Before & After Photos

Recently, I was sent out on a service call to one of the condominium complexes we service in Somerville, NJ for a mice problem. When I arrived, I inspected the interior of the home and found mice droppings in the laundry room and office. I then inspected the exterior of the unit and, within minutes, I was able to find the entry point! There was a giant gap where the utility wires were leading into the home. 

I carefully cleaned up all the droppings inside the home, stuffed all the openings with chew-proof stainless steel mesh, and then sealed them in place with a premium, waterproof adhesive. Lastly, I placed several Ready-to-Use rodent bait stations throughout the interior and along the exterior of the building. I'll return for several follow-up visits to monitor the rodent infestation and replenish the bait stations as needed.

This homeowner in Gladstone, NJ was having issues with birds that were nesting on the small ledges by the joists. If not taken care of, the birds will continue to use these areas for nesting year after year

We carefully removed all the nesting debris, disinfected the area, and installed Bird Slope. Bird Slope is a physical bird deterrent used to block birds from landing or nesting on open ledges. Bird Slope's unique angled design makes it impossible for birds to land or nest in 90° areas such as ledges, window sills, or eaves making it an effective bird deterrent against all nuisance birds.

A new customer in Gladstone, NJ spotted some yellow jackets flying around his master bathroom one morning and immediately called Cowleys for help. When we inspected the bathroom, we noticed a few yellow jackets hovering around the jacuzzi vent. So we opened it and a bunch of angry yellow jackets came flying out! We discovered that they were coming from a small space near the vent duct, so we treated that area with a knockdown aerosol application. We then went outside to check the exhaust vent to the jacuzzi, removed the vent cover, and found an active yellow jackets nest inside!

We treated that area with a knockdown dusting product, which will rapidly exterminate the yellow jackets. After several moments, we removed the nest and disposed of it. We then went back inside and treated the void around the vent duct with the knockdown dusting application.

A new customer in Belle Mead, NJ was having trouble with flying squirrels getting into his attic and destroying his insulation, so he contacted Little Rascals and we were sent out to investigate. After inspecting the property from top to bottom, we determined that the flying squirrels were infesting the home via the attic fan! 

In order to safely remove them from the home, we temporarily sealed off the attic fan and installed a one-way device in front of it. The one-way device will allow the flying squirrels to safely leave the area but prevent them from getting back in. We also placed several baited devices nearby. A short while later, we successfully and safely retrieved all the flying squirrels in the home, relocated them to a new, humane environment, and disinfected the attic area. 

To prevent any future intrusions from flying squirrels, we installed an attic fan cover over the attic fan. This material is made out of heavy-duty 18 Gauge expanded Galvannealed steel mesh. This won't just prevent flying squirrels from gaining access into the home, but all nuisance wildlife, bats, and nuisance birds!

Recently, homeowners in Lawrence Township, NJ in Mercer County contacted Cowleys to upgrade their dirty, dusty crawl space. Crawl spaces are perhaps the most ignored areas of a home. They can also be fraught with problems that can affect the living spaces above. Dirty crawl space air circulates throughout the home, so even if you don’t see what’s going on down there, the crawl space in a very real way is visiting you on a daily basis. Crawl spaces are also notorious for high indoor humidity levels, for mold growth, and their damp, dark environment attracts insects. Many homeowners deal with pungent smells and poor indoor air quality because of problem crawl spaces.

This homeowner was bothered that there was a filthy area right below their first floor and decided it was time to do something about it. Cowleys has an experienced contractor crew that can improve crawl spaces in a variety of ways, up to and including the installation of a full CleanSpace encapsulation system. Crawl space encapsulation seals off the outdoor elements that can trigger all sorts of problems. Even if you don’t see puddles of water in your crawl space, ground soil is naturally saturated with water. By definition, any crawl space with a soil floor is damp and filled with moisture most of the time. 

For this homeowner, we installed thick mold-resistant drainage matting to create a barrier between crawlspace and floor, a primary entry point of unwanted groundwater.  We wrapped the walls with SilverGlo wall insulation, an Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS) product coated in a mold-resistant aluminum and put protective warping on the crawl space pillars as well. Finally, we put in a heavy-duty 20-mil CleanSpace vapor barrier. Our vapor barrier is much thicker and sturdier than a regular liner, and we mechanically fasten it to the walls. When, on occasion, you or a repair person need to access your crawl space, the barrier will not pull off or tear.

Once we completed the installation, these homeowners now benefitted from a home with a clean, improved crawl space. This home improvement will make their home more comfortable for the family, improve the indoor air quality, and reduce the risk of crawl space mold growth. For these homeowner, an added benefit was that their crawl space could now be used as a much-needed clean and dry storage area.