals from escaping. Just in case the raccoon is nervous about the Comstock trap, I set-up a placement trap nearby. In no time at all, we will safely catch the raccoon.
Raccoons Ruin Soffit in Toms River, NJ
This homeowner in Jackson, NJ had enough of groundhogs destroying her garden. We could do a simple trapping, but that would only temporarily solve the problem. We offered her a more permanent solution to her problem.  I’m going to install Dig Defense® around the entire perimeter of the shed. Dig Defense® is a below-ground fence system that protects structures against invasive wildlife and keeps pets from digging out of yards. The fence is 15 inches deep and 4 feet across. Groundhogs dig at a 45-degree angle — they cannot dig straight down. So once this fence is installed, they are unable to go around it. Once the Dig Defense® is installed, I'm going to set-up a nose cone into a multi-catch device over the main access point. Nose cones are used as an extension to a device to guide animals directly from the access point into the device. A multi-catch device is similar to a placement trap. The only difference between a placement trap and a multi-catch is a multi-catch can catch multiple critters. I also set-up a placement trap on the outer perimeter. In no time at all, we’ll have our groundhog. 
Groundhog Digs Up Garden in Jackson, NJ
Recently, I went out on a service call for a homeowner in Freehold, NJ who believed he had groundhogs infesting his yard. Once I arrived and began my inspection, I came across a small hole near the foundation in the backyard. As I took a closer look, I discovered that it wasn't groundhogs invading the homeowner's property — it was skunks. How did I know that? Holes left by groundhog are usually 6 to 8 inches in diameter, and this hole is only about 3 inches — the perfect size for a skunk. Many people don’t think of skunks as burrowing animals. Usually, when they see a pile of dirt and a hole going underground they automatically think it’s a groundhog. Skunks actually have very long and sharp claws they use very well for digging.  To safely retrieve the skunk I’ll cover the hole with a nose cone and then set-up a one-way exclusion device. Nose cones are used as an extension to the device to guide the animals directly from the access point into the device. The “one-way” has a spring door that allows the skunk to exit but prevents their return. In a short amount of time, we will retrieve the skunk and the home will be pest free!  
Skunks Are Expert Diggers in Freehold, NJ
Recently, I went on a service call to a home in Whiting, NJ, to resolve a wildlife infestation for a homeowner. The homeowner believed that he had groundhogs because of burrowing activity in his backyard.  Upon arrival, I inspected the backyard for any signs of active wildlife and soon found a hole underneath the A/C condenser slab. Groundhogs are only one of many types of burrowing wildlife that can cause lawn damage, and turn into a nightmare for homeowners. Based on a close examination of the hole, I determined that the invading wildlife here were not groundhogs. This was a skunk problem! Chubby groundhogs form holes 6-8 inches wide. This cone-shaped hole was far too small for a groundhog. Skunks commonly dig for insects and grubs (insect larvae) in yards, and they are notorious for digging under slabs. Their holes tend to be shallow and perfectly circular. Sometimes you will be able to smell a faint skunk odor. Many homeowners don’t realize that skunks are as skilled diggers as groundhogs. Skunks have large, strong claws with long nails on their forefeet that are tailor-made for digging.  Over time, skunks burrowing under concrete slabs, decks, porches, or other residential structures can cause structural damage, not to mention ruin lawns.   For treatment, I’ll cover the hole and then set up a one-way exclusion device behind the A/C Condenser unit. The “one-way” has a spring door that allows the animals to exit but prevents their return. With skunks, if you get rid of the insects and food sources attracting them in the first place, they’ll leave to look for food elsewhere.
Skunks Hide Underneath A Concrete Slab in Whiting, NJ
Recently, I went out on a service call in Brielle, NJ, for a homeowner who had an unexpected run-in with raccoons in his backyard. While he was getting ready for a late night cookout with his family, his grandkids saw a party crasher: a raccoon was sniffing around the backyard fireplace looking for some goodies. Kids aren’t the only ones who love s’mores! For this homeowner, the raccoon was too close for comfort, and he did not want these large, often vicious, animals roaming around his property. Free-range chickens are great; free-roaming raccoons are not! I began a thorough inspection of the exterior perimeter of the home to determine if there were any exposed areas indicating that raccoons have entered the home. Raccoon moms are clever, strong and extremely determined when it comes to finding a den for their young. Attics are a favorite of raccoons, but they will also nest in crawl spaces, basements, and other out-of-the-way private spaces. They will not hesitate to exploit weaknesses in a structure to gain access into a home. Fortunately, there were no signs of raccoon entry into the home.  Since no raccoons had yet entered the home, this particular job is what we consider to be a free-roaming animal trapping scenario. When nuisance wildlife are actively using a yard, I will strategically place traps throughout the backyard to safely trap any raccoons before they do damage to the property.   Here, I first set up a placement trap near the fence in the backyard where the raccoon ran off to when it was first spotted. Often, with wildlife, especially raccoons, they can be skittish with traps. When they step into a trap and feel the metal flooring, they will back out and move on. For this reason, I like to place mulch in the trap leading all the way up to the trip pan to give the trap a more natural feel; that is until the trap door shuts! I placed another placement trap where the raccoon was the first seen near the fireplace. Once again I placed mulch all the way up to the trip pan to disguise the metal flooring. This home also had a deck near the fireplace that would be an attractive nesting area and set a trap there as well. I scheduled a follow-up inspection to monitor the traps, and the homeowner will be contacting me immediately once a raccoon is captured. Once captured, I’ll relocate the raccoon to a more appropriate environment far away from human habitats.
Free Roaming Raccoon in Brielle, NJ
Recently, we went on a service call to a home in Red Bank, NJ after the homeowner contacted us after hearing strange wildlife noises in his attic late at night. After the homeowner described what he was hearing, our instincts told us that this was a raccoon infestation. Why? He was hearing a wide variety of sounds, and raccoons are extremely vocal creatures. With raccoons, you may hear purring chittering, growling, snarling, hissing, and even screeching. Also, the timing of the noises is important. Although raccoons can be active during the day, they are primarily nocturnal.  Of course,  a thorough inspection was still needed to confirm our suspicions. Based on the type of damage and the droppings, we had no doubt. Once we began our inspection in the attic, we immediately discovered a ripped hole in the floorboard that the raccoons were using for access. Due to the location of the access point, we needed a different approach to safely catch the critters. We set-up a nose cone, which is a one-way directional door that leads the raccoon to the trap, and then connected a Comstock trap to the cone. A Comstock trap is a heavy duty trap that has an opening on both ends of the trap. When placed over an access point, the raccoon,  thinking that it is a straight path, will walk through the device. However, once the raccoon passes through the trap, they’ll trigger a swing release that closes the trap. And for that raccoon, end of story! In fact, a short twenty minutes after setting up the trap, we heard it go off. We found a baby raccoon inside. We also noticed that the mother raccoon was peeking out of the access point looking at its now helpless baby. We decided that if we left the room,  the mother would enter the trap to reunite with her baby. We were right. Within minutes, the mother raccoon was stuck in the trap right next to her baby. Now, we could safely and humanely relocate the entire raccoon family to a safe location. 
Raccoon Family Sticks Together in Red Bank, NJ
I received a call from a homeowner in Deal, NJ who had a raccoon issue. The homeowner kept hearing noises in the middle of the night and actually saw a raccoon climb down his drainage pipe. Trapping raccoons this time of year is a slippery slope. We have no way of knowing if we are dealing with a pregnant female, a female that has already had her babies, or a male. We won’t find out until they are trapped. If we do capture a raccoon that is a mother and it cannot get back to its babies, then we have a bigger problem than before. The mother raccoon will do anything to get back to its young and cause more severe property damage than before. If you HEAR or SUSPECT something living in the attic, and it is NOT the DEAD OF WINTER, please assume that there are babies present! As I inspected the exterior of the home I came across several muddy paw prints leading up the drainage pipe to the soffit. The soffit had a nice size hole in it as well. You could tell that the soffit was ripped apart. Raccoons are extremely intelligent, but they are also extremely predictable. They will always take the least resistant path and follow that same path over and over again. Their razor-sharp claws can rip apart roofs, sidings, and soffits, but they leave the evidence behind.   There are scenarios we come across where a “positive set” or one-way device isn’t possible or would be difficult. A
Wildlife Removal in Deal, NJ
I got a call from a homeowner out in Monroe, NJ who was hearing noises in their attic during the day. The homeowner told me that they literally just had their roof and gutters repaired. When I did my inspection, I saw that 3/4 of the house’s drip edge was not installed, or not installed properly leaving a large gap, between the fascia and the roof edge. If you plan on having your roof and gutters repaired, it's important to make sure it is done properly and that there are no gaps. If not done properly, you're going to have a lot of extra
New Roof No Problem for Squirrel in Monroe, NJ
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