Squirrels/ No Squirrels

So, Friday I had a pest control guy come out to check about my squirrel in the attic situation.  Turns out, there probably aren't squirrels in my attic.  That is tremendously good news.  He suggested that I just heard them running on the roof.  I felt a little foolish.  Happy not to have squirrels in the attic, but perplexed about what I heard.

The thing is, on several occasions, but most recently Saturday a week ago, I heard squirrel or squirrels gnawing wood above me as I sat in my bedroom.  I yelled, they stopped, later started again, and I yelled, they stopped.  My bedroom is 2 stories up (exposed basement ranch).  The squirrel was right there, not down somewhere.  It was gnawing wood. 

So, if not in the attic, where?  I did some additional research.  It seems that you can have squirrels in your soffits.  That under the eave covering can be entered in by squirrels who can then take up residence and ultimately try to chew their way into your house. I have a soffit right in the corner that I heard the squirrel that has been moved.  I think this is the answer to the question what I heard.

But, the long term solution?  I am not sure.  There was a hail storm last year and lots of people got new roofs.  I didn't choose to be one of them, but, if I did the roof thing, I could have the soffit replaced and see if that is the problem and tighten it down. I could hire a pest control company that specializes in soffits.  I could continue the abatement efforts that have had some impact so far. (I trimmed trees, emptied the bird feeder, used repellant.)

Anyway, I have decided that I won't be paying $500 for this company that came out Friday to handle the squirrels that they say I don't have and an annual fee of over $200. I am gullible, but not that gullible.  I hope.  So, the saga of the squirrels continues, if only in my imagination.