"holy BATS batman!"

So we realized a few weeks back that we had a family of flying squirrels living in our attic. While they are cuter than the average squirrel, they, like other squirrels are a huge nuisance and can wreak havoc on your house, mainly your electrical wiring, f you don't get them out.

We weren't really sure how exactly we were going to do that so we started doing some research and thought maybe we should call some "professionals" to come out and get them out.
However, as we began to google rodent extermination In our research we discovered that these little rodents are...well..."protected"...and the professionals won't come out and even trap them out of their 'natural habitat' because it is illegal. **seriously?? my house is NOT their natural habitat....uh, hello!**

So...without further a-dew, we brainstormed a bit and decided to take matters into our own hands....

We lured them out via peanut butter on mouse traps on the cross beam on the deck. The trap would injure them enough for us to capture them and throw them into the woods where nature would take its course. The circle of life...it happens.

I know I know...cruel, mean, horrible, cold hearted....keep calling us names...BUT, if it were you and the risk of those little furry rodents in YOUR attic potentially chewing holes of mass destruction, well, you would figure out what was needed to get the job done. And, we did.

After we were sure they were out, Wes put some chicken netting over the only place we knew they could get in.
Problem.....solved.

Well, the other night...right before our small group was meeting at our house, Wes walked out on the porch, looked up to make sure the traps were still up there...and well....I heard him calling for me.

I walked outside and looked up and....HOLY BATS!!!

That's right, the bats that have been living in the trees, now think the chicken netting on our porch is a great place to "hang out"....5 bats...that's right...5....just hanging on our house...in broad daylight.

Needless to say Wes spent the weekend building a bat house so we can house them at a further location from the house since their bat droppings are extremely toxic and not something you want to continuously be sweeping up off your porch. AND since I want to use our grill and hang out on the front porch without the risk of a bat flying on me. We do want to keep them around as they are GREAT at mosquito control...

So, here are a few pics we captured the other night. I promise you, I sometimes feel like I put Animal Planet to shame with all my critter stories, but...alas...such is life in the woods.