RODENT OR WILDLIFE INVASION? HOW TO DECODE NOISES IN WALLS & CEILINGS

Have mysterious scratching or chewing sounds coming from behind the walls prevented you from a good night’s rest?

Have you been startled awake in the middle of the night by a loud scurrying symphony in the ceiling?

Are you hearing persistent pounding or thud sounds in your attic during the early mornings, evenings or during the night?

These are common noises made by rodents or wildlife, who have somehow gotten into your home.

The next step is for you to get them out of your home before they get too cozy and decide to make this a more permanent stay, and this means you need to figure out what has invaded your home – a rodent (rat or mouse) or wildlife (squirrel or racoon).

What is Making the Sound in My Walls or Ceilings?

We receive a lot of calls from homeowners who need help decoding mysterious sounds they hear in their walls and ceilings of their home.

It’s important to know if you have a rodent issue or a wildlife issue because this impacts who you contact for help – a pest control professional or a wildlife removal specialist.  These are not the same type of professions or services, and not all pest control companies offer wildlife removal and vice versa.

The good news is that the sounds you hear, where you hear them from, and the times of day you hear them, can help you determine if you’re dealing with an unwanted pesky rodent or a wild critter invasion.

To help take the mystery out of the sounds and noises you are hearing, and to help you get the help you need to resolve the issue, we’ve compiled information below to help you distinguish between a rodent issue and wildlife issue inside your home.

Rodent or Wildlife Invasion? How to Decode Noises in Walls & Ceilings

Sounds Like a Rodent Infestation...

The sounds they make:

• Mice and rats have itty-bitty paws that make quick, rhythmic scratching and light tapping sounds.
• Rodents are known for their swift movements, so if the scratching sounds are accompanied by scurrying sounds, you’re likely hearing a rat or mouse on the move.
• Rodents chew and they chew loudly and persistently. They constantly chew and gnaw on anything and everything, including drywall and wiring.

Where you hear them:

• Mice and rats commonly seek refuge in the cozy spaces in walls of your home. This is the most common place you will hear their quick light tapping and scratching sounds. FYI - walls act as a hidden highway system for them to move unseen through out a home.
• They can and will invade attics so you may hear them in the walls and ceilings.

When you hear them:

• Rodents are nocturnal - they sleep all day and are wide awake and active at night.
• When rodent issues are present in a home, it’s common to hear noises in the early morning and evening.
• If you have a large infestation of rodents in your home, you could hear noises during the day, or even spot live mice or rats in plain sight. These are common signs that the rodents have outgrown their nest, or that the nest has somehow been disturbed.

Sounds Like a Wildlife Invasion...

The sounds they make:

• Wildlife, especially larger critters, make louder thuds and more persistent heavy scratching noises that can sound like something is knocking on your walls or heavy footsteps on your ceiling.
• Squirrels can be extremely noisey and sound like a sugared-up toddlers racing around and knocking things over.
• Racoons move more leisurely and make a loud slow thud sound.

Where you hear them:

• Their preferred haven is your attic.
• They can get into wall voids, but if this happens, it’s almost always by accident. It often leads to them being stuck and needing to be extracted/removed. Wildlife can accidently fall into homes (e.g. through uncapped chimneys). If they find themselves stuck, they will panic and make lots of audible noises. In this situation, the best course of action is to contact a wildlife removal company to help. They have the expertise to handle these situations. If you do not have the critter removed, they will likely die and rot, and in addition to a horrible smell in your home, flies may result from the decaying corpse.

When you hear them:

• Squirrels are very active during the day. They can be active at night if they are disturbed.
• Racoons are nocturnal and can be heard mostly in early morning and evenings.
• Overall, if the scratching or scurrying noises are amplified after sunset and they persist long into the wee hours of the night, you might have an unwanted nocturnal visitor in your home.

Expert Tip: You can sometimes identify a wildlife issue by inspecting the exterior of your home and property for the following:

• Are there racoon droppings around your home? Their droppings are 2 to 3 inches long, have dark colouring, and a tubular shape. It resembles the droppings of a small dog or medium-sized dog; however, it usually has undigested food in it which is a key way to identify it.
• Do you have gaps, holes, or damage in your soffit, fascia, roof, chimney, or exterior vents? These are common places wildlife can get inside a home.

Getting Help Resolving a Rodent or Wildlife Issue

Once you've identified the source of the scratching sounds, you can take the next step more confidently, which is to get professional help from either a pest control expert (like Environmental Pest Control) or a wildlife removal company.

We hope your home remains free of pests, rodents, and wildlife. We also hope that if you every have an unwanted rodent or critter in your home, these decoding tips are helpful.

Environmental Pest Control are rodent control experts backed by 30+ years experience. If you need help resolving a pest issue, especially a mouse or rat issue, you can count on our pest control experts for safe solutions and effective results.