Before & After Photos

This summer, residents in a residential development in Mantaloking, NJ found themselves with a serious nuisance bird problem. The property manager contacted Bird Solutions By Cowleys for us to take care of the problem. Seagulls had taken over the community’s outdoor pool area. Suffice it to say, it’s difficult to enjoy a pool area while birds are hovering and circling a few feet overhead looking for scraps of food. And if you want to take a dip in the pool, you would be swimming with their feathers and fecal matter. Not exactly refreshing! 

Permanent residents and those with summer homes in Mantaloking or any of the other towns on the Jersey Shore, often find themselves with seagull issues on their property. It’s hardly surprising since these coastal regions are their natural habitat. Without a doubt, gulls are one of the most problematic nuisance birds for those who live in coastal New Jersey towns.. 

Although we like to think of gulls gracefully diving into the ocean to nap an unsuspecting fish, the reality is that these birds eat far more than aquatic life, and just like pigeons, they thrive in human habitats. Gulls are opportunistic scavengers that will consume virtually anything and we give them plenty of food waste to thrive. A major problem with these birds is their prodigious waste. Their thick white glue-like droppings are filled with pathogens and are a nightmare to clean. Their waste can cause property damage. It is acidic enough to disintegrate roofing materials and cause roof leaks!

With gulls and other nuisance birds, we don’t seek to kill or harm them. In fact, birds classified as migratory birds are federally protected and harming them is illegal. Our focus is on bird control — we want to change their behavior. We employ various deterrents to create a hostile environment so they get frustrated, abandon your property, and go bother someone else. 

For this particular situation, the most effective deterrent was an “eagle eye.” This highly effective optical bird “scarer” can be attached to the peak of a roof or anywhere else that gulls are landing and congregating. As the wind catches the device, it spins and emits an annoying large glare that distracts them and limits their vision. The reflected light beams are so uncomfortable that the gulls will divert their flight and head away from your property. Different bird species have different sensitivities to certain colors. This red eagle eye is designed and used primarily to repel gulls, and it works exceptionally well in large, open areas (like this pool area) that gulls find attractive. This gull problem will be completely eliminated as the birds seek out more hospitable locations where they are not bothered by a blinding light every time they attempt to land. 

Previously our Pest Control Division had eliminated all the mice that were infesting the crawl space area of this home in Mantoloking, NJ. The were mice were getting in through the broken and rusty crawl space vent, so we're here to replace it!

First, we removed the old vent and cleaned the area. Afterward, we installed an Insulated Smart Vent®. This not only will prevent mice, nuisance wildlife, and other pests from infesting the crawl space, but also keeps outside air away, along with all the moisture, winter cold, and summer heat it brings with it. A SmartVent® is designed to remain in the closed position until rising floodwater comes into contact with the vent. Water contact triggers an internal float mechanism that unlatches the door. In the open position, vents blunt the destructive force of floodwater by providing a path through the foundation. By equalizing water pressure instead of fighting it, your foundation can survive a flood without collapsing.

This homeowner in Spring Lake, NJ, was fed up with squirrels and nuisance birds nesting on the joists of his deck. After doing some research, he called Little Rascals by Cowleys for help and we were sent out! 

To exclude squirrels, birds, and other nuisance wildlife, we disinfected the joists and installed Pest-Blok. Pest-Blok undergoes a silicone-protected polyester coating process that makes it last longer and guards the area against squirrels, birds, and other nuisance wildlife.

As this homeowner in Spring Lake, NJ, was tending to her yard, she spotted an opossum running across the grass and then going underneath her deck. Startled, she searched online for a reputable nuisance wildlife control company, found Little Rascals, and scheduled an appointment. As we inspected the area, we found the opossum's main harborage area as well as several other potential harborage areas for other nuisance wildlife.

So, to exclude all nuisance wildlife and protect the deck, we installed Dig Defense® around the entire perimeter of the deck except for one area. Dig Defense® is a below-ground fence system 15 inches deep and 4 feet across and protects structures against invasive nuisance wildlife and feral animals. Afterward, we installed a positive set over the exposed opening. A positive set comprises a nose cone attached to a two-gaited, heavy-duty device. It's an upbeat set because we are optimistic that the opossum will enter our device.

Shortly after, we retrieved the opossum, relocated it to a new, humane location, and installed another portion of Dig Defense® over the opening.

One warm and sunny afternoon, this customer in Spring Lake, NJ, decided that it was a great day to go out and clean his gutters. However, as he was climbing up his ladder, he was attacked by several angry bald-faced hornets. He quickly got off his ladder and then spotted a soccer ball sized bald-faced hornets nest right next to the downspout, tucked away in the corner of the house. Since he was already a Home Protection Plan customer, he gave our Pest Control Division a call and we were sent out to inspect and treat. 

When it comes to treating anytime type of stinging insects extreme care is needed, especially with bald-faced hornets. They are one of the most territorially and aggressive stinging insects out there and will attack ANYTHING that comes close to their nest. Once we arrived, we equipped our protective bee suit, grabbed our extendable pole, attached a residual dusting application to it, and then injected it into the nest. This application rapidly exterminates the bald-faced hornets.

A short while later, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and then applied a liquid non-repellant residual to the area. This treatment will eliminate any returning bald-faced hornets as well as prevent them, and any other stinging insect, from building another nest.