It started out as a joke, but now they’re everywhere, infiltrating my home. It started out as some immature college boys wreaking havoc on the rodent neighbors, but now it’s personal.

It started out as a way to pass time, but now it’s become an obsession.

I think it’s clear that we’re talking about squirrels. Lots of them attacking my home. Lots of evil, ugly, mastermind squirrels.

Those pesky critters that everyone has come to love are nothing better than rats with fuzzy tails. Not only have they been taking over my yard, but also my life.

Imagine this: you’re sitting on the porch enjoying a cup of coffee in the waking hours just after dawn and decide to set your mug on the railing and sit back to relax.

That’s when you notice a furry critter coming up on your step.

The bugger probably didn’t care for you shaking him out of the tree earlier but, hey, it’s just a squirrel – what can it do?

It creeps in closer and closer until finally stepping things up into an all-out sprint – right for you.

Paralyzed with fear you watch in awe as it runs right up to you, hops on the railing and knocks your coffee on the ground then swiftly runs up a big tree – all in a matter of seconds.

Sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel or perhaps a Disney movie? Well, no, but this all sounds pretty ridiculous, right?

It’s not ridiculous, it’s the truth.

It happened to one of my roommates. And it was a deliberate attack on our livelihood.

The little devils spy on you, hiding in the wheel wells of parked cars and they crawl through your garbage cans. Now that winter is creeping in, they’re becoming more aggressive.

Things to take note when battling squirrels: They like to lull their victims to sleep with their supposed vulnerability. But they have a hidden agenda.

When my roommate was attacked, I stopped thinking of the battle against the squirrels as a joke. For a while I tried to handle things diplomatically but squirrels don’t speak, which proved to be a slight problem.

Looking back on it, they’ve been on the offensive all summer, only now have they stepped up their attacks.

Since we moved in June 1, they’ve chewed through plastic garbage can lids, destroyed three bird feeders, gnawed through the duct tape that fixed those beloved feeders and dug numerous holes in the yard.

Just as to why the squirrels are on the attack is beyond me. Perhaps they’re upset with our anti-squirrel propaganda, but that doesn’t concern me.

I’m not afraid anymore.

But one thing is for sure: this has taken over my life. My roommates and I take shifts to the porch, armed with brooms, night vision goggles and cups of coffee as bait. We’re ready.

The squirrels seem to be planning something sinister. They’re never seen alone anymore. Seen always in pairs and always just far enough away that they can run for safety if we get up the nerve to give chase.

Typically they rendezvous in Randall Park, plotting their next move.

So the next time you’re admiring a squirrel burrowing in your backyard, think twice before throwing bread crumbs or commenting on how cute it is.

The squirrels took us by surprise and now we’re in an on-going struggle that won’t cease until the snow falls.

Just hope they don’t get to you, too.