When Good Squirrels Go Bad

We've been having squirrel problems at our house. It all started with a few squirrels that got into the overhange of our house. I decided to duct tape a piece of plastic over the entry hole (electrical socket) until Jeff got home. The squirrels outwitted me and ate through the duct tape, but two of them proceeded to get stuck in the duct tape. A third squirrel sent out an alarm until I came to the door to see his buddies dangling. Jeff came home from work and got them unstuck (no squirrels were harmed) and the hole sealed up.

By day two, we became aware of another squirrel stuck in the overhang. A squirrel friend in the above picture sat on the back porch looking in the window for 45 minutes. It wouldn't move off the deck. The squirrel "gang" at the front of the house kept up a fierce chatter everytime I opened a door to the outside. Well, our "hostage squirrel" in the overhang figured a way into the house. As I went to answer the phone, he passed me in the hallway. I screamed and jumped on the fireplace - leaving my son alone with the squirrel in the playroom. I came to my senses within seconds, grabbed Robbie, shut the playroom door, and called Jeff home again. Armed in a hooded sweatshirt with flowered garden gloves and a rake, Jeff battled the playroom squirrel for at least 30 minutes. I haven't heard those kinds of words out of his mouth probably ever. These tiny squirrels seem to have the speed of cheetah on crack. The squirrel finally made a wrong move and jumped into the kid's art caddy. Jeff was able to pick up the caddy and throw it out the window (again the squirrel was not harmed only a little winded).

We are perplexed and a little freaked out at how these squirrels are getting up there. Jeff and Shelby had to come home a little early from camping to get fourth squirrel out of the overhange. If you can guess, yes we have a fifth squirrel up there right now. He however is the stupid squirrel of the gang and won't come out, even though Jeff and I have both taken off the cover to let him out.