Last Sunday night/Monday morning, I awoke to the sound of "plink... plink... plink... plink" across the air vent in our ceiling. Something was up in there! I turned over to Garrett and tried to wake him up by whispering his name loudly several times, but he didn't even move! Finally I shook him awake, and he sat up quickly and seemed really scared.
"What's wrong?!?"
"Something just walked across the air vent in the ceiling!"
"Ohh... yeah. I heard something moving around up there an hour or so ago, and I couldn't sleep so I put ear plugs in... It must be some mice or a rat or something." (It turns out that when I shook him awake so violently a few minutes before, he had happened to be dreaming about shooting the mice/rats with his bb gun, which is why he had been so startled)
"But it's in the vent! Those vents are only wedged in - the mice or rats could fall into our bedroom!!"
This was around 3:45, and neither of us slept the rest of the night. The mice/rats were running around right above our heads, making lots of noise, and I was scared to death.
Monday, 11 a.m.: Terminix finished spraying the house inside and out, and after taking a look in our attic, determined that nothing was living up there (whew!), but we did have a small hole outside where the roof meets the siding, and most likely a squirrel came in and was running around. A squirrel?? Now I was really scared. A squirrel could attack us! A squirrel could get into the main part of the house and chew up all our clothes and furniture! Yes, now was the time to panic. (I never realized until now what a scaredy-cat I am!)
Of course, Terminix doesn't treat for squirrels, but they said that they would have someone call us.
Tuesday night, 11:30pm: More noises, and Garrett decided he'd had enough. He got his bb gun and stood outside our house, underneath the hole, waiting for the squirrel show its face. He was there for a good 30 minutes, but never saw anything. He was upset but I was glad he never got to shoot - he was right outside our bedroom! What if the bb went through the brick and hit me? (more irrational fear, I know).
Wednesday evening: We don't hear anything up in the attic, so Garrett climbs up onto the roof and seals the hole off. No, we don't have a ladder. Yes, we could have borrowed one from someone, but then we wouldn't have this picture. This is what I like to call a "po' man's ladder."
I would have taken a picture while he was climbing up it, but he needed me to keep it steady for him.
Thursday night, 9:30pm: We hear more noises! Now I'm terrified because I'm afraid we have trapped a squirrel up there, so Garrett decides to go up in the attic himself and check it out. 5 minutes later I hear Garrett running down the ladder (which is above the carport), then I hear the slam of the attic door. Garrett comes inside. "It's a RACCOON!""What???" Ok, if I wasn't scared before, I REALLY am now! A raccoon?!?!?! That's what, 3x bigger than a squirrel?!?
Friday morning, 10:30 am: Animal control has come, and the traps are out. There's one in the attic, and one at the base of a tree in the front yard. Apparently, the raccoon is coming in and out through the mushroom vent on the roof. The traps aren't actually set yet, because if there is more than one raccoon, and only one gets locked in a trap, the other one will never enter a trap and we'll never catch it.
::Sigh::
They are coming back on Tuesday to actually set the traps. So, as of now, they are still roaming around, scaring me to death. Every time I leave the house, I get nervous because I'm afraid it will jump off the roof and land on my head, and bite me (when I told Garrett this, he laughed, "It's not a puma!!" I'm still scared). We are still sleeping in the living room because the raccoon still hangs out above our bedroom at night.
Hopefully this little nightmare will be over soon and we'll go back to our everyday, mundane lives.
10 comments:
I hear raccoons like to eat babies.
That last comment was Mark. Obviously. And I thought that post was HILARIOUS. I think "it's not a puma" will become the next catch phrase!
I would make sure you get that taken care of because raccoons caused $4K worth of damage in my parent's attic and it still smells in their guest room. Strobe lights are a good way to encourage them to leave I'm told.
Way to go Ali. Why not scare poor Hannah so much she has to move to a motel! But I do like the strobe light idea! Good luck in getting rid of those critters. If it is any consolation, my mom was a wild animal freak and we had a pet raccoon that came to our back door every evening for a snack when I was little. My mom put out things like cupcakes and a dish of water, the raccoon was in seventh heaven! I think Hostess cupcakes were the favorite. The raccoon was really quite tame. Maybe you should try hostess cupcakes.
HAHAHA- one time at girl's camp there were raccoons surrounding my tent trying to get to some food I'd left out on accident- no one knew but I was terrified out of my mind. I just cried and cried after they left. :) I know your pain!
Call someone that specializes in wildlife exclusion
Hannah,
I saw your comment on Sue Kane's blog. I can't believe all the YW are grown up with families! I feel really old.
Good luck with your unwanted guest. Definitely get professional help.
Cindi (Braby)
That is a ghetto ladder setup. I guess that's how they do things down in the South.
"It's not a puma!" was hilarious!
I am with you though, I would be afraid it would jump on me! *shudder*
do you have this under control yet? i sure hope so!
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