Before & After Photos

The homeowner in Red Bank, NJ, contacted Cowleys because he was concerned about his crawl space access, which was wide open. Cowleys has a contractor division that specializes, among other things, in crawl space improvements. Vented crawl spaces are often a source of many homeowner issues.

These chronically humid below-grade spaces often develop mold, and their environment attracts insects, mice, and wildlife. This homeowner was motivated to fix this opening because he has young kids who play around the house, especially now that spring is here and temperatures have warmed up. He was justifiably  concerned that their curiosity may get the best of them and they could accidentally fall in the entry hole. A dangerous situation, to be sure. Candidly, upon arrival, when we first saw the opening, we were surprised that nuisance wildlife had not yet exploited this opening. There was a high likelihood, even if the homeowner was not aware of it, that overwintering mice had vacationed in the crawl space. 

We had the perfect solution for this particular type of crawl space access — The Turtl. It’s not what you think. We didn’t block the crawl space entry hole with a giant snapping turtle!  This particular “turtl” is the brand name of a solid PVC vinyl weatherproof crawl space door and entry system that eliminates the need for a crawl space door and access pit in one fell swoop. 

Crawl space entry doors made of wood or steel can weaken over time through rot or rust leading to unwanted water intrusions, mold, and insect an wildlife infestations. The Turtl crawl space entry, with its locking lid, provides a tough attractive entry system that protects your crawl space from the harsh outdoor elements and keeps out insects, wildlife, and even little kids looking for trouble! The Turl crawl space access attaches directly to the foundation so it can’t shift or move. Also, it is manufactured using a rotational molding process, as are many chemical and fuel tanks, so it is seamless and can’t split. As you can see from the before and after photos, the Turtl turned an unattractive and potentially dangerous crawl space hole into a safe, protective crawl space entry system.

After we safely and successfully removed several gray squirrels from this home in Tinton Falls, NJ, we now need to seal up their entry point to prevent any future intrusions from squirrels or any other nuisance wildlife.

There was a portion of the roof shingles that had a pretty big opening on both ends that was perfect for the squirrels to enter the home. After we disinfected the area, we installed sturdy, metal flashing on each end of the shingles, screwed them in place, and sealed them with a premium, waterproof adhesive.

A homeowner in Tinton Falls, NJ was having an issue with groundhogs harboring under her shed. Fortunately, at the time of our inspection, the groundhog had moved on and was no longer hiding under the shed. However, if nothing is done, the groundhog will return and continue to harbor under the shed and cause structural damage.

The best method to protect this shed is to remove all the debris surrounding it and install Dig Defense®. Dig Defense® is a below-ground fence system that is 15 inches deep and 4 feet across and protects structures against invasive nuisance wildlife and feral animals. 

A commercial building in Wall Township, NJ, was having a problem with pigeons roosting under the solar panels. As pigeons do, these birds were depositing their droppings all over, defacing the building and annoying for customers entering and exiting the premises. It was an intolerable situation.  

Pigeons are one of the most common nuisance birds faced by commercial property owners. Many view feral pigeons as vermin because of their toxic waste and the diseases that they carry. These birds enjoy a virtually unlimited food supply and thrive around human populations. Unfortunately, nuisance birds shuffle from one building to the next. When they are “evicted” from one location with deterrent devices, they inevitably become someone else’s problem.  

Pigeon droppings are more than an unsightly nuisance. Their droppings are highly acidic. In fact, their waste matter is white because of the uric acid crystals in their watery “bombs.” that splatter and make a sticky mess. Their waste is strong enough to dissolve paint and damage property. Also, their droppings contain numerous pathogens and parasites. Touching or even just breathing in the airborne spores can transmit a variety of diseases, including histoplasmosis, a respiratory fungal infection.

The property owner contacted Bird Solutions By Cowleys to resolve this bird infestation permanently. We inspected the area to determine how the birds could be blocked from the roof area. The most effective solution was installing a bird barrier around the perimeter of the solar panels.With this barrier in place, birds or wildlife could no longer enter under the solar panels to nest where they could chew wire and cause other property damage.

Tennis, anyone? Recently, I was sent to a country club in Wall Township, NJ that was having a wasp issue near their tennis courts. Fortunately, none of the members had yet been stung, and I was glad that I could remove the nest before anyone had an encounter with these stinging insects.  

Upon inspection, I found that a baldfaced hornet nest had formed on a nearby tree. A mature nest can grow quite large and house hundreds of wasps. Baldfaced hornets are a close relative of yellow jackets, and they are just as aggressive and territorial. These wasps are readily identified by their white markings on their face and abdomen. They commonly build their nests off tree limbs, but we also find them attached to homes and other structures. 

Like all social wasps, they aggressively respond to their nest being threatened. Before starting treatment, I alerted a pair of players in the court that I would be treating the nest and they may want to consider a brief delay of their match. They wholeheartedly agreed! 

I treated the nest from a safe distance, first using an aerosol to knock down the population before removing the nest. Once I observed that there was no more wasp activity around the nest, I removed it from the tree, and bagged it so I could take the nest with me. I thanked the players for their delay of game, and with the nest removed, their match could continue without these stinging spectators nearby.