smiling_nonstop

Last year, as I was sitting in the living room, I heard something in the basement, so I went to check it out...with a broom. There, sitting on a ledge of the window, was a squirrel. I was able to chase it out the window, and all was good....until last week.

I go to do laundry, and there are squirrel footprints on my washing machine, but no sign of squirrel. This morning, I go to do laundry again, and this time (how awful!), there are the footprints again, plus urine! Stuff that was on shelves have been knocked over, curtain torn down, and bite marks on a bag with dog food.

I walked around the house, but see no openings where the squirrel(s) could be getting in and out, so I can't remedy it that way.

How do I make it unpleasant for them to stay? Or, if nothing else, is rat poison going to work?

I have dual-zone gas boiler. The first zone is working just fine - the boiler lights up, heats and pumps the water up. The second zone, however, throws "tantrums". Two days in a row, I had no heat upstairs. I swapped the thermostats (digital) to see if that's where the problem was, but it made no difference. I figured, maybe it was the power head of the zone valve that was old and faulty, so I got a new one. The heat worked.... one day. The next, nothing. The following morning, I gave it a shot again and turned it on - it worked. Tonight, once again, nothing. Water is being sent up, but the furnace doesn't turn on to heat the water.

Anyone got a clue what the problem might be before I call for an expensive professional help?