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This customer in Plainsboro, NJ was tidying up her backyard when she found an active hornets nest on her home! Since she is a Home Protection Plan customer, she called our office and we were sent out. When we arrived, we equipped our protective bee suits and took a look at these stinging insects. Moments into our inspection, we were able to identify them as bald-faced hornets.
Bald-faced hornets are social stinging insects that are a close relative to yellow jackets. The surface of their upper midsection almost looks triangular from the side, and they have white markings on their face. They are EXTREMELY aggressive and will not hesitate to sting anything that invades their space. What makes them even scarier is they have smooth stingers, which means they can sting over and over again, can actually sense vibrations in the air, and remember their invader's face!
For treatment, we injected a knockdown aerosol application, waited a few moments, and then injected a knockdown dusting application. Both of these products will quickly eliminate the bald-faced hornets. After a few moments, we removed the nest and properly disposed of it.
As this customer in Franklin Park, NJ was relaxing on his back deck he spotted several paper wasps underneath one of the rafters! Since he's highly allergic to bee stings, he immediately ran inside, gave Cowleys a call, and we were sent out. Paper wasps received their name from the paper-like material out of which they make their nests. They are semi-social stinging insects that usually have brown bodies with yellow or reddish markings. A sting from a paper wasp can be extremely painful and can cause allergic reactions in some people.
When we arrived we spotted the baseball-sized nest and immediately started treatment. First, we applied a knockdown liquid application to the nest, which will quickly eliminate the paper wasps. Several moments later, we removed the nest, disposed of it, and treated the area with a liquid non-repellent residual. This will eliminate any paper wasps that return to this area as well as prevent them from building another nest.
This homeowner in Kendall Park, NJ had squirrels living in his attic and even damaged a portion of his roof by chewing a hole in it! Previously, we safely retrieved all the squirrels from the home and relocated them to a new, humane environment. After disinfecting the area, we began to repair the damage.
First, we cut a piece of sturdy metal flashing and installed it over the opening. Next, we applied roof grit to the flashing to blend it in with the color of the roof. Afterward, we applied a premium adhesive to the area and spread it across the flashing in order to hold the roof grits in place. Now the roof is repaired and good as new!
This homeowner in Kendall Park, NJ kept hearing noises in his upstairs bathroom and was concerned that something was living inside his home, so he called Little Rascals for help. Once we arrived and began inspecting the property, we spotted some squirrels going in and out of a vent on the side of the home. Looks like the homeowner has a squirrel problem. We informed the owner who mentioned that the vent is old and use to connect to the bathroom.
We temporarily enclosed the area with hardware cloth, installed a one-way device in front of the exhaust vent, and set up several baited traps nearby. The one-way will allow the squirrel to safely leave the attic, but prevent them from getting back in. A short while later, we successfully retrieved the squirrels and relocated them to a new, humane location. Additionally, we disinfected the area and installed a DryerWallVent®. The DryerWallVent® is made out of heavy-duty galvanized steel and its large opening and angled damper provide maximum airflow efficiency for safe venting. Integrated magnets keep the damper closed when not in use, preventing squirrels, birds, and all nuisance wildlife from infesting the home.
With mice and other nuisance wildlife infestations, it is critical to find the potential entry points and seal them; otherwise, the infestation will never be permanently resolved.
We carefully inspected the entire home, filling every hole we could locate with spray foam. The before/after pictures highlight that the gaps that were once open are now closed off. During my inspection, I also noticed a large gap underneath the front door that would allow mice to enter. I installed rubber weather stripping to seal that potential route.