By: Matthew Campbell
If you’ve heard chewing, scratching, rolling, or scampering from the attic then you know just how disconcerting it is. What’s up there? Is there more than one? How much damage are they causing?
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- Raccoons are nocturnal, so you will probably hear them hiss, wrestle, scamper, and scratch at night. Early in the spring, pregnant females nest in attics because they are safe havens to rear their young. Raccoons are extremely destructive, so look for torn up insulation and broken soffits.
- Flying Squirrels do not fly, but they can glide from a tree limb to your house. Sometimes you will hear a thump against the roof when they land, but more often you will hear them scamper, chew, and roll acorns across the floor. Like raccoons, flying squirrels are nocturnal, and they forage outside, so you will mostly hear them around dusk and dawn.
- Gray Squirrels make sounds similar to flying squirrels. Unlike their flying counterpart, gray squirrels like to rest at night, which means they are most active during the day. It is not uncommon to have both species residing in your attic.
- Bats squeak and scratch around dusk when they become active and around dawn as they come in from foraging. Since most brown bats migrate, you will hear activity during warmer months, but a few will stay behind and hibernate in attics.
- Mice are mostly heard in walls and the ceiling between floors, but they can make their way up to attics. They are heard most in the fall and will persist through the winter. Like bats, mice scratch and squeak, but they also scurry and gnaw. The key distinguisher is the time of night you hear the activity. If it’s late in the evening – midnight to 3am – then it’s probably a mouse.
Sound alone is not enough to determine what’s making all that noise in your attic. Time of day and year helps a lot, but the best way to determine the culprit is to go up and investigate. We at Modern Pest Services know how uncomfortable this can be for most homeowners, and that is why we offer a free inspection from one of our Wildlife Control Professionals. With our licensed and trained professional on the job, you can sleep easy knowing that your unwanted guests will be identified accurately and removed responsibly. In addition, we’ll seal up entry points and clean up any messes left behind.
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Every season brings a new threat from pests. Be prepared. Modern Pest Services offers a HomeCare Green program for year-round pest protection, as well as Wildlife Control Services. 1-800-323-7378.