A sound over your head at night tells you something is up there, but not what. In the cold months, an attic is warm, dry and rarely visited, which makes it appealing to rodents, squirrels and other animals. Learning to read the sound helps you describe it, and a clear description gets the right visit booked.
Reading the sounds.
| Sound. | Often points to. | Notes. |
|---|---|---|
| Light scratching or scurrying. | Mice. | Usually after dark, moving along walls. |
| Heavy thumping or dragging. | Rats or larger animals. | Often at dusk and dawn. |
| Rolling or gnawing. | Rodents chewing. | May be steady for minutes. |
| Daytime scrabbling. | Squirrels or birds. | Active when it is light. |
| Ticking or popping. | Wood and metal expanding. | Follows temperature changes. |
This table is a rough guide, not a diagnosis. Animals vary, and sound travels oddly through framing. A walk-through settles it.
Why attics attract animals in winter.
An attic collects heat from the living space, holds insulation that makes ready bedding and has quiet corners. Gaps at the roof edge, vents and chimney flashing offer easy ways in. Once inside, animals travel along framing and wiring. Snow cover can hide the ground, and animals that spent autumn near the house may already be nearby.
What not to do.
- Do not go into the attic and stir up insulation.
- Do not seal vents or gaps before an inspection.
- Do not use loose bait, which can send an animal to die in a wall.
- Do not ignore a smell that follows the noise.
A hole sealed with an animal inside can lead to damage and odor. The technician finds the entries and times the sealing so nothing is trapped.
Flat roofs and low attics.
New Canaan has many mid-century modern houses. If yours has a flat or low-slope roof and little or no attic, sounds may come from the space between ceiling and roof deck. General experience suggests that junctions around such roofs can hide gaps. Tell us the roof style when you call, and the inspection plan will reflect it.
What to say on the call.
Give the street, the room under the noise, the times you hear it and when it began. Mention any smell, any droppings and any recent roof or tree work. If you can photograph droppings or damage safely, do so. For the work that follows, see attic and crawl space cleanup and rat control.
Curious what a visit looks like? Ask when you call and get a direct reply.
Ring (888) 686-4821After the animals are gone.
Once the entries are closed and the attic is clear, the cleanup and repair stages restore insulation and ducts. Skipping them leaves odor and contamination behind. The order matters, since cleaning before sealing wastes effort.
What the technician looks for in the attic.
The visit usually starts outside, at the roof edge and vents, because that is where animals enter. Inside, the technician checks insulation for tunnels and matted nests, looks along framing for rub marks and examines wiring for chewed coatings. Droppings are counted and aged by color and texture.
Findings shape a plan covering removal, sealing and, where needed, cleanup. The plan and price reach you before work begins, and damage to ducts or wiring is noted for the proper trade.
Keeping the attic less inviting.
Once the animals are gone and the entries are closed, a few habits help. Keep stored boxes off the floor in lidded tubs, leave a clear path to the hatch and avoid storing food or pet supplies up there. An attic that is easy to inspect gets inspected, and problems are caught while they are small.
Check the roof edge and vents after storms and heavy snow, when ice and wind can lift flashing or bend screens. A quick look from the ground with binoculars sometimes shows what a ladder would, and it keeps you safe.
A brief list based on CDC advice: what to do first
Public health agencies give identical advice to every household. Nothing on this list is unique to a visit from us.
- Hold the broom. Dry droppings crumble, and sweeping turns them into dust you could inhale.
- Before cleanup, air the room out and step away for about thirty minutes.
- Germs are invisible, so gloves on, then soap and water when you finish.
- Cover the waste and the surface beneath it in disinfectant, give it about five minutes, then wipe up using disposable towels.
- One tightly closed plastic bag can take droppings, towels and a carcass out to the trash.
- Muscle aches, fever or breathlessness after exposure are medical questions and not pest questions.
Public guidelines this page relies on
The cleanup and poison statements on this page come from the public pages listed here.
- CDC: cleaning up after rodents: Air it, wet it, bag it: the household routine in the CDC's words.
- CDC: hantavirus prevention: Closing entries, then dealing with old droppings and nests carefully, with sealing and trapping in their place.