See this little guy? He has been causing me a lot of grief for the past month or so. There is nothing quite like to sound of pecans being rolled around in your ceiling or on your attic floor at 4:00 in the morning, but that is just how these little flying squirrels roll. I knew I had a problem when I was unloading all of our Christmas decorations. Every box seemed to have a pecan in it. Keep in mind that I have no pecan trees in my yard and the closest one is down the street. I then heard the first signs of trouble one evening while putting Reid's clothes in his closet. A faint scratching was coming from the ceiling. I went up to my daughter's room and opened the attic door found in her closet. As I shined my flashlight, this little guy peaked his head around the corner, smiled at me and was gone in a flash. The game was on!
I guess I was hoping that by taking all of his pecan stash away in the Christmas boxes that he would find another place to dwell. I was wrong. He worked harder to replenish his bounty and drove us nuts crazy rolling his pecans all over the house. This was getting personal and this little squirrel's life was coming dangerously close to ending!
I decided to go the humane route and bought a live trap. I spent some time in one of my four attics (crazy house design) and found the pathway that my little pecan hording buddy was using to stash his stash. I set the trap up with some pecan hearts as bait. I slept well and did not wake to the scurrying of little feet chasing nuts. As I approached the attic door, I could hear the metal doors of the trap as our little friend was bouncing back and forth looking for an opening. He didn't find one!
I have read that you need to take a flying squirrel at least 5 miles from your home if you intend to release him. If you do not go five miles, chances are he will come back. I took my little buddy ten! I let him go in a nice little park in downtown Ocilla, GA where he raced up a 100 year old pine and stopped to look at me one last time as if to say "It's been real".
I have also read that where there is one flying squirrel, there is more than likely several more. I will set the trap again when I get home and hope for a repeat performance until I get rid of these little suckers.
This means war!
Update: As of Wednesday morning, I am now two for two on squirrel catching! The battle continues!!
5 comments:
Trey,
It's always a bit strange when we have to deal with "wild" animals in our houses. Have fun, but don't go Caddyshack with the squirrels.
Caddyshack meets National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. I'm waiting eagerly for the T-Luckie video production of said rodent extractions...
When you've caught all yours, come get mine....or maybe I'll just tell mine you have a better attic than we do!
It's their defecation/urination habits that really make them unwelcome, We have 'em up here in PA and I got rid of 'em with moth balls....they hate the smell.
Squirrels in the attic - I have many tales! I declared total warfare after they chewed through the electrical wiring in my attic; could have easily burned down the house. Sometime ask me (or my wife) about our "bed-time" squirrel story...
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