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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.
One day this customer in Fair Haven, NJ noticed a woodpecker was flying around one of his windows and causing extensive damage to the header! So he called our Bird Services division for help and we were sent out.
Looking at the photo, you can see that the woodpecker caused some visible and serious damage to the header! First, we cleaned the area, stuffed the opening with steel mesh, and sealed it in place with wood putty. We made sure to blend it in with the same color of the home. Then to deter the woodpecker from pecking another hole, we added two Intimidator bird flashers. The Intimidator reflects the suns rays as the wind spins it around and gives off Ultra Violet "flashes" (ultra violet is a color that birds can see but humans can not). The woodpeckers will relate the UV flashes as a danger and stay away. This is a humane and effective visual deterrent to prevent the woodpeckers from causing any further damage to the home.
This customer in Fair Haven, NJ was cleaning out his attic one day, when all of a sudden he was attacked and stung by several yellow jackets! Since he was a Home Protection Plan customer, he immediately called our office and we were sent out to inspect and treat.
After equipping our protective bee suit, we thoroughly inspected the attic. A few moments into our inspection, we found a HUGE yellow jackets nest underneath the attic insulation in the corner of the attic! First, we injected a knockdown dusting application into the nest. A few moments later, we injected a knockdown aerosol product. Both of these treatments will rapidly exterminate the yellow jackets. A short while later, we removed the nest & any contaminated insulation, and properly disposed of them.