If you're not sure you can get up the ladder you shouldn't try to get up the ladder. Basic rule of ladder safety.
My late mother and mother-in-law were notorious for nominating me for jobs like this. I hoped it was because they were impressed with my "fixit" skills. I suspect it was because they were both cheap. When it came to jobs, I analyzed the work and the hazards. If I could do it, I did. If I couldn't, then I gave them the number of people I knew could do it - the same people I would hire to do the same jobs for me so I didn't have to.
My mother once got squirrels in her attic. I don't do attics. I weigh almost 300 lb and I don't like stepping through insulation and sheet rock. I called Orkin. She almost threw him out and he almost walked out before I got them both settled down and she hired him. Three nights later, the trap in the attic was full. At 8 pm I got the call to come get it. I had to take it many miles farther out in the country and release it. No problem, squirrel released, trap rebaited with a piece of a Payday bar, and back into the edge of the attic it went.
Orkin also put sticky strips in her hot tub room to catch a snake that left its skin there. The trap caught another squirrel while I was out of town so a different Orkin employee came to empty the trap. While he was there, there came a scratching in the Vent-a-hood over the stove. He carefully released the filter an screen and was nose to nose with a terrified squirrel.
Seems when they installed it, they just vented it into the attic instead of out the roof. What to do? Sticky strips to the rescue. My mother's caretaker carefully released the screen while the Orkin employee held up two sticky strips. As soon as the hole was large enough, the squirrel came out, the Orkin employee clamped the strips together, and then there was a terrified, angry squirrel, a terrified Orkin employee, and an angry octogenarian who wanted it out of her house.
The door was close and open. The Orkin employee headed out and then had to figure out how to release a scared, angry squirrel. He did successfully and all was well. He got someone to fix the vent correctly and word went out to other squirrels to stay out of the attic or you could wind up bald. And I didn't have to climb a ladder any higher than enough to reach up and slide the trap back in the attic. And I got a good laugh out of it. Hope you did too
