Pests in your attic can be difficult to deal with, especially if you’re not exactly sure what kind of wild animal is up there. If you’ve noticed unnerving scratching sounds in your attic but aren’t sure what’s making the noises, look out for these telling signs that can help you to figure out who the culprit is.
Rats and Mice
Rodents carry harmful bacteria and can cause damage to many different parts of your attic. If think you may have rats or mice on your premises, look for the following clues:
- Fast, pitter-patter sounds: Rodents make scurrying noises as they quickly run around, as well as scratching noises in areas close to the entry and exit points, like doors, walls, or close to windows. They tread lightly, so their noises sound less heavy than other typical attic intruders.
- Less noise during the day: Rodents are primarily nocturnal, so they’re more active at night. However, it isn’t uncommon to hear them during the day.
- Gnaw marks: Rats and mice will chew objects in your attic, leaving exposed wires and damage to wood or insulation.
Raccoons
Raccoons can carry rabies, as well as cause a lot of damage to your attic insulation and wiring. Signs of raccoons on your property include:
- Loud bumping sounds: Raccoons are physically the largest attic intruder, so they tend to make louder scratching, dragging, and thumping noises. These noises are a lot slower and heavier than squirrel and rodent noises.
- Vocal noises: Raccoons often make chittering noises and are among the few intruders that make vocal sounds. Raccoon babies often make distinct chirping noises.
- Long activity spans: Although raccoons are nocturnal, they don’t sleep for very long, so you may hear their noises at any point during the day or night.
Bats
Bats multiply quickly and can create a colony within your attic in a short period of time. They can also carry rabies and fungus, which may cause lung infections in humans. Clues that point toward their presence on your property include:
- Squeaking and high-pitched sounds: Bats will make scratching sounds and high-pitched chirping and squeaking noises as they move around your attic. They’re nocturnal, so you’ll hear this more often at night.
- Damage to ceiling and entry/exit points: Since bats are the only common attic intruders that can fly, they often leave damage to ceiling areas and any access points they use to get in and out of your attic.
- Droppings with strong odor: Bat droppings, or guano, is an obvious sign of bats. Their droppings emit a distinctly strong, toxic smell similar to ammonia.
Squirrels
Squirrels are the most common animal to end up in attics. The following signs of squirrels differ from signs of other intruders:
- Primarily daytime activity: The only species on this list that isn’t nocturnal, squirrels are active all throughout the daytime — most commonly during the early morning and evening hours. Therefore, any apparent activity during daylight hours will be very telling of the presence of squirrels.
- Fast, scurrying noises: Squirrels make quick scratching and scurrying noises, and it isn’t uncommon to sometimes hear nuts or acorns rolling around on the floor.
- Lack of vocal noise: Unlike bats or raccoons, squirrels typically make no vocal noises.
Let Critter Control® Handle Your Attic-Scratching Pest
Whether it’s rodents, raccoons, bats, or squirrels, the trained technicians at Critter Control® of Orlando are fully equipped to quickly and safely remove any animal intruders that have made their way into your attic.
