Home invasion isn't an issue longtime South Shore resident Roy Clason believed he'd have to deal with in small-town Tahoe.

But a rogue squirrel determined to play house in the attic into all hours of the night proved otherwise. The rodent would run back and forth in the attic, keeping the Zephyr Cove man up all night. He lost six weeks of sleep.

Lakeside Termite and Pest Control set up a food-laced trap, but the critter stayed clear and got his own stash.

"That stinker wouldn't go for it," Clason said. "You know, those critters are very bright."

Until one day. Pow. The animal was trapped and taken away to start a new life elsewhere. The hole where he got in was sealed with mesh, and Clason caught up on his sleep.

It's all in the territory for Dan Dhondt of Lakeside Termite. Every late winter and into spring, raccoons, birds, skunks, chipmunks, mice, rats and squirrels try to find space in homes to nest.

Some stories resemble "Caddyshack," with some people reduced to going nuts, so to speak.

To catch an invader, one must think like one, Dhondt contends. He uses a trap near or on the rodent hole that allows the animal to leave but not return.

A hole doesn't have to be large. Some critters take advantage of cracks woodpeckers start and dig from there.

"Here, he can chew away to his heart's content," Dhondt said, while out surveying a client's home on Hidden Woods Drive. The squirrel turned a three-eighths inch opening into a 4-inch hole.

His wife, Amy, shared a story of a custom home in which a squirrel chewed under every oak door.

"That was thousands of dollars (in damage)," she said.

Tom and Cheryl Millham of Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care are not surprised by the stories.

"In the winter when it's cold, they're trying to find a place to survive. In the spring, they're trying to find a place to nest," Tom Millham said. The duo receives calls every spring regarding active critters.

The Millhams' best advice is simple. Cover all holes, especially where the vents are. And if raccoons like to set up shop, use plywood - preferably five-eighths inch thick.

"They're extremely strong. And they have one motive - to get in a warm house," he said. "You have to take away their comfort zone."

He described the spot as quiet, dark and non-odiferous. For that, the Millhams recommend bringing in a radio, light and Pine Sol to disrupt the nesting pad.

Living with the critter issue

-- Don't feed them.

-- Cover all holes, especially around vents

-- With raccoon infestation, board up the openings.

-- Trap critters and take them far away. Some are territorial and known to return.

-- For carpenter ants, stack wood away from the house.

-- Trim tree branches next to the house.

-- Install a chimney cap with a grate. Raccoons have been known to gain access through the chimney.