Attic Attack

This story begins over a month ago. I'm sure I should have been keeping a running blog with updates but I didnt. So now I'll write up the whole story here. . .sorry it seems so long. In January Brett and I were continually being awoken at ridiculous hours in the morning (6ish- - -hey, its ridiculous for me, I know my early morning seminary family is laughing at me) by a scratching sound coming from directly overhead. There is nothing overhead except for an empty attic. After a couple days of waking up to this intrusive sound, we decided something needed to be done. Sure, I could have put my head up there myself and checked things out but I am a huge wimp and I kept having visions of a killer squirrel flying, yes, flying at my face and scratching out my eyes leaving me for dead and my two daughters motherless. (perhaps my visions were a little dramatic). Needless to say, we called up an animal pest control guy. He came over and sure enough found evidence of a squirrel living in our house. Apparently there were nut bits around and some insulation was being nested. He also found an opening in our siding where the squirrel could easily enter. He set up some traps and we waited and waited. He kept checking the traps but getting nothing. After a couple of weeks he determined that he misdiagnosed the problem and explained that we were probably hearing something smaller. He showed me one of the traps which he had set up completely covered in sunflower seeds and which when he showed it to me-didn't have a trace of sunflower seed anywhere to be found. Magic. He explained that had a squirrel been munching on those, the trap would have sprung, so it must be a different varment, perhaps a rat or something. Great. I'm not gonna lie. The sound of "squirrel" is much less repulsive to my ears then that of "rat". Anyhow, our pest control expert set some rat traps and we waited some more. Then last friday he came by and found two unfortunate little mice caught in the rat traps. Our pest control man chuckled. . ."All this for two little mice" and explained that they had a separate mice poison operation which we could pay for. (He did set up 4 complimentary mouse traps in the attic which we could keep). He said that if we had any more trouble we could feel free to give him a call. Keep in mind, throughout all of these traps being set up . . .every couple of days, the scratching would return. Always in the morning.

Now the story gets really exciting. Yesterday, despite the dead mice in the traps, the scratching was back. Now, I may not be a pest control expert, but I knew that the sound was not being made by a mouse. It was to loud, to big. Then it was back again this morning. I asked Brett if he would bring the ladder upstairs. I was going to be brave and try and get a look at our new resident for myself. Brett, being the brave and gentlemanly man that he is, offered himself to go up into the attic instead. Since Brett is the protector of the family. .. . I readily let him prove his bravery. He poked his head up in the attic and didnt see anything. Drat. We continued on with our morning. Just as Brett was about to walk out the door and head to work, we heard the busy little bugger back to work in the attic. This time I told Brett to go all the way in and just try to scare it a bit whilst I stood guard outside. I watched the hole where the pest was entering and exiting. I dont know why, but I was obsessed with seeing it and knowing for sure, once and for all, what was up there. After a couple of minutes. . .I saw the little head poke out. Our "friend" pulled its little body and tail up onto the roof. It was most certainly a little grey squirrel. I wished that I had thought to bring my camera out. But there stood the little critter for a couple of seconds before vanishing away into the forest behind our house. I have since recalled the animal control guy and explained that we did most certainly have a squirrel. He is going to come back and start the trapping process again on wednesday. I wish him luck, it seems as though we have an extraordinarily intelligent squirrel residing with us. If only it would refrain from scratching in the morning, I might even consider letting it stay and guard the house while we are away. I can envision it now, any intruder who attempts to enter the house will be met with a squirrel flying, yes, flying towards his face, claws outstretched, ready to scratch out some eyes.