….the squirrels!

Two years ago I had a squirrel invasion that I’ve already written about. It was a miserable time. The stupid little rodents ate through the ceiling in the bedroom.

The site manager here is useless and didn’t do anything about it until it was way too late and considerable damage had been done. The ceiling had to be replastered and it was a pain.

This past November, just before Thanksgiving, I saw a couple more on the cable wire that leads into my apartment. Then I heard squealing and scratching over my head, sort of in the corner of my living room.

They were able to get in because some of the flashing that is on the underside of the gutters had come off. I had reported that to the site manager, but nothing was ever repaired.

So I called about the attic invasion, and while I was in New York City for the holiday they captured them. One of the maintenance guys had gotten them, the same guy who had captured the first batch.

It was quiet again.

Until last Thursday. I noticed that the cats were going crazy, running to the window and chirping or meowing. (Broadway, the big guy, makes this weird chirping noise. The scratching and pounding began again during last weekend's pseudo blizzard. I wasn't too worried, as they were only on the cable outside and I had been told that the hole had been fixed so they couldn't return.

Never underestimate the power of evicted squirrels. As of Thursday night they were back over my head and in the walls. By morning I believed they were moving furniture!

It was driving the cats nuts, and I wasn’t all that happy myself.

So I called the site manager and got his machine, telling me that he was away. But there was the number of the head honcho, so I called his machine and left what could best be described as a disgusted and frustrated message.

By the time I got home from work and dinner Friday night I had messages from the head honcho, my landlord, and an exterminator. The company slogan is something like "death to all squirrels" or "the only good squirrel is a dead squirrel". Sentiments I echo.

I was in the state of shock at this quick response. I guess the thing to do when I want action is to by pass the do nothing property manager and go right to the head honcho.

So the Squirrel Squad arrived Saturday morning. He hated squirrels. My kind of guy! He set two traps immediately and told me that he’d be back in the morning to check on them.

First there was the initial capture of two. The head of the Squirrel Squadron thought the problem was solved, but left an insurance trap. He hadn't been gone a half-hour when I saw another squirrel, and heard him zipping around overhead.

Turns out the first two were the harem.

So as the Squirrel guy was taking out the third captive the trap flailed and we had a fugitive! It took another 24 hours and he was finally captured....but the Squirrel Guy (Steve...thought it was good of him to have a name that fit with my alliterative plan...I called him Sergeant Steve......I'm sure he thought I was strange....) saw another one running around up there.

A Renegade! He is still at large. But Sergeant Steve had all manner of tools at his disposal and he hammered and drilled like it was going out of style, so I think the Renegade was left out in the cold. (Quite literally...we're having an ice storm at the moment). I keep seeing one lone squirrel on the wire outside, but don't hear him overhead.

As far as I know the ones that were captured have all gone to that large oak tree in the sky. According to the Squirrel Squad guy he was going to have to "dispose" of them, because of some state law. Fine with me, it means that they can't come back! Generally speaking I’m opposed to killing animals. But I’ve really had it with squirrels!

I've had enough rodents to last a lifetime.