Noises in Your Walls or Attic

The most common type of complaint in the field of wildlife control is that of animals living in the attic. People hear the scratching, chewing, scampering, and walking noises up in the attic, often at night, and thus call a professional. If you do hear noises in the attic, it's probably one of these five species:

House Mice: Mice are small, and oftentimes people don't hear them, but at night when everything is quiet, you may hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet above your ceiling. The House Mouse loves to live in a ...house, and the walls and attic are safe places. At night, they may venture out into the kitchen in search of food, or go outside for food and water, then back into the house before dawn.

Roof Rats: Rats are commensal with people - they live in urban areas, and often thrive on our food and shelter. They seek out the warmth and safety of houses and other buildings, and commonly take refuge in walls or attics. If you hear scratching and running in the middle of the night, it's probably rats.

Squirrels: Squirrels are probably the most common animal in attics. These arboreal rodents usually live in trees, but many find that the attics of homes are drier, warmer, and safer than any tree - in particular, female squirrels with young will give birth to and raise the litter in an attic. If you hear the scratching and running noises in the daytime, particularly morning and early evening, it's probably squirrels.

Raccoons: Raccoons frequently break into attics in search of safe shelter. As with the squirrels, it's often a female raccoon who is looking for a safe place in which to raise a litter of young. Raccoons are very strong, and can rip open the roof or soffit in order to get in. If you hear heavy walking noises in your attic, it's probably raccoons. If you hear chattering or the squealing of young, it's probably a litter of baby raccoons

Opossums: These opportunistic marsupials often live in human structures, under sheds and houses, and they also often live in attics. Just as with the other animals, a female with young is most likely to choose to live in the attic. Possums, equipped with their opposable thumbs, are great climbers, and can easily get onto the roof to their entry point. Possums do not live in attics as frequently as these other animals, but it does happen from time to time.