Before & After Photos

These homeowners in Carteret, NJ found themselves with a raccoon infestation in their attic. Our wildlife technicians quickly trapped and relocated the trespassing animals. Unfortunately, as often happens, the attic insulation was contaminated and destroyed. Raccoons, with their razor-sharp claws, will shred through the insulation and use it as nesting material. Also, they deposit their wastes and urine all over it. Once this happens, the saturated insulation is not salvageable.  There is no choice but to remove and replace it with new insulation.

A Cowleys installation crew arrived to make the attic as good as new. Our goal was to remove any traces that the attic was once a home to wildlife. After removing the contaminated insulation, we sanitized and deodorized the entire attic to remove any and all “evidence” that there once was a raccoon infestation, including the pungent smells left behind. After a wildlife infestation, it is critical to have the attic thoroughly cleaned — not only to remove dangerous pathogens but also to remove any remnants of an infestation, which can be an attractant for other raccoons and wildlife to follow. Wildlife cleaning and sanitation is not a DIY weekend project. This stuff is dangerous! When droppings are disturbed, airborne waste particles are released into the air that can be breathed in and cause serious, chronic respiratory infections. Animals droppings in an enclosed area are a serious bio-hazard. This waste should only be removed by someone who is trained in using proper protective equipment.

After the cleaning and sanitation, we installed our blown-in cellulose insulation. This insulation has excellent thermal properties and, because it is blown-in rather than cut to size like fiberglass batts, all areas of the attic, down to the smallest nooks and crannies, are insulated. This insulation will pay for itself over time with reduced heating and cooling bills. 

The installation crew was especially proud of this project. We successfully transformed an attic that was destroyed by invading wildlife into a clean, beautiful, functional space that will improve the home’s energy efficiency.

I was sent to a home in Howell that was having a problem with overwintering mice. As temperatures drop, mice will start entering our homes seeking food and shelter. Upon arrival, the first thing we do is speak with the homeowner to find out where there has been rodent activity. Since mice are nocturnal and tend to do their foraging in the dead of night, usually homeowners will see signs of activity before spotting live mouse activity. Common signs of mouse trouble are finding mouse droppings, nesting materials, or stored food. A homeowner may also find mouse tracks in dusty places and oily rub marks along the walls. Sometimes, it’s the smell that let’s a homeowner know that there is a problem. We are often called in after a homeowner smells urine or a dead rotting mouse carcass behind the dryer or refrigerator

We want to know where there has been signs of mouse activity to help us focus on our inspection. Mice can find access points into a home in numerous places, but once inside, the small sneaky critters will usually make their way to the kitchen because they are looking for food and that’s where the “motherload” of food is located. Mice are especially attracted to pet foods that are left out in the open and easy-to-infiltrate cardboard cereal containers.  

An important part of my inspection when dealing with mice is looking for points of entry. It’s a challenge. Mice are even smaller than you think they are because of their fur. So, unlike some of the larger wildlife like squirrels and raccoons, the entry points are not as obvious, and a hole about the diameter of a dime is enough for them to squeeze in. Common points of entry include holes around pipe chases, electrical conduits, gaps under siding, overhead garage doors, and Bilco basement doors. Overhead doors often don’t shut all the way to the ground, and if weatherstripping is missing or damaged, it’s an open invitation. Likewise, Bilco doors often have uneven gaps between the steel door and the frame that are large enough for small rodent access. 

After determining the points of entry, I’ll seal any small holes with copper mesh and caulking. Larger openings require some construction work, and Cowleys has a home construction crew able to repair those gaps and cracks that need more than a sturdy “plug.”  

After closing the points of entry, I’ll take care of the infestation by baiting the areas of activity.

This homeowner in Howell, NJ had burnt out THREE store bought dehumidifiers. Finally, he said that enough was enough, and he contacted Cowleys to install a commercial-grade SaniDry Sedona dehumidifier that we set-up to drain directly into the sump pump. This fully automatic dehumidifier, which is specifically designed to work in crawl spaces and basements, is maintenance-free with no water pan to empty or worry about overflowing.

Proper dehumidification is essential to prevent mold growth in damp, dark basements and crawl spaces. Mold will thrive if the moisture content in the air is too high. You need a leaky pipe, a flood, or some other major water intrusion for mold to form. High indoor humidity is plenty to trigger dangerous mold growth.

This particular dehumidifier, with the capacity to remove 100 pints per day of water out of the air and moves over 300 cubic feet per minute of dry air around your crawl space or basemen will keep your basement or crawl space below 55% relative humidity. With low humidity levels, mold can’t grow and, as an added benefit, dust mites will die off. We avoid thinking about these distasteful things, but dust mite fecal matter is the primary cause of indoor allergies. 

By producing clean, dry, and healthy air this dehumidifier improves a home’s indoor air quality, prevents mold growth, and reduces those stinky musty smells that often develop in damp areas of the home. 

Homeowners in Howell, NJ, were having ongoing issues with feral cats and raccoons gaining entry to their crawl space. They contacted Cowleys for a solution knowing that we had a specialized crawl space repair and improvement division that handles all types of crawl space issues from sump pump installations to full crawl space encapsulation. A two-person team was sent out to assess the problem and find the best solution. We had the perfect solution: installing a customized Everlast door. With this installation, the homeowner had a crawl space door that would address his immediate concern by sealing his crawl space from rodents and wildlife. Also, these doors stand up to the worst weather conditions, blocking water and moisture from entering the crawl space where it can cause mold and other problems. 

These Everlast covers are specifically made for crawl spaces and can be installed against wood framing or masonry. They work exceptionally well, and have great aesthetics, blending in perfectly with the home’s foundation. Made of a hard durable plastic, Everlast doors truly live up to their name. They stand up to the worst weather, and unlike wooden or metal doors, they don’t rot, warp, crack, or rust, are maintenance-free, and never need to be painted. Also, even though these covers form a tight seal over the crawl space access, they are super-easy to open. Just twist a few easy-to-grip knobs, and the door comes right off. 

The homeowners were quite pleased that we were able to offer them a quick, cost-effective, permanent solution to their crawl space wildlife issues.

I was sent to a home in Cliffwood, NJ when the homeowner contacted Cowleys after finding a wasp nest above a window in a seldom used room. 

Upon arrival, I went to the room where there was a wasp nest. Based on the shape and construction of the nest, i immediately recognized it as a mud dauber nest. Mud daubers are solitary wasps that, unlike social wasps like yellow jackets and baldfaced hornets, do not live in colonies with a queen and hundreds of specialized workers. Instead, each female breeds and tends to her own. For the most part, solitary wasps like mud daubers are not territorial with regard to their nests. They  are not aggressive, and they seldom sting people. 

These wasps also known as dirt daubers or mud wasps, and for good reason. The female constructs small nests by carrying little mud balls to the nest site. She uses the nests to keep her eggs warm. The nests are built as cylindrical tubes that look like a pipe organ (the most common species in New Jersey is known as the organ pipe mud dauber).

I removed the active nest that already had several eggs and wasps in various stages in their life cycle. Homeowners can control mud dauber populations in their home by controlling spider populations since they live, for the most part, on a steady diet of spiders. By sealing cracks where spiders can live and regularly removing spider webs, you should not have a problem with mud daubers. However, if you do start seeing these strange little mud nests around your home, call a pest control technician to remove them. While these guys are not actively looking to sting, if you start trying to scrape away their nests as a weekend DIY project without the right equipment and products, you’re asking for trouble.