squirrels in the attic

it's man vs. pests around here. there are squirrels in the attic and something under the house too, as well as starlings in the eves of the unfinished porch.

the squirrels are the worst. not only can we hear them munching on the rafters, but if they choose to munch on the wrong wire or two, this 96 year old place could be reduced to ashes. a couple weeks ago I went up to check it out. found the nest. they apparently like old bird nests. found a dead adolescent squirrel wrapped up in an old curtain or something. I doubt it was a burial shroud; most likely it got caught in its poorly-chosen nest material. very nasty.

I tried to devise a plan for sealing up their entry ways, but since the porch ceiling remains unfinished, it's a bit overwhelming. nevertheless, I boarded up 2 of the most obvious spots today, and it went quite well, which is unusual for me when it comes to fix-it kinda stuff.

the bug guy who visits once a month at work told me that moth balls would help keep them at bay. so our dining room smelled like grandma's attic all weekend, and the squirrels didnt seem to mind. I removed a squirrel nest in the porch eves (startling the squirrel, who I think moved to the eves when he discovered a squirrel corpse in his old nest), and I dumped a bunch of moth balls up there. the starlings were grateful that I evicted the squirrel, and they promptly dumped the moth balls on the porch and sidewalks.

and I still dont know what's under the house.