Strange noises in the attic

Strange noises in the attic is a call that we get often.  As a company we’ve been around for over 22 years.  In that time we’ve learned that a lot of the noises that people hear repeat depending on the season and time of day.  Attics are the most notorious for having this occur.

If you’re hearing noises in your attic there are some DO’s and Don’t.

They’re as follows:

  1. Do make a mental note of exactly where you hear the noise.  We don’t live in your house only you know the location
  2. Do let us know what time of day or night you hear the noise.   Some animals are only active day or night, but not both
  3. Do take the time to let us know if it’s a scratch, a run, a rustling or maybe even what sounds like wings or acorns. Each are specific
  4. Don’t spray anything into the wall or void You may cause the pest to move
  5. Don’t plug holes where you think they may be coming from Many times you’ll trap the animal
  6. Don’t clean up droppings or sawdust you see These clues are important to a positive ID. Not all poop looks the same

What can be making strange noises in the attic

When we receive a call for strange noises typically the culprit is a squirrel, carpenter ant nest, wasps, bat or mouse.  Each one of these pests sound different and may be active at different times of day.  Below is a brief description of what each may sound like IF you live in Connecticut.

Carpenter ants in a wall or ceiling

CT carpenter ants
Carpenter ant climbing a wall

A common pest that creates a sound is a carpenter ants colony in a wall or ceiling void.  When people tell us that they can hear what sounds like a quiet rustling or crunching we almost always know that an ant colony is in a wall.  These noises can happen any time of the day or night and it’s very common around doors, windows and areas of moisture.

A squirrel creates strange noises in the attic

Of all the pests that are responsible for strange noises in the attic the squirrel is the most prolific.  In Connecticut we have a few different squirrels, but the most common are the grey squirrel and the flying squirrel.

In general the grey squirrel is active during early morning and day time hours.  However, the flying squirrel is active mostly at night.  The sounds squirrels make are described as something “bigger” and in the case of flyers people describe rolling acorns.

Many homeowners confuse the noise mice and flying squirrels make and sometimes a positive ID needs to be made by providing an inspection.  Envirocare Pest Control provides wildlife inspections at no additional charge.

Bats are in the attic almost exclusively

Connecticut is famous for it’s rolling hills and beautiful country charm. We also have lots of wildlife, one of the most unloved (by some people) is the little brown bat.

If you hear what sounds like flapping wings in an attic or wall void they’re usually the problem.  Big Brown bats which are also part of the Connecticut ecosystem may spend the winter in the attic and make scratching noises periodically.  The most common way to identify bats is by their droppings.  If the dropping’s are present a bat exclusion will be recommended.

Wasps make the strangest of all attic noises

If you haven’t had the experience of a yellow jacket nest in your wall, consider yourself lucky.

Wasps in your house
Typical yellow jacket

Yellow jacket nests are typically found in the latter portion of the summer and early fall.  Our customers describe the noise as a gentle tap or buzzing in a wall.  Since people can be allergic to wasps so these types of services need to be completed sooner rather than later.  Over the years, especially in fall we’ve seen many large nests in walls and ceilings that actually fall through and wasps end up inside.  For that reason a professional should be called ASAP.

Certainly, there are other things that can create strange noises in your house.  Over the years we’ve given the news that a noise that a homeowner thought was a pest was actually loose wires or tree branches.  That’s why before you call a pest control company you should take a walk around the exterior of the home to rule things out.  If you don’t see anything chances are it’s on of the above.

If you have strange noises that you think may be related to pests call 1-888-879-6481.  Envirocare Pest Control can help.