Does it sound like something is living in your attic? There is a good chance you are not just hearing things. And there is an even better chance (in fact, we can almost guarantee) that it’s not a poltergeist or a tormented spirit of a former homeowner. Nine times out of ten when we come out to investigate strange attic noises, we end up finding opportunistic animals making your home their home. Here are some specific examples of noises and the animals that may be causing them, as witnessed by our Howard County animal removal technicians.
Daytime Noises
If you hear scratching or rolling noises during the day, it’s possible there is a squirrel living in your attic. Squirrels will scratch surfaces as they build their nest, and they may also bring in nuts to store as the food supply. These nuts can get dropped and rolled, which is something you will likely hear from your bedroom. Squirrels can also make noises when they work on breaking open nuts with their teeth. You’ve probably heard them in a park. Here is one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XsUjY5Z8fk If you hear chirping noises during daytime, you may have birds nesting in your attic. Birds don’t really have strong claws or beaks to make a hole, so they likely used an existing gap somewhere along your roof line.
Nighttime Noises
If you hear scratching or a loud thumping at night, you might have a raccoon in your attic. Raccoons are mostly nocturnal animals that come out at night to forage for food. Because they are fairly large, their walking and jumping can usually be heard very well. You may also hear noises outside of your house as raccoons open up your trash cans or knock things down when looking for food. Raccoons are also fairly vocal and can make a variety of sounds from purring to whistling. If you hear several “voices,” it’s possible you have a mother raccoon with her litter in your attic. Here is one of the example of what a raccoon may sound like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ2lGJmIyqQ Another animal that could make loud noises that keep you up at night is an opossum. Opossums are great climbers and have no trouble entering attics. You may hear them at night getting comfortable in your attic as they rip up your insulation and tear open the air ducts. If you hear nighttime noises that sound like something is moving really fast, it could be rats or mice. In this case, you may hear them not only in the attic, but but also inside the walls. Although these rodents are quite small, they can make some noise.
Sunset/Twilight Noises
If you are hearing noises around dusk, and only at that time, it’s likely bats. Bats can make scratching noises as they crawl inside your attic, and they can also cause a big racket when a large colony gets ready to exit the attic for the nightly hunt. However, you probably won’t hear bats unless it’s a very large colony. They are rather small and tend to be quiet. The best way to confirm if you have bats in the attic is to watch your home from the outside after the sunsets. You should see exactly where the bats are coming out from. Here is a video from one upset homeowner astonished at the number of bats coming out of the attic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QTC5ZKXwOA Do any of these noises sound familiar? Give us a call or contact us online to get help identifying and removing the nuisance animal from your attic.