Before & After Photos

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. 

We were sent out on a service call for a new Home Protection Plan customer in Princeton, NJ who found an a yellow jackets nest in his bathroom! The owner was in the process of renovating the bathroom and when he removed a portion of the drywall close to the ceiling, he was attacked by several angry yellow jackets! The problem with yellow jackets nesting in the wall is that they think they are in the ground and will try to expand their nest by chewing through the infrastructure of the home! 

For treatment, we injected a knockdown dusting application directly into the nest. This treatment exterminates the yellow jackets almost immediately. After several moments, we removed the nest, cleaned the area, and disposed of the nest. Now the owner can continue with his renovations without worrying about getting stung!

After noticing a large amount of bird nesting debris in a couple of his exhaust vents as well as actually witnessing a number of starlings flying out of the areas, this customer in Princeton, NJ called Bird Solutions for help and we were sent out. Blocked airflow from nests can cause dryers to overheat and create fire hazards, while also potentially leading to moisture buildup, mold, and the spread of diseases like histoplasmosis from droppings.

The first thing we did was carefully remove all of the nesting debris out of each one of the exhaust vents. Afterward, we disinfected each of the exhaust vents with a solution that targets bird mites. Bird mites are parasites that feed on the blood of birds. When birds leave their nests, the mites are left behind without a suitable host for their next blood meal and make their way into a home.

Lastly, to prevent any future nuisance bird intrusions, we installed a Defender over each of the exhaust vents. The Defender is the perfect choice to help keep out nuisance birds. While allowing free-flowing air movement, its patented design effectively blocks intrusion by using a system of bars instead of a screen under the hood.