Skip to main content

Squirrel! Part 4: Whatever Happened With That Squirrel?

It's a bit unfathomable to me that I've had squirrels in my attic for three months. Three. Months. Since late November, we've heard the random scratching that have produced two small holes in the ceiling of G's closet, two in her bedroom, and three tiny holes in our bedroom. It's only expected and reasonable that friends and family would be questioning, "Whatever happened with that squirrel?"

2013 ended with me signing a contract with Home Paramount Pest Control. We've used them since 2006 for termite control and have been pleased with that service. Since we first heard the squirrel, I debated - mostly with myself - about using a company to get rid of these furry fiends. Dropping around $500 just seemed rather unreasonable, especially when methods of these companies appeared to consist only of setting traps outdoors and not actually going into the attic, flushing them out, and sealing the breeches in the house.


WEEK ONE
Although the contract began on 12/30, that was a holiday week. The Home Paramount tech placed two closed traps in the yard "so the squirrels could get used to them." I was told they also closed the traps on Fridays and reopened on Mondays. Thus, when Thursday rolled around and the traps were sitting in several inches of snow, that week was a loss.

WEEK TWO
The following Monday, 7 days later, the two traps were opened and placed in the bushes beneath our front window. My thought at the time was that no squirrel would come that near our house but I didn't question the methods.

Monday, no activity. Tuesday, no activity. Wednesday, no activity. Thursday, no activity. Friday - no activity and the traps weren't closed for the weekend. The tech had checked the traps and left a form Monday - Wednesday. No forms were left Thursday or Friday and I'm not certain if anyone came by.

WEEK THREE
The following week, the tech climbed into our tiny attic - the portal is small but the tech could access it easily. It's located above our washing machine which took putting a step stool atop the washer and me holding it so he could boost himself into the attic. I went outside to see the squirrel scamper out of the chewed hole on the side of our townhouse, run across my neighbor's roof, launch into a tree in her yard, scurry down it, and run into the common area.

This would be a wonderful victory, except Home Paramount doesn't seal breeches. And here's where I don't understand these companies. You're going to charge $625 for "unlimited squirrel catching" but have no policies to seal areas to prevent their return?! Buyers beware, friends.

At the time, I didn't have a tall enough ladder to reach to the second story roofline. Thus, I watched the furry freak climb the same tree and return to the hole before I could ever get a BB gun after him. On this same day, I had expected the traps to be reset - one clearly looked like it was tripped with its door half-lowered - and both to have new bait put in them. I called the corporate line to complain about the experience and when one of two managers couldn't be reached, they took my information. Within minutes, the same tech was calling sounding annoyed and curious as to why I had called the office or curious as to why I hadn't called him directly. I expressed my concern regarding the traps needing to be reset and he insisted he checked them. After a few more seconds, he begrugenly argreed to return later that evening to check the traps. He never showed.

The next day, we had a healthy conversation about my concerns of the trap functions and their location. He moved the traps under my neighbor's tree after I got permission from her. Thursday, January 16, one was caught! Could it be The One?! I doubted it. Calling the tech, he agreed to send someone out to collect it. The trap disappeared while I was running an errand. This left one trap - the one with the droopy door - in the yard. Before the day was out, that trap looked like it had been tripped closed. Since this was the end of the week, I knew how this would play out. No functional traps in the yard for the weekend but they are supposed to be closed anyway.

WEEK FOUR
Monday - MLK Day, I didn't expect anyone to come out. Tuesday, I expected a new trap and old one to be reopened - but nothing happened before the snowfall began. Wednesday - snow day. Thursday - called tech to inquire about next steps of which I knew there were few do to snow on the ground. He claimed he'd reset the traps on the coming Monday and that we would need to coordinate sealing up the holes when the squirrel was driven out.

WEEK FIVE
No tech has visited, opened the remaining trap, or replaced the retrieved one. A day or two had inches of snow on the ground.

WEEK SIX
No tech has shown up, opened the single remaining trap, or added another one. A day or two had inches of snow on the ground.

WEEK SEVEN
We are now beginning the seventh week with no resolution in sight. While I think the tech is a friendly fellow and likely skilled at what he does, I have not received $625 worth of service. Instead, I feel like I've made numerous inquiries and requests, seen no initiative at resolving my problem, and the squirrel(s) continue to make attempt to make breeches in my ceiling.

I don't want another phone call or discussion. I don't care if one or ten traps are set. At this point, I just want a consistent plan worked or refund at least some of my money. I just want this problem resolved. After all, this is why you pay companies for service - so you don't have to worry about it!

So, whatever happened with that squirrel? It's driven me nuts. Certifiably.


Also, check out:
Squirrel!






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

See You Around, Mike

Three weeks ago, I attended the memorial service of a dear Brother in Christ. Sunday, June 10, would've been his 56th birthday. I miss my friend. But what's sad is that I didn't miss Mike until he was gone. At least in the middle of the odd month, but definitely by the last week of it, Mike would always reach out to me with a request. It was usually to load a certain worship music video or some game show music. Sometimes, he needed some specific slides created or sound effects. Mike put a lot of thought into preparing the lessons. For certain lessons, Mike asked the kids to write something that was bothering them or something that was a sin. Then he had them take hammer and nail to that card and attach it to an old rugged cross. Mike often brought in props to physically connect the Bible stories to the kids. For example, when he dressed as an innkeeper and walked in a wheelbarrow full of fresh cow manure. He was adding the smell of a barn to the lesson just to help

Reverse Discrimination of Christmas

With Christmas slowly fading from your memory, did you find yourself this year taking a stand for Christmas? I'm not talking about stealing the stand beneath the Christmas tree. Perhaps you missed it but 2009 was the year of sticking it to retailers who refused to display or say "Merry Christmas!" Boycotting secular businesses because they aren't promoting Christmas: righteous or ridiculous? I'll vote for both.

Embracing Sin With Hearts Wide Shut

Lately, there's been a lot of buzz about homosexuality, gay marriage, and equal rights. Having a conversation about this topic continues to be difficult especially within faith-based circles. Why? Because we're unwilling or unable to identify sin. Or worse, that which we know as sin we're embracing with hearts wide shut. "I didn't say anything different from what any Bible-believing Christian would say if you want to be true to the Scriptures." Kirk Cameron recently made this statement in reaction to the backlash he received during an interview with Pierce Morgan. The interview was supposed to be focused on Cameron's latest film, Monumental, but instead Morgan pressed him on topics such as homosexuality and gay marriage. Cameron explained that he opposes gay marriage in part because he considers homosexual behavior "unnatural" and believes that it's "detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization