Next night: "Do you hear that?" I hear more scratching. "I'll look in the attic this weekend."
Two weeks ago, Maggie didn't have to wake me. We both spent the pre-dawn hours being entertained by the pitter patter of... well, we did not yet know. Just above our heads, practicing their sprints, back and forth with just a 1/2" of drywall separating us.
Mice? Did not make sense, as they are food scavengers, and burrowers, and don't tend to climb up 2 1/2 stories to make their nightly abodes. Squirrels? My first assumption, but only half true.
As I climbed through the attic, dangling my timid hand in and out of the rafters for some evidence of a hole in the roof, I am met by a chipmunk, I think. But not quite like a chipmunk.
In the glory of the internet, I found that we are infested by a family of Southern Flying Squirrels. I've lived most of my mid-life life in Georgia, and have never seen these nocturnal
So, being the animal lover I am, after 3 nights of loud entertainment, I bought a Hav-A-Heart live-trap - a box designed to lure the unintelligent creature in via the aphrodisiac of peanut butter, and keep them for ready me to drop off in the next county. That was a week ago. All I have found is a licked-clean trap with no squirrels.
Then, realizing that they are RODENTS, and that I actually am not an animal lover, I placed seven (7) rat-traps smothered in peanut butter (p.b. on the trap, on the wood base, on the area around the trap) throughout the attic centered on two found entrances and some sort of leaf-strewn nesting area.
Maggie had solicited free advice from a Squirrel-Removal-Man: put up the traps and leave the attic alone for 5 days. Give them time to get used to the traps and get sprung. So, on day 5, just moments ago, in anticipation of the Great Squirrel Takedown, I venture up the rickety stairs to find one (1) dead squirrel and six (6) licked-clean un-triggered Rat Traps (oh yeah, and a licked clean Live Trap).Two weeks into the standoff, I have made two trips to Home Depot, spent $44, climbed through the attic ~8 nights, laid in bed awake ~5 nights, watched half a dozen squirrels dash across the eaves, and catch one dead squirrel. I'm thinking it is time to bring in professional help. Or buy a shotgun. I'll ask Mags which she prefers.