Noises In Attic! What to Do!
Several types of animals can make their way into your attic because it’s warm, high up, and safe from possible predators. It’s the perfect place for them to have their squeaky little babies and hoard food, except that you and your family are living right beneath them. Animal in attic scratching at night? Noises in your attic during the day? We are here to help identify, analyze, and remove your new neighbors.
How to know if there is an animal in the attic.
There are a few ways we can narrow in on if you have a furry (or scaly) visitor up above or if it’s just a loose shingle slapping the roof in the wind.
1. Periods of activity – Most animals are either nocturnal (awake at night) or diurnal (awake during the day). Most of the critters that could possibly be in your attic are nocturnal (ex. opossums, raccoons, bats) but some could be awake during the day (ex. squirrels, birds, snakes). Listen for patterns of activity. If it’s a constant, methodical sound, it probably isn’t a critter.
2. Smell – The animals in your attic don’t go far to use the bathroom, so if you start smelling or even seeing stains on your ceiling, that could be an indicator of a visitor. Often just a sweep of the flashlight upstairs can show obvious droppings.
3. Broken or disturbed insulation/roof edges – When looking up at the edges of your roof, does any of it seem warped or do you see any bits of insulation peeking out? Creatures love snuggling in and tearing up insulation, so bits of insulation on the lawn could mean something else in your ceiling.
How to tell what kind of animal is in my attic
Raccoons
In the case of raccoons, it’s almost always a mother raccoon with babies, normally in spring. You’ll hear a lot of thumping and walking sounds. Raccoon kits make distinctive chirps and can cause a lot of damage being a larger animal. Raccoons will tear large holes in siding, roofs, AC ducts, plus they have the ability to chew through wood. These animals can contract rabies. Do not trap nor remove on your own.
Squirrels
As with raccoons, the squirrels in your attic are to be mothers with babies. You can hear their fast scurrying movements accompanied by scratching during the day. Also, squirrels chew through wood to make entrances at least 2 inches and don’t be surprised if there is more than one. They can be expected year-round and cause most of their damage through small halls and by chewing through electrical wires. Also, squirrels can contract rabies so don’t try to trap or remove them on your own.
Mice and Rats
Rats are heavier than mice, so rats are fast runners that run up and down walls during the night. Mice have a lighter scamper and light scratching. You might hear some squeaking, but both are mostly silent. They can chew through wood and electrical wires and leave a lot of fecal matter and urine in their wake. Like raccoons and squirrels, mice and rats can also contract rabies. Don’t try to trap or remove them on your own.
Bats and Birds
Due to reproduction seasons, if you discover bats in your roof in June or July, you will have to wait until August to have them removed. Bats rarely can be heard in the walls and chirp in the early morning hours. The biggest damage they cause is their urine and fecal waste. Also, bats can contract rabies so do not trap and remove them on your own. Birds are likely to enter your home through a wall vent. They can scratch but are mostly chirpers. Usually, there’s no mistaking the signs that you have a bird in your attic. They cause damage by building nests, ripping up insulation, and leaving urine and fecal waste.
An Animal in Attic Removal
If you have an animal in your attic, removal is an important step. Please call your local professionals so that the animals can be trapped and released without harm and so that your family won’t be exposed to diseases left behind.
Noises in attic?
If you are in the Northern New Jersey area and need help removing these animals and want to get back to normal without listening to annoying noises in the attic, contact NJ Pest Control. At NJ Pest Control our entire team of professionals is experts in handling these unwanted animals in your attic. Due to fecal waste, urine, rabies and more we do not recommend you trying to get rid of these animals in your attic on your own.
