Are you hearing things late at night up in your attic? Does it sound like there’s something up there scampering around early in the morning when you first get up? Or are you hearing noises that sound more like someone bowling at 2:00 A.M. in the morning? These are some of the questions we may ask if you call us to help figure out just what this “intruder” might be. No doubt some of these questions might sound a bit odd but after doing this for so many years, we know the right questions to ask to help you get the right solution for the problem.
For starters, there are many animals that can gain access to the average attic. Common routes of entry into this vast space include gable vents, soffits and construction “gaps” commonly found along facia boards, behind gutters and under overhanging shingles all around the roof line. The attic space found in most any home represents a dry and safe place to live for wildlife. Once found, most animals will quickly take advantage of the warm insulation and sheltered environment the average attic will provide. If you’re hearing sounds in your attic there is a good chance some unwanted animal has gotten inside and is now making this space their new home. To help figure out what this invading animal might be, we’ve compiled some questions and helpful videos which explain what you can do right now as a form of “self evaluation”. Our “how to” videos explain what you should be looking and listening for, how to perform a thorough inspection of your attic and what to look for on the outside of your home to identify key entry points. At the end of the second video, you should be able to narrow the choice of animal invaders to a short list.
To get started, you’ll need to answer some basic questions….
An important clue to the animals identity is based on the time you hear activity. Is it in the morning, day, evening or middle of the night? Do you hear the sound throughout the entire attic or only in one spot? Do you hear the sound in the walls of your house or only up above in the attic? On the outside of the home, have you noted any animal climbing on your house or roof? Do you have a pet dog or cat and if yes, have you noted them paying particular attention to any section or part of your home a bit more than normal? Have you recently found any problem with your roof, gutters, siding, gable vents or other part of the outside structure? And what about the attic itself; have you gone up to inspect and see what’s happening? If so, did you find any tunnels in the insulation or droppings in any area? Did you enter the attic in the middle of a bright sunny day and note sunlight trickling into the attic space or was it all dark and seemingly “tight”? Does the attic contain a furnace and if yes, did you look it over for animal droppings or any other sign of animal activity such as paw prints? What about the gable vents; do they look secure with screening that hasn’t been cut or weakened in any spot? And what about the roof itself; did it appear to have any leaks or bad sections?
Once you get answers to these questions, you should be able to narrow down the list of potential animal invaders. The most common animals include BATS, BIRDS, OPOSSUM, RACCOON, ROOF RATS, SQUIRRELS and FLYING SQUIRRELS. It’s actually quite rare that MICE move into any attic and though we sometimes find SNAKES in this space, they seem to come around only after there is something for them to feed upon like rats or flying squirrels. And of the aforementioned animals, by far the most common are the “big three” – roof rats, squirrels and flying squirrels.
At this point you should view the video’s below. After watching them and answering the questions listed above, give us a call on our toll free 1-800-877-7290. Based on years of experience, we’ll be able to detail a plan that you can use to both identify the intruder and get rid of it.
Rosie T says
Thank you so much for these videos. I’ve been hearing noises in our “attic” crawl space for a few days… based on your info (still need to tell my husband to get up there and check it out) I’m thinking its either flying squirrils or rats (ugh… cue shivers). We’ll be checking that out soon… thanks!
Tech Support says
Twice I heard noise in the attic above my bedroom. Sounds like silent knock on the attic. We do have a tile roof and 6 year old house. No sign of vent damage. But when we opened the cabinet where the vent goes up in the stove, we found a hole as big as a golf ball. Please advise. Thanks.
. . . . . . . . .
For starters, I advise you to review the video’s above. I also suggest you read through the post. We cover a lot on this page and until you get up in the attic and diagnose the problem further, the list of possibilities is simply too big to try and tackle without you first providing more information. At that time we’ll be able to narrow the field a bit and should be able to provide some direction if the problem continues.
Brad says
Very helpful. Thanks a bunch.
The Howards says
Hey there!
I have been hearing the craziest things over the past few months and wanted to run something by you. Today I heard growling coming from the vents in the walls. It appears that whatever it was was not actually in the air system, but just above it. It went back up into the attic and continued to growl and even sounded like it hissed at one point. I have watched both of the videos and looked over some of your other very helpful links, but did not see anything really about CATS being in the attic. I have an inside only cat that was curious but not alarmed during the incident. I don’t have access to the attic really and just wanted to see if you had any experience with cats in the attic or some other animal that sounds JUST like a cat. Any suggetions????
Thank you for your time!
Tech Support says
Cat’s can get into the attic. But there are several animals that will access attic spaces and make a growling noise with one of the more common animals being a raccoon. Trying to figure out how to go about solving the mystery would be best explained on the phone because we’d need to ask some questions. Give us a call toll free at 1-800-877-7290 for more of an explanation and I’m sure we can get you going in the right direction to solving the problem.
Ellen says
I hear rattling in the walls in my bedroom at night. Have any ideas what this could be?
Tech Support says
@Ellen: For starters I recommend you read the post above and view the two video’s. They do a great job of summarizing what it might be and should give you a starting point on how to proceed. You may then give us a call toll free if you have further questions once you have information beyond just the sound.
Kristin from PA says
Thank you so much for taking the time to make these in order to educate those unfamiliar with attic pests. Quite possibly the most informative videos I have ever seen.
Karen Webb says
I live in a 2-story townhouse with vaulted ceilings on the top floor. When it rains, I hear activity between the ceiling and the roof – maybe 2 or 3 creatures constantly running. As soon as the rain stops, they leave.
I have had 2 pest control companies to inspect the property. Both companies said they could not find an entry point nor did they see any droppings.
What can I do to end this annoying invasion and noise?
Thank you very much.
Tech Support says
@Karen Webb: First, don’t assume there is an animal up there just because you “hear” something. Since the sound is linked to the rain and since you say it’s “constant”, I have to wonder if maybe the sound is linked to a water flow of some kind. I know in my house there are at least 2 if not 3-4 areas where sounds can be heard when it rains. I have over 30 years in this industry and at no time have I ever heard a “constant” noise from any invading animal. In fact, most will go quiet as soon as you get close to them or make a noise by tapping on the ceiling. For now, I suggest you try this to see if the sound persists or goes away. If it responds to any noise (even tossing a tennis ball on the ceiling), then you probably have something live up there. But if it continues regardless of the noise you make or any other disturbance you create as a way to spook it away, it’s probably related to the weather and not something “live”.
Now if your “tests” make you conclude with certainty that you do in fact have an animal active up there, the only way to resolve the matter will be to either destroy or relocate the animal. To do this will be tricky but it can be done. I have seen instances where flying squirrels, gray squirrels, roof rats and other animals will occasionally use certain structures as a temporary residence so this can happen. In some cases their visits were every few weeks; in other instances I’ve seen where they will come to visit just once or twice a year. I’ve even had instances where they’ve entered a building, left droppings and were never seen again! But if they are as consistent as you say, then trapping them would be easy.
Like people, animals love to eat. And when hiding from the elements (such as rain), they’ll readily feed once inside. So if you want to make it so they aren’t using your home as their shelter, start by setting up a “feeder” station. This is merely a location where you have access to the space they’re heard and where you can place some food they’ll likely eat. Place out some peanuts or bird food; these are generic and readily accepted by most any animal. In fact, if you have bird feeders on your property (or if a neighbor does), this would be a great lure to use. Leave it be till the next time you hear the noise. As soon as the weather passes and the animals seemingly go away (the noise ceases), inspect the placement to see if anything was consumed. Of all the animals I’ve seen in attics there is not one which could resist some nuts or bird seed. And if you find the placement is gone, you now know you can set up a live trap to catch it the next time they enter. But if you find nothing is being touched, you can also conclude it’s probably not an animal up there making the racket and in fact it’s something related to the weather. Either way, this approach will enable you to properly identify just what’s happening up there and once you know, take a course of action that can solve the problem.
charles says
I hear somthing in my attic at night and it sound big I look in the attic when it happen but can not see anything
guest says
We have heard noises in the attic very infrequently…three times now about 2 weeks apart. Always at about 5:00 in the morning. The animal is heavy enough to cause the ceiling to creek. There are no droppings and no damage…just some matted down insulation. There are no trees for it to gain access and our down spouts are connected to hoses that run under ground and have perforated caps on the end. My husband has thoroughly inspected the attic after each occurance and finds no animal or babies. It is a huge mystery to us. Does this sound familiar at all to you? Thank You for any help!
Tech Support says
@guest: The sounds you are hearing remind me of what happens when one has a raccoon foraging in their attic. To find out for sure if it’s a raccoon, there are two things you can do. The easiest would be to set out a can of tunafish. Place it where you think the animal is moving. Check it everyday around noon. If there is a raccoon active in this area, it will eat the entire amount leaving nothing but an empty can that will have been moved from where you place it.
The second option would be to set out a “trail camera”. These are also called game cam’s and can be bought online for $50.00 new and a lot less on auction sites. They have motion detectors and can take pictures using infrared light so you can see what’s moving around up there.
Once you confirm it’s a raccoon, read about how to best control them once they get inside by reading our Raccoon Control article posted here:
Raccoon Article: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page372.html
In most cases, the use of a live trap like the ones we have listed in our article will be needed. The process of live trapping them will be easy once you know where they’re active and what they like to eat. Oh, and since raccoons can scale most any building without the aid of downspouts or other climbing aids, I’m sure there are ways in you’ve never imagined.
Nicole says
we have been hearing noises inside the roof early in the mornings and in the afternoons. The attic is only big enough for a person to crawl in. My dad found a hole and coverd it up… based on what i’ve read here, i’m not sure if that was a good idea. Anyway, based in the size of the hole, it might be a rat or a squirrel. thank you
Tech Support says
@Nicole: No doubt there is a chance something has been “locked” into the space. This could be a problem. For now, pay attention to any constant sounds in the home. If you suspect something has been trapped, get that hole uncovered ASAP and hope the animal leaves without doing much harm to the house.
That being said, there is always the chance the animal you have been hearing was out and about when your Dad did his handy work. If that’s the case, sealing the hole could work. But you won’t know for sure till some time passes so again, just watch and listen to see if anything is maybe stuck in the attic and if there is, open it back up.
Binita says
We just moved into a newly constructed home and a few months later began to hear running in the attic with a scraping sound. We found out there was a surreal infestation and the contractor took care of sealing the roof perimeter and getting rid of the squirrels. He still has to change the insulation and fix all the wiring. Now, about two months later we now face a noise in the attic right above the bedroom. It wakes us up every night around 5am. It sounds lime it is scraping into the wood above us. The noise lags for about half an hour and we don’t hear it again really until the. Next morning at about the same time. What do you think could be the problem this time? We did have all our trees cut away from the roof areas and the roof sealed. Please advise asap…..thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!
Tech Support says
@Binita: The list of animals that could be up there is quite long so I’m not able to make a positive id based on this limited information. I suggest you get someone up there to inspect and see what they find. It’s most likely a raccoon or some other night time animal that’s “coming home” around dawn. This would explain why you’re hearing the noises at this time. Wildlife Control specialists should be able to further assist and once they know what they’re dealing with, offer up a solution. If you decide you’d like to tackle the problem yourself, give us a call on our toll free at 1-800-877-7290 and one of our specialists should be able to help by making a few suggestions you can try.
Linda says
Can lizards sound like a pack rat in the attic – hear off and on early evening then it loudest around 3 am then around 6 we live in southwest have caught pack rats squirrels recently, but now traps are empty and noise continue….there are large lizards runing around our house during the day. Have seen lizards go through cracks in house….?
Thanks!
Tech Support says
@Linda: No doubt lizards will make noise if left to roam as they want in any part of the home. You may want to consider getting some lizard traps to help reduce their numbers.
http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/pheromone-and-food/scorpion-insect-lizard-15-pk
guest says
Been going on for a month, early morning- at dawn a few times during day and couple at night, called critter control, placed squirrel trap near attic exhaust fans. i’ve set mouse traps in attic and none have been approached. Sounds are like snapping…Any other ideas what this creature may be? Live in northeast Pennsylvania
Tech Support says
@guest: Too many possibilities and with such little information available, it’s not possible to narrow the field. For now, I suggest you read the information above which goes over some good sound strategies on how one can go about dealing with a problem like this. In most cases you’ll need to do some detective work first, before you set out any kind of trap, so that you’re able to make a presentation which has at least a decent chance at working.
Scarred says
I am hearing loud movement in my attick and the walls late at night. (between the hours of 11pm – 6am). I was sooo scared, I slept downstairs. I know that there is an opening under my roof in the back of the house. I know I need to get that closed up but before I do, I need to know exactly what type if creature is moving around up there. Is there a possibility that whatever it is can escape inside the house? What type of expenses I’m I look at?
Tech Support says
@Scarred: First, there is always the chance of this animal getting into your living area. This is why you should not have any easy access point like the one you described above. Second, they typically don’t want confrontation but once they start nesting inside any home, there will be damage. This damage can be chewed electric wires, odor from feces and other excrement as well as wear and tear on the structure due to their normal day to day activity. In summary, you need to have this animal removed ASAP.
Regarding costs; this can vary from service company to service company and there is no way for us to gauge the charge due to these variables. But as always, getting at least three quotes from local companies that handle this kind of problem is suggested. Alternatively you can attempt to do the work yourself which would be much less cost wise. And to get you started or to help you decide if you want to tackle this problem, give us a call at 1-800-877-7290.
freaked out says
For the past week I am hearing loud noises coming from my crawl space above my room. It sounds like something is slamming into things and moving furniture. It is quite loud!!! It happens around 2 am and lasts for about an hour. Any ideas on what “it” might be, please advise…… Thanks!
Tech Support says
@freaked out: It’s not really possible for us to say for sure what might be up there. Based on the time you’re hearing the activity, it would seem that it’s definitely a nocturnal animal. And since the most common right now are either roof rats or flying squirrels, I’d guess either until they’re ruled out. In fact, for some reason flying squirrels can make an amazing amount of noise which doesn’t seem possible based on their size and shyness but it’s true. Learn more about these “fall invaders” by reading our online articles:
Roof Rats: http://www.roof-rat-control.com/rat-control
Flying Squirrel Control: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page359.html
Sonny says
I hear noises in my ceiling all times through out the day but what ever is up there is MOST active between 2am – 3am, then 5am – 6am or 7ish. I hear it loudest in my bedroom. I have gotten so irritated with it that I have hit the ceiling with a broom stick and chased it (not visably chased it) but ran through my apartment from bedroom, to hall way to living room banging on the ceiling trying to make it stop, so this creature isn’t limited to one spot. Mind you, I live in an apartment on the second floor. I am not on the top floor, so therefore I have no roof, also I have no attic and every site makes reference to attics and roofs. I’m stumped. My complex keeps brushing it off as its nothing. The noise isn’t quiet like little pitter patter, its loud and actually sounds like what ever is up there cant see and runs into EVERYthing. I’ve been able to record the critter making noise while laying in my bed (to give you an example of how loud it is) I have been able to play back the sound clearly to friends. Please help. I live in michigan and am not sure if there are roof rats or flying squirrels where I live. What the heck is up there? I have no way of check for droppings. And nothing has fallen out of my heat/air vents in the ceiling (thank goodness).
Tech Support says
@Sonny: Since what you describe is active most any time but most active at night, I’m leaning toward roof rat. They typically forage inside during the fall and winter months and apartment buildings are prime locations. Unfortunately you have everything working against you regarding the remedy because whether it’s an apartment, home or commercial building, the options for getting it under control are all the same. So to summarize the process, here’s what you need to do for now.
1) You need access to the spot where all the activity is happening. And though attics are common for most structures, animals like rats, mice and squirrels will readily move in between the floors of any apartment building since the void is ideal for them. Regardless of where the void is in the building, you’ll need access. And based on your situation, it sounds like you don’t and if that’s true, it will be difficult to solve the problem.
2) You need to visibly inspect the outside of the building to see where something might be entering. Since roof rats can climb most any material, they’ll commonly scale 1-2 floors of any building from the outside and seem to love this height for nesting. Based on where you are in the building, it sounds like you’re in their “prime range” of preferred height. Now if there is an air vent on the outside of the building, they could very well be using it to get inside so look around for one. But any small crack, area around a gutter or even directly through a gutter can all present a way in so don’t rule out any location. Down spouts that are open on the ground are commonly used by animals to get inside buildings. And down spouts which go “into” the ground are used just as much so look for either as a way in.
3) Any light fixture, vent cover or other ceiling area that has something which can be removed can be a big help. If you are able to inspect behind it you can many times find out vital clues as to what is happening. If you can get anything like this removed from your ceiling, look for droppings in the space behind it and any such area like this could be used for a trap.
In summary, all of the what I’ve listed is what needs to be done no matter what kind of structure has a problem such as you have described. But when it’s not your building, getting access and spending the money needed to do so are things “renters” are not likely to invest so the chance of solving the matter is slim at best unless you get help from management. And if these conditions I’ve described are accurate, I suggest you either relocate to another apartment or make a video that’s convincing enough to the management company so they’ll take you seriously and get the problem evaluated and hopefully resolved. Good luck!
Jen says
I had the same problem last year that I have started to have this year. This only started a few days ago. I hear noises in my attic like foot steps or an animals claws on the ceiling. Last night it sounded as if the animal was gragging a cord across the ceiling. My attic is full length of my house. The animals seems to be in the same spot each time I hear it which is over my room which is close to my front porch. Could it be a squirrel?
Jen says
This noise is always at night
Tech Support says
@Jen: Most likely a flying squirrel or a roof rat. Gray squirrels sleep at night and won’t be active. I suggest you start by reading up on these two animals here:
Rats: http://www.roof-rat-control.com/rat-control
Squirrels: http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page359.html
kristine says
I am pretty sure we have a raccoon in our attic. I was up at 4:30 in the morning and I heard a lot of running around. Then last night I went up there and something growled at me.
Anne in Brooklyn says
I rent the third floor of a house. Between the roof and me is a crawl space. I used to have problems with squirrels and an opossum, but since my landlady hired someone to patch up holes a couple months ago (after frequent complaints), I no longer hear loud obvious noises.
Now, above my bed, in the eaves, I hear light clicking/tapping noises. The sound does not travel throughout the room. It occurs in small sporadic bursts (of three to ten independent sounds) every few minutes for about an hour or two between 4am and 7:30. It usually subsides by the time the sun is completely up. Although the sound stays in one place any given morning, it has moved by a few feet from morning to morning. I guess what feels unique about it is that it doesn’t seem like any animal is moving around.
At this point, I am not positive it is an animal, but my experience with the squirrels and the opossum have left me a little paranoid.
I haven’t tried tapping on the ceiling, but depending on what the result is from the tapping test, any thoughts?
Tech Support says
@Anne in Brooklyn: My thought is you have a “new” animal that has found an entry way but really, there is no way to tell until the space is inspected. Once you have more information, a decisive plan can be put into action.
On a related note, no matter what comes out of this, I suggest you do some “odor removal”. When any animal is active in a space like an attic, it leaves all kinds of scents. These scents linger for months, sometimes years. And they will attract all kinds of pests including other animals and even insects. To neutralize these smells, apply some Odor Destroyer or NNZ. Using either of these after the problem is resolved will help prevent further invasions.
Odor Destroyer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/odor-destroyer
NNz: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/nnz-64-oz
C in Minnesota says
We moved into a rambler this past summer. My husband was living here and heard strange noises coming from the bedroom ceiling. The noise is like scratching and then you also hear them in the walls. They don’t like music as when you play it they chirp. Sometimes it seems they’re is something quite large up there. Our pest control guy told us to look up there and we found droppings about bat size around the opening of the door pretty much all over. We have the puffy type of insulation and do not want to walk around and smush it down so we weren’t able to see any farther. It is a night animal; only makes noise during the night. Sometimes we don’t hear it for a couple of days. When the weather is warmer or raining or snowing the noise gets real bad. Our bedroom faces south. Sometimes you’ll hear it in the kitchen. We also found black pooh on the side of our house, which my pest guy said could indicate bats were getting in. It is winter here and we still hear it. Around 30 to 40 degrees right now. When it’s really cold outside we are unlikely to hear it. Do you think we are dealing with bats ?
Tech Support says
@C in Minnesota: It sounds a lot like bats. I suggest you read through our Bat Control article listed here:
Bats: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/bats.html
In the article we have an Ultrasound device that should keep them out. You may need more than one depending on the size of the space but bats hate the sound these units emit. See it here:
Transonic: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-transonic-tx-pro
Sonny says
So I am back…sad to say. I haven’t heard any noises in my ceiling since the last time I’ve post. Yet this evening (8:15pm to be exact) I hear wrestling noises on my front porch. I turn off my light (on the inside) and look out my front window and there it is, FINALLY I see it’s a HUGE raccoon lager than a cat and small puppy tearing through the floor of my 2nd floor balcony. As excited as I was to finally find out what has been disturbing me the whole summer, I then start to realize that my pest may have come back! Is there a way that a raccoon that big fit through the space between the second and third floor ceiling? Or is it possible that i may have more than one type of critter problem? Also, are raccoons not scared of people? I shined the flash only cell phone at it and it didn’t phase it. I tapped on my window and it came closer as if it was going to come in.
Tech Support says
@Sonny: Raccoons are very “fluffy” and in fact can fit into tight spaces. Their fluffy appearance makes them look a lot larger than they are and they prefer a tight space anyway so they most likely could get into the space you mention.
Since they’re very strong and dominant, it’s not likely they’d share the space with any other animal. Raccoons love pet food and bird feeders and will many times live and nest in a home that has either or both. And if it your home doesn’t have a bird feeder or pet food, look to a neighbors.
Since raccoons are usually on top of the food chain – especially in residential areas – so they have no need to be afraid of people. And since they are a common carrier of rabies, you need to get rid of this raccoon ASAP. For starters, I suggest you equip your home with one or two of the UltraSound devices listed in our raccoon article. I’d place on where he’s actively walking to the entrance. There must be a path he’s using and if you position the unit to “sound” in his pathway, this could be enough to keep him away. But since it sounds like he’s been living in this space for some time now, install a unit in the space to make sure he can’t stick around. You can read up more on these in our article here:
Raccoon Repeller: http://www.bugspray.com/raccoons.html#raccoon-control-ultra-sound-devices
Yard Guard: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-acbatt-yard-gard-49
josh says
Thanks for the informative video. Every night around 9 to 10pm I hear a “clawing on metal” sound from within my house likely coming from the roof (roof is metal). It lasts several seconds and I don’t hear any other noises or activity on my roof before or after. I’ve had an exterminator check my attic for roof rats and he saw no signs of rats or other animals. He said my attic is sealed tight. However, my neighborhood in southeast FL is infested with roof rats and they’ve been climbing and nesting in my gutters – which has been fixed. He left a few snap traps and glue boards in the attic, but nothing has been caught after a month. However, I continue to hear “clawing on metal” sounds. What could this be? Could it be a night bird perching to eye for prey at night? Your video leads me to believe its a squirrel or something nesting in the roof but not in the attic? Thanks for your help.
Tech Support says
@josh: I’m thinking either gutters or the soffit space just behind them. Of course I don’t know your home but many will have separate voids for the soffit and you won’t be able to see inside them from the attic. A good clue you have this design is if there are lots of vents on the underside of the soffit. These are commonly installed where voids are sealed off and not accessible.
And remember, any downspout from the gutters that leads to the ground is a great way for chipmunks, squirrels and other animals to access the upper roof area of any home. I actually had a chipmunk doing this last fall. I’d hear a metal scratching sound, like something was dragging their claws on a chalkboard, and it turned out a chipmunk was traveling all the way up to my roof via a down spout. I set out one of our live traps, caught him on the ground that was that.
Another possibility is the chimney. If you have a metal insert flue, there could be something living in there during the day and leaving once it gets dark. I’ve seen this happen many times with raccoons, bats and other animals. Many animals that access this space seem to get active around 9-10 PM.
I’ve also seen where animals living in a wall void can generate sounds heard in the home but not findable in the attic so don’t rule this out either.
These are a few things that first come to my mind so give these places a look for now. And if you have further questions, give our office a call toll free at 1-800-877-7290.
josh says
@josh:
Since I last posted, this noise I described continued. I’ve narrowed it down to the roof vents. Since 3 exterminators could not find evidence of rat chewing or other evidence in my attic, vents and duck work, I think it may be lizards living in the roof vents at night. I hear claws-on-metal all night.
My exterminator told me a few months ago that the vents were sealed. Well, I finally got up there and saw they were not sealed. So I hired him to seal them with wire mesh / hardware cloth. House is almost totally sealed now. Only entry point would be the sewer line through the ground connections (the sewer pipe vents through the attic and roof). So if the noise doesn’t stop, that’s where I’ll focus next. MAKE SURE ALL ACCESS POINTS TO YOUR HOME AND VENTS ARE SEALED. This is the only way to prevent animals from entering your home. I laid a few glue traps outside and caught a large, fat curly tail lizard and others. My patio, exterior walls and shrubs are infested with small lizards and they are becoming a nuisance.
Tech Support says
Thanks for the update. I completely forgot about the potential of lizards. They especially get active in late winter/early spring and the will make a commotion since they many times use pipes and other metal to travel. Their claws on the metal can be quite loud so they can make someone believe something much larger is afoot.
Now that you know lizards are involved, you may want to check out our Lizard Control article. We’ve been selling various repellents for them including granules and a liquid spray that works great for curly tails.
Lizards: http://www.bugspray.com/article/reptiles.html
DNA says
I recently had my roof fixed and now I hear something, but to be honest I heard something a few years ago, but in another room. At that time, I had a sign other go into the attic, he set traps and all types of things, but never saw anything. I have no clue what to do, but want this IT out of here or I’ll be leaving my home for someone to have. I simply need suggestions on who to call besides GHOST busters – help me PLEASE!
DNA says
Adding to my last comment; I am in the washington DC metro area. I have sent my roofer an email to see what they can do, but do you have any recommendations for companies/individuals that can assist in my area?
Tech Support says
@DNA: We’re not aware of any companies in your region that do wildlife control but start there. Do a Google search or check your local yellow pages for “animal relocators” or “wildlife removal service”. There will be plenty of companies around and we always suggest you have at least 3 check out the problem. This will enable you to get a handle on what to expect service wise, cost wise and what the problem might be. These companies can really vary and it’s important to get one that will meet your expectations making it vital to talk with several before hiring anyone. Good luck and don’t panic; many animals come and go from attics and other parts of the home so there is no need to move.
DNA says
@Tech Support:
Thank you sooooooo much. I am on it right now… googling ;)
Pat says
I live in MA and the past few early mornings I have heard scratching in my attic. It has NOT been accompanied by any growls. I set a Havahart trap model 1030 (used mostly for large squirrels), over the past 2 nights. The first night I used peanut butter and apple slices I placed on a small cut out paper plate. I then placed the plate on the trap release hoping the animal would set off the trap when eating. The next morning the food and plate were gone and the trap never went off. Last night I placed the peanut butter directly on the trap plate with 3 apple slices on top. This morning 2 of the apple slices were gone but everything else was still as i left it. I have checked the attic and I haven’t found any fecal matter. We are considering getting the next size up in cages but I am worried that if the animal is smaller than a raccoon it may not capture it. I am obviously a novice, any advice?
Tech Support says
For now continue with the trap you’ve got. But don’t bait it with anything other than the peanut butter you’ve had this animal accept thus far. Smear 1 tablespoon of the butter over the top of the trip pan. If the animal is small enough to enter, it will do so and start licking the butter off the trip pan which will get it caught. But if the animal is too large to enter, it will reach in attempting to remove the peanut butter and in doing so, get it’s arm caught for a moment. It will surely get free but if you find the trap relocated, you’ll now know a larger trap is needed.
FYI, the lack of information is making it difficult to fully assess the problem. In most cases, anything small like a rat or squirrel will leave plenty of droppings so the size of the animal involved is usually easy to figure out. Large animals not so much. But the fact that this animal didn’t take all you offered last night makes me lean toward a small animal even though you aren’t finding droppings. I’m guessing there is some up there hidden or if this animal is only entering the space from time to time and not actually living in there, droppings may be difficult to spot no matter what size it turns out to be since it’s not present through the entire night.
If the trap gets “moved” when using bait on the trip pan, it would be a good indication a larger trap is needed. At that point I’d get one of the two:
LT 11x12x30: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-11-x-12-x-30
LT 11x12x36: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-11-x-12-x-36-rear-door
Amanda says
Our exterminator diagnosed our problem as roof rats. There are droppings trails in our attic and the storage compartment of a second floor bedroom, which connects to the attic. We have a Cape Cod-style home with an extremely steep-pitched roof, with peaks and gables. We discovered the point of entry, a hole, at the valley of the roof where the fascia & soffit meet. The problem is that the roofing board was cut too short and doesn’t meet the fascia as shown in your video. The rat took advantage of the space and chewed another 1/2″ in the roofing board & fascia to create a hole. One can see into our attic from the outside through this hole. The exterminator stated that the hole was too big too plug and that the 1 inch gap already existing between the boards was a port of entry for rodents. Our roof is 19 yrs old and the shingles brittle, so removing them to replace the boards, is not an option. We were told by our home inspector that the roof was a 25-30 yr roof, and we had at least 5 yrs left, which is what we banked on before we agreed to purchase it. We’re not in a financial position to replace the roof this year. We just moved in July. It’s become apparent to us that the seller knew he had a rat problem and tried to conceal it as upon further investigating we found “over the counter” rat traps placed under the plywood floor in the storage area. A saw was apparently used to cut a hole and hide the trap presumably to obscure it during a home inspection. Additionally, the seller used spray foam over the rat’s hole & of course, the rats just chewed through that. The exterminator says the rats will just push any stuffing out of the way in the hole or just start another hole somewhere else between the boards. Is there anything we can do to prevent rats from getting through this space? I thought about draping steel mesh over the area, but I am not sure it will work. HELP, please.
Tech Support says
@Amanda: There are three things that should be done. The first is to plug the gap with some wood or Copper Stuff It. Next, use some repellent Foam on the outside of the seal. Lastly, set up several Ultra Sound Devices inside the space. Point them to the space where the rats were entering and keep them constantly running. The best Ultra Sound unit for this is:
Transonic: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-transonic-tx-pro
The Copper Stuff It can be seen here:
Copper Stuff It: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/netting/copper-stuff-it-50-ft
And the foam here:
Foam Repellent: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/pur-ipf-foam
Read more on roof rats and how to control them here:
Roof Rat Control: http://www.roof-rat-control.com/rat-control
Natalie says
Hi there, so it’s almost 1 am here and I’m laying in my bed hearing these crazy loud noises in my bedroom ceiling. It’s been going on a few days now this is the loudest I’ve heard it. My husband hears climbing/moving in the walls around 7-8 am eery morning. Then tonight I hear loud sounds kinda like bowling in the attic or as if a person is walking around up there. No smells and once we did hear kinda of a squeaking. My father in law went up in the attic today and said he didn’t see anything. I’m laying here wide awake and kind of nervous. Help please; who do I need to call?? Can my father in law remove what ever it is?? Thank you.
Tech Support says
@Natalie: It’s not likely that anyone will be able to simply “remove” any animal that’s up there. But what is possible is that you’ll be able to trap it after doing a little work. So the choices are that you trap it out or you hire someone to trap it out. Simply removing it or blocking it’s route of entry will only cause it to chew through another location to get back in so don’t attempt to seal them out before the active animal is relocated as this will only make the problem worse.
To trap it will involve a few steps. First is having access to the area. Once you have access, get someone up there so they can look for any kind of animal evidence. Try to locate where the sounds are coming from, if you see animal activity or sign in the insulation, if there are droppings anywhere, etc. I know someone has already been up there but do it again just to be sure they didn’t miss anything.
Next set out some dry pet food or bird seed somewhere close to where you either suspect the noise is coming from or where you find some evidence of animal activity. If the food placement is gone within one day, you know you have something that can be trapped.
Next get one of our live traps and set it out using the same food attractant. Based on what you’re hearing, I believe you have either roof rats or flying squirrels. A good trap for either would be the:
LT 5x5x18: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-5-x-5-x-18
Now if the trap gets dislodged or moved around without catching anything, it will mean you have something larger up in the space. But based on when you hear the sounds, it’s most likely rats or flying squirrels. Both get active around dusk and remain active all night long. And they will readily live in wall spaces without traveling out into the attic so you won’t find droppings every time.
Also worth noting is that homes which have pets are most likely to get these problems as are homes that keep bird feeders in their yard or if the neighbor has a bird feeder. So if either of these two conditions apply, use the bird seed or pet food for bait as this will most likely lure whatever is up there to the spot where you can trap them out. Good luck!
guest says
I here noises in my ceiling in the morning around 7 and sometimes at night. It sounds like something is trying to chew through the wall. If I stomp on the floor the noise stops. Any idea what it could be?
Tech Support says
Too little information to tell. I suggest you get into the space to see if you can find any droppings, damage, etc. and report back. In general, we find daytime animals get active early morning and aren’t heard much during the day. Sometime in the PM they’ll come back inside to stay the night and it’s at this time they’ll be heard. So you hearing something at night makes me think you could have squirrels or something larger. But really, the list is way too long based on the limited information you’ve provided. Do a thorough inspection of the area where the sound is being heard and let us know anything else you find. This will help narrow the field animal wise as to what it might be.
Ashley says
At 5:30am tonight I got up to use the bathroom and heard a loud “chirping/tapping” noise by our front door. It is constant and rhythmic. At some times it is really loud, and some times it gets quieter. I went into the basement and heard it just as loud on the same wall. There doesn’t appear to be any space for anything to live and move? I shined our flashlight on the space and [I think I] heard a slight squeak before the noise moved about 3 feet. Still constant and rhythmic- about one or two “knocks” every second. I kept following the noise with my flashlight, but it didn’t disturb the noise anymore. When I woke my husband up, he started pounding on the walls and sometimes it would make the sound stop for about 45-60 seconds. After a bunch of pounding, the noise sounds loudest on the other half of the house. (We have a small ranch with a basement). It kinda sounds like someone is bouncing a small wooden ball against a hard surface. It doesn’t sound like a large animal– my thinking is the largest would be a rat. Maybe an insect? Please help so me know how to get rid of it. Thanks!
Tech Support says
@Ashley: No way can we tell what this might be. That being said, in most cases when you have any animal making constant noise like you described, it usually means the animal is either very young or in distress. For now, I’m leaning toward distress. Animals that get caught in a wall or ceiling void will many times become frantic as they near death. At this time they can begin to emit a constant sound. This can also happen if they get caught somewhere like in a heat duct or drain pipe.
In the spring, many animals have young which can cause a commotion. And to many animals, 5:30 is very much the “morning” to them. That means feeding time so you could be hearing the sounds of some young animal or group of young animals that are telling their mother they want to be fed.
For now, you’ll need to focus your energy on locating just where the noise is coming from and then identifying what is causing it. If you’re not able to do this successfully in the next day, hire a service company to come and inspect if the noise continues. If there is reason for them to do a service of some kind, they’ll know and can further advise.
Now if the noise stops and you don’t hear any commotion after last night, it could mean the animal was able to escape and move away or that it died. The later could mean problems “odor” wise so if you start to detect a decaying smell in the home, it will be important for you to try and isolate just where the carcass is located so you can do something about the odor. If that day should ever arrive, review our article on Odor Control which covers several treatment options to handle this many times offensive smell and persistent problem.
Dead Body Odor: http://www.bugspray.com/odor_control.html#dead_body_odor
Susan says
As I lay in my bed, I hear something gnawing and/or poking into my ceiling from the attic above. A few days ago this started and at the ceiling corner right above my bed, a hole appeared. Something pecked its way into my room.
It looked like a tiny hole, but when I got closer to see it, it was mushy drywall bout the size of a 50 cent piece. I sealed it up and the thing poked through again the next day. Tonight, I banged on the ceiling and it doesn’t seem to be afraid of me at all.
Any ideas what this could be? If mice, are they that aggressive? I don’t have any food in my upstairs bedroom where I sleep. Pretty freaky to know something is this aggressive to keep coming into my bedroom when I am there awake with the light on. Thanks!
Tech Support says
Clearly you have some kind of animal living in your attic which needs to be removed. At this point you or someone needs to get up there and inspect the area to get some idea of what it might be. My instinct tells me roof rats but it could be several other animals as well.
Now if you find droppings scattered around, try setting out some type of food to see if it will accept your offering. Pet food or bird seed are excellent baits to see if this creature will feed. You want to know because if you can get it to feed on your offering, you’ll be able to trap it out.
Remember, even if you don’t bring food into your bedroom, pet food or bird seed any where in the house is enough to attract rats inside so either of these food baits would be what you should use to start the trapping process. I say this because in 90% of the homes that get roof rats, the home owner has pets or feeds birds and the use of pet food or bird seed attracts the nuisance animals as well. And once these animals learn the food is coming from inside the home, they move inside.
So if you place out some food and get the animal to accept your offering, you’ll be ready to start trapping them out using one of our Live Traps. Start small because in most all cases the animal will be catchable in the smaller traps. And of course, if you aren’t comfortable doing this kind of work, call a wildlife relocating service to do the work for you. But animals living in your attic is not good and it needs to be removed ASAP.
LT 5x5x18: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-5-x-5-x-18
Green Live Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-green-5-x-5-x-16
Pecan Paste: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/pecan-paste
Roof Rat Control: http://www.roof-rat-control.com/rat-control
Sarah B says
I don’t know if this page is still frequently followed up, but I’m gonna give it a shot. My husband and I moved into a two story duplex in May and never had any noise issues. We live in Washington state. Regardless, the past two weeks, while my husband is at work mainly, I hear loud banging noises coming from upstairs. At first I thought it was our neighbors, but now I know it isn’t due to the fact that the noise sounds like someone is walking around in our bedroom (when we are on the 1st floor.) It literally sounds like something is throwing sacks of potatoes against the walls (facing the side of the house – not the middle). Our neighbors in the house next to us say they can also hear it and it sounds like its right in our walls almost. It only happens around 8AM-9AM and again between 2PM-5PM.. sometimes it will happen in the later evening as well. It is extremely loud when it happens – sometimes our decor shakes.
Tonight, I realized that the access to the attic from our bedroom looked as if it was lifted up recently. The seal is cracked all the way around and wasn’t when we moved in. We refuse to go up there and are calling our landlord in the morning, but I can’t stop researching the possibilities. What in the world could this be??
Tech Support says
There are many possibilities but based on the loudness of the sound you hear, the animal entering must be large. I’d guess it’s a raccoon or something in that range. If you go outside and monitor the home around dusk or day break, there is a good chance you’ll see it leaving or entering. Based on the time you hear it, I would guess it’s nocturnal which means it probably goes out around dusk and comes back inside around sunrise. Once you know what the animal is, you’ll have to either hire a service company to come and remove it or get some traps and do the work yourself.
Sandi says
Only two times in the last two months have I heard the noise in my attic. It woke me up at around 4:20 in the morning, it was a very loud screeching noise. Scared the crap out of me and my dog. The first time it was over the window beside my bed. I banged on the wall and it stopped. The next time I heard it about 3 weeks later it was over at the other side of my bedroom by the other outside wall. I have read all your posts here and nothing ever mentions a screeching noise. Any idea what it is? I will ask my brother in law if he can go up and take a look in the attic for me. Thank you.
Sandi says
Oh, this happened in late December and late January.
Tech Support says
Sandi,
There are so many things that could have made a screeching noise I can’t list them all in this thread. And since people describe sounds so differently, its not possible for us to make a positive id based on sound alone.
At this point you need to get in the attic to see if anything is nesting, if there are droppings up there or any kind of damage. Now if there is some evidence of an animal being active, it would be wise to set up some kind of “feeding” station in the areas where the activity is noted.
This station should then have some bird seed and/or pet food. And you’ll want to inspect the offering once a week. Ultimately if something takes any of the food, you’ll know you have an active animal and at that time, you’ll be able to set a live trap based on how much of the food they take.
So for now, lets confirm there is something up there. And once you find out for sure, give us a call or send us an email and we’ll try to help based on this new information.
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
Melissa says
I hear whistling high pitch in my attic! Also hear walking around. Always between 8-10 am. Inspected attic. No droppings. Help!
Tech Support says
Melissa,
There are many potential explanations for this sound. The first would be some kind of appliance. My second guess would be something interacting with wind. Case in point; last week my son reported to me that there were either birds or mice in our attic. It was around 9:00 AM on a Saturday morning and he was in our laundry room getting some clothes and heard a continuous drone of high pitched sounds, kind of like squeaking and something you’d expect from a mouse, bat or birds. Having been in pest control for over 30 years, I was stumped since it was continuous so I went to investigate. Upon entering the attic space, I could hear the sound coming from the upper mid section of the roof. Looking there I noticed our turbine vents were spinning quickly and a couple of them were making sounds which when combined, sounded like a pack of mice!
In summary, the only way to know for sure whats causing these sounds is to confront them when they’re active. If its an animal, it will quickly run away and in all likelihood, the sound will cease as soon as you enter the attic. But if its wind related, a vent or maybe a furnace blower making the sound, it will continue even if you’re present.
Now if the sound disappears when you enter the attic and as soon as you leave the attic you hear it start again, it might be related to the doorway to the attic. I’ve seen where air moving through cracks in an attic door can cause a wide array of sounds too.
Lastly, to help determine if in fact it is an animal of some kind, all you need to do is to set out some food in the space. Start with a mixed selection of apple slices, nuts, bird seed and any kind of pet food like dried cat, dog or rabbit food. Set the selection out close to where you think the sound is active and if by chance an animal is visiting the space periodically, they’ll surely find your offering, eat some and from there, you’ll be able to use the same approach to live trap whatever is visiting the space.
Give us a call if you need more help. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290 and we’re open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mon-Thur; 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Friday and 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday, Eastern Standard Time.
Jonathan
Customer Care
http://bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
AvalosM says
At around 1am I heard a loud noise in one spot of my ceiling. The noise seemed to get louder but it stayed in one spot. It was like something moving in one spot. I’ve never heard it before but recently, during the past couple of weeks, I’ve woken up 5am to a smell as if the dog has pooped in the house, except he hasn’t. It’s not a strong smell but strong enough. Any idea what it might be?
Tech Support says
Avalos,
Most likely a opossum or raccoon but its hard to say for sure. Most any wild animal will have a “smell” that can be strong. But only larger animals will have enough of a smell for it to be noticed around the home outside the area they’re active. So if they’re in the attic and you smell their presence in living areas, it generally means the animal is significant.
At this point you need to get up in the attic to see what’s active, if there are droppings accumulating, etc. Generally any animal like a opossum or raccoon can be trapped easily but unless you know where they’re entering and accessing the home, it will be hard to know where to best locate the trap. For this reason its generally fine to trap them in the attic if you can reach the area where you hear the sound. More info on this process can be found in our articles here:
Raccoons: http://www.bugspray.com/article/racoonopposum.html
Give us a call if you need more help. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290 and we’re open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mon-Thur; 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Friday and 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday, Eastern Standard Time.
Jonathan
Customer Care
http://bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
Claudia says
I’ve been reading all the info and comments, but nothing seems to fit my situation. It’s like a continuous chewing sound that starts in the early evening and goes through the night till 9-10 am. We have foam in the attic and the sound is right above my room. It woke me up at 5 this morning and it won’t take a break. It’s not raining outside and I’ve only been hearing it for a few days. I wonder if it’s some kind of worms ..
Tech Support says
Claudia,
There are many insects active right now that could be causing the sound. The most common is carpenter bees.
Wood Bees: http://www.bugspray.com/article/carpenterbees.html
Females will enter nests in the evening and chew all night long which can be heard inside the home.
Another pest very active now which can make noise when chewing are carpenter ants.
Carpenter Ants: http://bugspray.com/article/carpenterants.html
They tend to be active mostly at night but sometimes during the day as well. Unlike the carpenter bees, they’ll take a break more frequently so the sound is typically intermittent and not continuous like you’re describing.
Lastly, old house borers or powderpost beetles will commonly make sounds that can last all night long.
Wood Beetle: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/powderpostbeetles.html
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
Claudia says
Thank you so much! You’ve been very helpful!! Both the outside and inside of my room are covered in wood. I just didn’t think the problem might be in the walls..
Dan says
I hear a loud thump in my attic over by bedroom almost every night around 2am then I don’t hear it anymore. No one is in the other rooms so maybe that’s why I don’t hear anything. Also my bedroom is at the back of the house so maybe this is where it is entering or leaving because I have a tray ceiling maybe it’s jumping off of that. Last year had an exterminator come out because of droppings in the hall bathroom that I thought were rat droppings. He closed up or put mesh around the washing machine pipes cause he could not find any other possible entry points. Also put traps glue and mouse traps all over the bathroom and laundry room. Have not seen any droppings since and there was never a rat or mouse on the traps. I have not tried looking in the attic because I really don’t want to go up there and the entrance is in the front and the noise is all the way in the back of the house and not sure if there is even a light up there to see anything. I have a 3 story townhouse is it possible for a raccoon to climb that high? There are no trees around and I am an interior unit. If I do check midday would a raccoon be up there during that time and attack?
Tech Support says
Dan,
First, if you go up with a strong flashlight and make noise while in the attic to insure your presence is noticed, its not likely any animal would “attack”. The only time conflict is likely to occur is if you corner, spook or surprise an animal and all three of these would require intent. From what you’re describing, it will be easy to prevent direct conflict so for now, I suggest you start your “quest” by getting up there to see what evidence, droppings, damage, etc. you can find. This is paramount for a fix to be suggested.
Second, if you’re not able to get to the area where the sound is heard, hire someone that can and will.
Lastly, get a light fixture installed up there. If one is not strong enough to fully light the area, get more.
In summary, listing all the possible “animal” options that could be causing the sound is not a practical way to offer advise until we have more information. And that can only be acquired by getting up there and doing some inspecting. So for now, decide if you want to proceed and if you do, report back via email or a phone call and we should be able to further advise.
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
Tony says
I just spent a long time reading up on the info your site provides – very helpful in getting the brain flowing! I live in North Florida and the only thing I haven’t seen around here is flying squirrels, so that’s probably out. For the past 2 weeks, and ONLY on occasion, my wife & I have been awoken between 5am-6am to sounds directly above our bedroom roof. They move from one wall to another, but each time it actually sounds like a slow, methodical “chewing” or grinding of teeth against something such as the wood frame. I’ve inspected the outside of the soffits and don’t see any access points. However, we do have the typical vent access that the builders install during construction, and they are left without any type of grating installed. I am fairly confident that we aren’t dealing with a raccoon, opossum or bats. That pretty much leaves me to finding evidence of squirrels or rats, correct? I’ve got that *DEEP* blown insulation (like 3′ high), and the attic is the span of the house. This is going to make for a difficult investigation in finding droppings, or will it? I can’t even see where to walk up there without stepping through the roof. Would you suspect squirrels or rats to be making that chewing sound we’re hearing? I hit the wall the other morning and it immediately went quiet. Then, about 30 minutes later I could have sworn I heard it scampering to the middle of the house which is where the open vents are located. To hear the scampering means it HAS to be something that can jump from rafter to rafter, because all of the blown insulation would dampen sound otherwise, correct or no? Thank you in advance for any advice on how to approach this given our type of construction. To think, we’re actually preparing to sell and move, and now this to deal with first! -Tony
Tony says
UPDATE: So I just finished crawling all over the attic- there should be some sort of Olympic MEDAL for that!!!! – and I found two things: (1) all three of our roof vents ARE actually screen protected from the inside, and (2) ZERO evidence of anything living up there. No dust disturbed, no insulation moved, no obvious sunlight holes other than what the soffits & eaves normally allow, and no droppings, etc. What I also found walking around the other day was definite evidence that we now have a mole burrowing around the perimeter and directly at the base of our house; on the same side that we are hearing these noises. Is it possible that a mole is actually gnawing into our underground pvc pipes thus making the sound appear as it’s coming from the walls/ceiling? (sound resonance?) OR…..could we have simply begun hearing the beginning of something trying to gnaw its way into our attic, and scampering away was being afraid of my ceiling knocks? I just don’t see anything proving an animal has made entry into the roof, so I’m completely baffled why the sounds have occurred more than once now. Any help is truly appreciated! -Tony
Tech Support says
Tony,
You most likely have a rat or chipmunk. Rats will burrow and need to chew to grind their teeth to prevent overgrowth so they are the likely culprit. But chipmunks will also gnaw; just not as much. You can read up on both animals here:
Chipmunks: http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/chipmunks.html
Rat Control: http://bugspray.com/article/rats.html
Some other general info about these critter…
Both animals love to nest alongside foundations. Both are drawn to bird seed or grass seed. Rats are drawn to pet food too; both cat and dog food flavors as well as rabbit food, etc. Basically any kind of animal feed. And rats have no fear of either dogs or cats; they’ll readily move into any home with a pet just to be close to their food.
Now even if you have no bird feeders or pets, if a neighbor does, it could be the reason the animal(s) are around.
So what should you do?
If I found this around my home, I would first bait the burrow with some bird seed or pet food. My goal would be to find something the animal wants to eat. If they accept either of my offerings, I’d then get one of our LT5518RD traps and some Pecan Paste to trap it. I’d make my set right where the food offering was accepted. Within a day or two, you’ll trap whatever it is and at that point, decide if you want to destroy it or relocate it.
As for the “noise” you hear; both animals can and will chew pipes and/or cement. But they’re also sensitive to humans. So if you “spook” them while they’re gnawing, they’ll stop. And I’ve seen where the sound is can be heard on one side of a building but the damage being done is on the other side so there is no real rhyme or reason when it comes to origin. Remember, most any pipe can transmit sound throughout a structure making it hard to isolate the starting point.
Live Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-5-x-5-x-18
Pecan Paste: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/pecan-paste
Give us a call if you need more help. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290 and we’re open 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Mon-Thur; 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Friday and 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday, Eastern Standard Time.
Jonathan
Customer Care
http://bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
PS: Please show your support for our business by purchasing the items we recommend from the links provided. Remember, this is the only way we can stay around and be here to answer your questions and keep our web site up and running. Thanks for your business!
Tony says
Jonathan,
Thank you so very much for responding and for providing the link! I just came down from the roof, and to my surprise what I found is that something has actually been chewing on or eating our roof shingles! The damaged shingles are in the spots where we have been hearing that noise I described, so I know this is the source of the noise. We do have a bird feeder in our backyard that entertains a lot of the wildlife here, so that is definitely something we need to consider going forward. However, would a squirrel or rat be the one doing this? I can now see that the chewing marks are small in nature but are starting to do enough damage that this is going to be a problem fairly soon. I have already identified 5 shingles that need replacing because they have chewed them down to the fiber that the shingle material is attached to. Aside from putting barbed wire across the roof, any idea of what else we could do please?
Tech Support says
Tony,
My original recommendation doesn’t much change. Ideally, removing the animal would be the “sure” way to resolve the problem. And the live trap would be the way to proceed to accomplish this goal.
Now whether its a rat or squirrel is the only question but does it really matter? That question aside, I have seen squirrels every now and then chew shingles. But not nearly as often as I have seen rats do this so I’m inclined to go with a rat as the culprit. Regardless, the LT5518 and Pecan Paste will catch either so you can’t go wrong with this investment.
Now you could try to repel them from the area. We have two options (both of which are detailed in our rat and squirrel article). The first would be the use of Pest Rid Spray. This bad tasting agent uses food grade oils to make things unsuitable to bite or chew. I’m sure the chewing will stop where ever you spray. But since a gallon can only cover up to 500 sq/ft, this may prove costly to use. And treatments only last 30 days so its not a “permanent” solution. But it might be considered to spot treat the trouble spots with the hope that the animal leaves for good and ignores surrounding areas. We’ve seen this happen 50% of the time so there is a good chance spot treating can work.
Pest Rid Spray: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/pest-rid-exempt-liquid-repellent
The second repellent option would be to install some Ultra Sound devices. If you set up a Yard Gard on the roof in one corner of the roof with the sound directing out over the area where the activity is happening, it will definitely repel any small animal. This device emits the sound like a flashlight and can cover up to 3,000 sq/ft so that should be enough for most of your roof. Well, at least one side. But if you have a two distinct areas independent of one another, you’ll need at least two units installed because they require direct line of sight to be effective.
Yard Guard: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-acbatt-yard-gard-49
Also, you’ll have to keep them running in “always on” mode. This means they’ll be running 24 hours a day via the included AC power converter that comes with each unit. The cost to power them is low (less than $1.00 a month) but you will need a power supply for the power bricks to reach. The cord for the power supply is 35 feet long but can be extended if needed since its a thin, low voltage wire.
In summary, the Pest Rid applied to where they’re chewing might do the job. But its 50-50. The Yard Gard would definitely keep them off the roof but they probably won’t leave the yard as long as you keep bird seed around. And lastly, the live trap and removal method is no doubt the most positive way to proceed because the problem will be taken away for good. Personally I have trapped countless squirrels and chipmunks as well as 10-15 rats around my yard due to my bird feeders. And I’ve done this with same trap I’ve owned for over 15 years now so they will last a long time. I love feeding the birds but the rodent activity is unacceptable. So for me, the live trap is easy to use and never fails.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Customer Care
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
Toll Free: 1-800-877-7290
Tony says
Excellent info & thank you! Looks like I’ll be inesting in some traps!
Elliot Smith says
We’ve been in our house for about a year and half now and have heard thumping noise in mornings and evenings continuously or they may be random thumps here and there. I’ve been in the basement, crawl space, attic and roof multiple times checking for signs of entrances. Have not found any signs and the house is only 10 years old. Have had a pest control service come and check themselves which said they saw no signs either. Every night I sit in my living room I hear the noise which is very aggravating. I have used a stethoscope and can not verify the noise in the wall would just like suggestions. Do I set traps even if they are not in the right area?
Tech Support says
Elliot,
Setting traps should only be done if you’re certain of where an animal is active and you have an idea of the animal’s size. In this case you have neither. So for now, you must locate an area where there is an active animal. In all cases, animals entering the home will leave droppings. This would be a sure sign. But often times they will do some damage to your home where they chew. Now if you can’t locate either, then set out some food to get them to eat.
Now what do we mean by “eat”? Basically where they’ll accept food like bird seed, pet food or some of our Trappers Choice Pecan Paste or Loganberry lure. So in your case, if you have a pet or if you keep bird feeders in your yard, set some of the pet food or bird seed out on paper plates. Make 6-8 of these placements in your basement, crawl space and attic. Any animal that enters these areas will readily feed on one or the other.
If you don’t have pet food or bird seed, get our Trappers Choice Pecan and Loganberry as animals cannot resist both. The goal by making these placements is to get whatever is entering to feed. Once they start feeding, they will be susceptible to traps.
Now at this time, the list of animals that could be entering is long. But every one which could be entering has to eat. And once you find any of the offerings you set out have been fed upon, let us know. At that time we’ll recommend some traps to try.
More information on using this approach to “noises” in the home can be found here:
https://bugspray.com/eliminate-animal-odor-stop-rodents-returning.html
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: http://bugspray.com/bugspray_pest_report.html
C Wilson says
Hello,
Thank you very much for the information that you provide.
Twice now I have been woken up by a loud scratching noise coming from the attic. It stays in one spot (the vent in the kitchen) and both times it was in the early mornings (2am and 4am-still dark). When I turn on the light and make noise it stops for a long time but last night it started back up about two hours later.
Orkin came out the first time I heard it, did a thorough inspection and said that they found no evidence of an animal. I’m not sure what to do here. It’s super creepy and hard to sleep knowing that something is there. And I don’t understand why Orkin wouldn’t have found anything. Any thoughts?
Tech Support says
C.Wilson
Our thoughts that you should keep your attic space clear of animals. They can cause damage to wiring as well as leave a mess where active. At this point, installing our sound repeller is probably your best bet. It uses a range of sounds as well as light to freak out animals likely to nest in this area. Once installed and turned on to run all the time, it will keep out everything from squirrels to rats to mice and more.
We have these made to our specs and they work great, they’re easy to use and in most cases, one unit will protect a whole attic.
Sound Repeller: https://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-animal-repeller-wireless-remote-led.html
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: http://bugspray.com/bugspray_pest_report.html
Courtney says
For a few months now I have been hearing a noise coming from the ceiling that sounds like a shitzu sized dog up there running chasing rats. I do know there are rats. I’ve seen them outside the droppings fall from the attic door where it’s not 100% a tight fit I’ve also seen a hole in the closet and they chewed through a plastic tote containing dog food. I hear them in the walls to but that’s a different noise than the ceiling. The sound heavy like a raccoon but very fast and as if it’s chasing small animals like regular rats. Could this noise be a giant rat do they get that big in SW Florida or could it be something else
Tech Support says
Courtney,
Its not possible to accurately judge the size or species of any animal based on sound alone. So if you know you have rats, I’d focus on getting them removed using a combination of kill and live traps like these:
Kill Trap: https://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/snap-snare-and-tunnel/rodent-lizard-snake-kill-trap-cover-kit.html
LT3310: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-3-x-3-x-10
Pecan Paste: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/pecan-paste
Mixed Seed: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/lure/mixed-seed
Once you can go 14 days without hearing any sounds, remove the droppings and if you don’t hear anything for another 7 days, go back to the attic to see if any new droppings are visible in the areas where you were able to remove them all.
At that time if you’re still hearing a sounds but not seeing droppings and not catching anything in the traps listed above, let us know and we’ll further advise. In all likelihood, the sounds you’re hearing are just rats and once removed, will stop.
Lastly, to make sure they don’t come back, be sure to install one of our rat sound repellers. It works on all animals and will keep everything out for years to come.
Sound Repeller: https://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-animal-repeller-wireless-remote-led.html
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
Sherrie says
AT WITS END! I heard light running/loud wood chewing. Set traps with peanut butter and NOTHING! (thinking GMO and maybe I shouldn’t be eating? I mean… ants won’t eat it – scary!) so I had a pet and 5-6 years ago started storing poison items in attic. IRONICALLY- they found the Decon mouse trays and gobbled them up! Lol! I sprinkled a few pellets around and was able to get the rat(s) on video! Here comes the frustrating parts: nothing in traps, sticky traps, electronic or cage traps. I’ve set up a mouse bucket, used all kinds of bait… slim Jim’s, chocolate, peanut butter, apples, grapes, cookies,… NOTHING. A pro-exterminator (and 3 other PROs) come out – seal openings that could be entryway- no definitive space found. For a month tried 2 Prof Baits… nothing. So I started to think… “Oh! they poisoned themselves and went to look for water and we sealed them out! So it’s been 4 months and still no “bodies.” No running or chewing noises… but there is a tapping noise in the walls and the sound moves across the ceiling. Still have video cams and traps up there. Nothing I can see. I have found that rats can see infrared! So I’m hoping they get used to it and come out… if it’s a rat still up there. This light tapping happens mostly during the daytime – or afternoon. But then so did the rats running and chewing… daytime!! Not their MO, right? Whatever it is – it’s under the insulation next to ceiling. :( HELP!
Tech Support says
Sherrie,
Most all animals will have numerous locations to use during bad weather. So if something is using your attic one night, it does not mean it will be there every night. During a bad storm or excessive cold, it may hunker down at another location to wait out the bad weather. Or it could go “dormant” if its really cold, kind of like hibernating, so there would be no sound if they’re not active even if they’re up there.
Regardless of what’s happening right now, the only thing we know will happen is that at some point in the future, there will be another animal coming around. How do we know? Because once a house is “scented” or marked as a good place to visit by one animal, it will inevitably lead to other animals finding the structure and in turn, enable them direct passage inside to visit. Remember, rodents and other animals don’t “know” how to get inside any house. In fact they don’t even know a house is a “house”. But what they do know is scent. Specifically animal scent.
And if you’ve had activity inside your home, well, that means you have lots of animal scent which works as a pathway or trail showing other animals how they can quickly get inside. And these trails will persist for years even if you somehow were to remove every animal using the space.
Long story short, if you want to stop the invasions from happening, read through our article here:
How to Stop Animals from Entering your Attic: https://bugspray.com/eliminate-animal-odor-stop-rodents-returning.html
As you’ll learn, treating the attic and then the homes foundation and siding with our NNz Odor Neutralizer will eliminate all animal odors. Next, installing one of our Sound Repellers in the attic will keep animals out for good – guaranteed.
NNz: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/nnz-64-oz
Sound Repeller: https://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-animal-repeller-wireless-remote-led.html
So our best advice is to stop wasting time trying to figure out what animal you might have or worse yet, buying all kinds of baits and traps hoping they might work. Installing our sound repeller is a permanent fix and will cover all animals. And it will do so immediately so why wait? Lastly, it will last for many years so you won’t have to worry about corrective action anymore once installed.
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: http://bugspray.com/bugspray_pest_report.html
Chris says
I woke up around 6 AM to a sawing noise above my bedroom. I live in a two story house so I thought it was strange. The slow sawing kept going so I hit my wall to scare whatever it is and it stopped. I had to do it twice. Then I hear a faint squeaking/ crying. Minutes later I hear some slight movement. It sounds like the animal is big enough to make noises as it moves but the sawing it was doing was concerning to me. I’m on my phone so the video links don’t work but I plan to watch them on my PC. Thank you for your help!
Tech Support says
Chris,
As we move through the fall months, many animals will be looking for places of shelter for cold nights. This could be an isolated case of animal checking out your attic or it could be a sign one is moving in. Regardless, you need to get up into the space to see if there are droppings, signs of nests, sings of damage, etc. If you’re capable of doing this, call a wildlife profesional to get their advice.
Once the animal is narrowed down to something small, like a flying squirrel, roof rat or vole, you might decide to handle it yourself using our products here:
Voles: https://www.bugspray.com/article/voles.html
Flying Squirrels: https://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page359.html
But if its big, like a raccoon, you might want to hire a company to get it removed.
Technical Support
800-877-7290
PS: Are you signed up for our informative twice a month Pest Report Newsletter? More info here: https://bugspray.com/bugspray_pest_report.html
Cathy says
Last night we heard a scratching sound on the ceiling roof for just a minute then it was gone. This was the first time we heard it. We have a tile roof, checked the soffit but no damage was found. Could it be a roof rat or mouse??
Tech Support says
Cathy,
It could be many things actually but the good news is we have a simple plan on how you can proceed. And we have presented it in a video, well actually a series of videos. Go to our Video Training for Rodent Sound page and watch them for more details. This page is here:
How To Control Rodent Videos: https://bugspray.com/mouse-rat-vole-squirrel-rodent-control-around-home.html
Technical Support
http://www.bugspray.com
George says
I keep hearing monkey sounds in my attic. It sounds just like one of those National Geographic specials. I put several bananas up there to see if they would eat them but it did not work. Have you ever seen a live monkey in an attic?
Tech Support says
Sounds curious George but it can happen. In fact we have sold many of our Sound Repellers for use on Monkeys. Personally I have never seen them in an attic but our customers have reported this issue throughout parts of Asia. Where are you located?
On a side note, our sound repeller would surely keep them out. We offer them in both 110 and 220 volt models.
Sound Repeller: https://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-animal-repeller-wireless-remote-led.html
George says
Wow. Thank you. I see what you did there with “Curious George”.
I’m actually located in the USA. I am going to look into your sound repeller.
Stephen says
The past few nights we’ve been hearing a sort of knocking sound coming from the loft (2 storey house), which could be described as similar to something plastic knocking against or scraping against something. Looked online and one suggestion was rats, however I dont have any ladders capable of accessing the loft and booking pest control can be expensive if not needed
The sound seems to be coming from the same area, doesnt sound like its moved since we first heard it and it doesnt seem to have much variation in its sound (no discernable scurring or running about). We first noticed it at night but perhaps thats because its simply quieter at night, im writing this in the afternoon and we can still hear it. Given everything mentions rats moving at night it makes me wonder if its something structual and not a pest since we’re hearing it in the afternoon?
Tech Support says
Stephen,
Without getting up there it visually inspect, there isn’t much that can be done. Ideally placing out some “food” offering up there would quickly let you know if there is an animal present. We detail this process in our Video training series here:
Rat & Mouse Control Video Training: https://bugspray.com/mouse-rat-vole-squirrel-rodent-control-around-home.html
For now, we suggest you view this video and with any luck, figure out how to deal with the matter yourself. If not, you’ll be forced to hire a service contractor to further investigate.
Technical Support
bugspray.com