Regarding the squirrel issue, you are dead right to exterminate them. In my previous 2 homes i had tremendous battles with those little tree rats. They do so much damage that you don't ever see. 1st house they chewed up all my patio furniture. That was an A-frame house so at least they didn't get into an attic. I started snuffing them with my 22 with cb-short rounds. I think i got 18 in a 2 month span. 2nd house (round 1) was a nightmare. Large old Tudor home with big attics. Tied live trapping. Caught about 6 and relocated them. The wife is an animal lover and adamantly insisted on releasing. I took them about 6 miles away, because as mentioned, anything less than 3-4 miles and they will find their way back. Finally called a "Critter Gitter" to come help when the live traps quit catching. He patched holes and got rid of a few. Said we had buckets full of walnuts in our walls from them. These were Pine Squirrels. Round 2, were the big fat Fox squirrels. Same ordeal. Trapped a few then called a different "critter gitter". He was worthless. Just put up traps on the hose but never got anything. Let the traps on my house for months without checking. Finally told him to come get them off my house. Had one die inside the wall. NASTY. Filled my son's room with thousands of flies from the return duct vents. I think that smell chased the others out. Round 3 - FLYING SQUIRRELS. Actually had one of these boogers get inside my house. That was fun chasing the little guy around the main floor. Kids thought it was a mouse. Finally got him and relocated. This time i just put up some exclusion traps to get rid of them. We no longer live in that house... thank god! Always had the worry in back of my mind that they'd chewed threw wires somewhere and wondered when it would spark.