Noises in the Attic - What Types of Animals Make What Noises

When hearing strange noises from the attic, you first need to eliminate the possibility of the noise coming from tree branches that touch the roof when wind is strong, or from the cooling or heating system. Also, if you’re new to living in a house, you might not be familiar with those creepy house settling noises, but it’s hard to confuse those for animal noises. Once you’re sure the noises come from an animal, you can almost always guess correctly what specific animal is making the noise, if you pay attention.



Scratching noises: Almost all animals that find themselves in our attics will make scratching noises. The most common attic pests, meaning rats, mice, raccoons and squirrels, all scratch for various reasons, mainly to create room for food storage or for nests. If you hear scratching exclusively during daytime, the culprit is most likely a squirrel.

Thumping noises: Thumping sounds mostly during nighttime probably means that you’re dealing with a larger nocturnal animal such as a raccoon or an opossum – raccoons are more common. Both animals are jumpers, and they constantly work around in the attic, either dragging stuff around, or just destroying insulation or different objects that are stored up in there.

Slithering noises: If you hear slow slithering sounds during the night or during the day, you’re most likely dealing with a snake. However, keep in mind that if a snake is in your attic, the animal is there because it is searching for food. And that means that you might have a bigger problem on your hands, like a rat or squirrel infestation.

Scurrying noises: If you hear quick scurrying noises during the day, it’s probably a squirrel that’s making them. Light scurrying noises combined with high-pitched chirps are an indicator of bats. You will start hearing these sounds at sunset, and occasionally during the night as bats return and go out again. A bat colony doesn’t really go unnoticed, so you’ll definitely be able to also see them as they leave the attic and go foraging.

Quick tapping noises: Tiny paws that go pit-a-pat all the time means you’re dealing with rats or mice.

Rolling ball noises: This type of sound usually means you’re having either a squirrel or a rat/mouse problem, as they roll food around in the attic and can be very noisy in doing so. Vocal noises. If you hear vocal sounds from the attic, it’s almost a given that you’re dealing with raccoons. Other nuisance wildlife don’t tend to make vocal noises. Raccoon cubs will whine and cry, and communicate through a specific kind of chitter, so it’s fairly easy to determine if baby raccoons are the ones making the noise.

Although noise is usually a good indicator relative to what type of animal is living in the attic, things are always tricky when it comes to wildlife. For instance, you might think that the sounds are coming from the attic, when in fact, they’re coming from within the wall or ceiling. This can also cause confusion regarding the size of the animal because of the distance the noise has to travel in order to get to you. You might think you have a big opossum in your attic, when in reality, it’s just a little mouse scratching and thumping in the wall. There are a lot of variables, but the presence of the above-mentioned kinds of nuisance animals can usually be confirmed if you correctly identify the exact location from where the sound comes from, and what specific kind of sound it is. Yes, yes, I know, this is the stuff nightmares are made of, but it’s actually not that scary if you think it’s just a poor little animal trying to raise its family, which is most commonly the case.

If you repeatedly hear any of these noises coming from your attic, roof, ceiling or walls, don’t wait to see what happens – it’s clear that you’re having a wildlife problem. Depending on the type of critter that’s bothering you, start taking measures immediately, and don’t let the situation get out of control. Contact a wildlife removal professional to help you with the problem. Alternatively, go online on sources like this one to help you better understand why and how you need to solve the issue. Different measures and methods will apply depending on what animal species is the one that’s causing the trouble. Be sure you learn all you need to learn about the animal and its behaviors before attempting to remove it from the property, as chances are that you’ll end up doing more harm than good if you handle things incorrectly, or even end up doing something illegal. The best thing you can do if you suspect or have already confirmed that animals are denning in your attic, or anywhere else on your property, is to contact an expert as soon as possible.

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