Before & After Photos

Over the years Atlantic City Electric has been having issues with barn swallow flying in and nesting above the I- beams in the loading dock area. When asked by Cowleys pest control company for a solution, we immediately went out to the job site and installed Bird Slope on top of every I- beam. Bird Slope prevents birds from landing and nesting in those areas permanently.

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!

While servicing on one of Cowleys commercial accounts in Somerville, NJ, I noticed that some of the floor drains were quite dirty with accumulated organic matter on the walls of the drains. This “gunk” can easily become a breeding ground for fruit flies, drain flies, and other small gnats. 

To treat these potential breeding areas, we use a bio-foam, a bioenzymatic cleaner that continuously breaks down the decaying organic matter, removing a choice breeding habitat for these pests. I applied this product generously to the basket, pipes, and anywhere else that build-up was evident. Going forward, I recommended a stringent cleaning program to prevent this from re-occurring. Often, especially with restaurants, the source of the pest problem is hidden food debris, whether behind appliances or inside drains. A commercial kitchen may superficially look spotless, but once you start doing some digging, you realize that there are many food sources allowing these pests to survive and thrive. Instituting and enforcing sanitation and hygiene protocols can make all the difference.

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.