Noises in the Attic? Top 3 Culprits?

Do you have some unexplainable noises coming from your attic? Do you hear thumping, scratching, and scurrying? Ghosts? More likely, it is a pest that you will want to exclude from your home.Understandably, you probably want to know what that noise could be before you call in the troops. Here are some top contenders of what could be hanging out in your attic and making a racket.

Rodents: Rats and Mice

Rats and mice are two of the most common pests that inhabit attics (and basements for that matter.) Both of these types of rodents are interested in gaining access to a warm, safe space to spend the winter. An added bonus is that your home not only has heat and a place to settle in for the winter, but also has access to food and water!If you hear scratching and scurrying, you may have a rodent problem. Look for droppings and nesting material such as drywall and insulation strewn about. Droppings for rats and mice will differ in size. Mice droppings look like very small grains of brown rice while rat feces are larger brown, sausage-shaped, and curved.Both rats and mice enter the attic through the openings in the roof or the soffits attached to it. They are active during night and day but most active during the evening hours. Be sure to inspect regularly and be sure that you are not harboring any unwanted noisemakers in your attic.

Rodents: Squirrels

Like their smaller rodent cousins, squirrels can be a real problem when found in the attic. All of these rodents tend to chew. The chewing of drywall, insulation, seasonal items, and even your electrical wiring can be a serious fire threat and cause real damage to a home.If you hear scurrying in your attic, you may be dealing with a squirrel or two that have found their way into your attic through the eaves, utility openings, or spaces in the roof.Be aware of the time of day that you are hearing the noises as squirrels are most active during the daytime hours, whereas mice and rats tend to be more active at night.

Bats

Bats love to find a nice dark, safe, warm place to roost. Your attic may be the perfect location if other roosting sites are unavailable. To identify if you have a bat problem in your attic look for a few key signs. Look for guano, which is the term for bat droppings. It will be pungent and will be small dark pellets that can accumulate quickly on the flooring underneath where they may be hanging.Many species of bats are protected so be sure to contact the authorities and find an exterminator who can properly remove and exclude future bats looking for a roost.Are you hearing noises in your attic? Call Pest-End and we can examine your space and determine what is creating the commotion.