Serious need to know question *Update*

Both Puddy and I were awakened abruptly at 4:30 this morning by a sound the likes of which I've not heard before. First it sounded like it was in my bedroom wall, then it sounded like it was on the roof. Puddy ran from one end of my bed to the other, looking up. It sounded both like scuffling and chattering. I don't know if it's mice or what but it was quite loud and after 25 minutes of it, I couldn't take any more and had to get up. If it is mice, what do I do? Call an exterminator, what? It really creeped me out. It wouldn't be bats, would it? (Please say 'no'. :eek: )

Sounds like a critter of some sort--my guess would be squirrel/s. Personally, I wouldn't call an exterminator; I wouldn't want the dead body stinking. I'd call AC for ideas; some ACs will loan traps to residents, or they may be able to rec. a local critter catcher.

PS--I don't think it would be bats, because they can fly and shouldn't need to scuffle around.

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Originally Posted by critters

PS--I don't think it would be bats, because they can fly and shouldn't need to scuffle around.

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The reason I mentioned bats is because I can't adequately describe the sound. At first, I thought it might be birds because there was a fluttering type of noise, too. I don't know; I've not heard bats and I don't even know if they flutter their wings and I honestly don't want to know. Ok, yes, I do because I obviously have some sort of infestation. Bad part of it is that it's only 13 degrees right now so if it is bats or whatever, how in the world do I get rid of them? I guess I can call AC but I can't imagine that anyone is going to be anxious to come out in this freezing cold and snow.

Unless you have an unusually customer service-oriented AC, I doubt very seriously you'll have to worry about somebody coming in; plenty of them don't even do wildlife anymore. Some of them do, however, rent or loan traps, and they should know if there are any critter catchers around. With bats, you'd probably have to wait until they flew out, at night, then close the route they're using to get in. For squirrels, etc. you could trap and evict them, then close the entry route. Regardless, if you don't close the "door" they be back!! :eek: :D

Definately not mice. Mice generally don't make noises, rarely even a squeak. And, believe it or not, they suck and jumping and are very slow cautious climbers. If a mouse got in through a home's basement or first floor it may never make it up another floor. Bats hibernate at this time of year. It could have been squirrels or a bird. Did it sound like a bird?
Don't freak out yet, you usually don't have an infestation the very first time an animal gets into your house. It was probably accidental. You do want to get them out quickly though and block their way in because you don't want a squirrel chewing a wire and starting a fire. First thing you do is look for places an animal could have gotten in near the roof. Vents are usual culprits. If you block the entrance, they won't get back in. You can set a trap to be sure nothing is left, but it probably will remain empty.

Oh boy. Getting up on the roof is going to be a problem. I've got problems w/my balance and am really not supposed to even get up on a ladder. Plus we got a good 8 inches of snow. My son is home visiting from LA and I guess I'll have to promise to cook really yummy dinners in order to coax him onto the roof to have a look. Oh maaaaaan!

Mary,

STEP AWAY FROM THE ROOF!!!!!! Especially if you have problems with your balance. I had a mouse problem years ago when I lived in the country. I could hear a "shuffling" noise in the walls.

I don't know what to tell you about your little visitors. Good luck. Let us know when you find out what it is.

I think it is more likely to be squirrels.

You need to figure out HOW they are getting in. Because eventually, you need to block the opening. You can use insulation, that pink fuzzy stuff that itches? THEY don't like it either.

You can get a have a heart trap, use peanut butter for bait, and catch whatever it is. A squirrel, you want to drive it across a riveer so it can't easily return "home." Can you get into your attic from inside the house?

We had this problem once; Dad forgot and took the dog in the car with him when he took the squirrel (still in the trap) for a ride across the river. Amazingly, the dog just sniffed and ingnored the critter! Only interested when they are running! :D

Bats don't really make noise, and don't move around much at all in cold weather - I'd guess mice or squirrels. You could Google

animal exclusion (your city)

and see if there's anybody around who'll not only get them out, but figure out how they got in and keep it from happening again.

Good luck!

Love, Columbine

I thought maybe squirrels, too. I wish I could more accurately describe the sound, though. There was a rustling, kinda like wings, which made me think it might be a birds nest. But there was also a scuffling and something like a squeaking noise but not really squeaking. I know, I sound like an idiot. I can get into the attic from the inside of my house and I have a guy coming, actually, to look and see how much more insulation I need so this will work perfectly. He won't be here til next week, though, because I'm having a new stairway installed as we speak. Yeppers, my son is home visiting because he's headlining at a club nearby, it's the holidays and I'm having construction done and I've got critters running around, hopefully not bats in my belfry. ;) (Although my son would probably argue that point. ;) ) Good timing on my part, eh?

When this happened to me, and it was just the way you said it sounded "scuffling and chattering", it was starlings who had got into roof space through poor quality vents under the eaves. Even when new vents had been put over the old mesh ones, they got in through the bathroom fan vents until they were sealed up. I was worried it was something else because the noise would happen well before it got light, but it was birds. That made it easier to deal with because the openings were sealed up during daylight hours while the birds were out. Boy, were they mad! I could hear them afterwards on the roof, chattering and hammering around the sealed up vents.

How high up is your roof? Mine is high because my house is set into a hill so I was less likely to have rodents. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Lizzie

it was birds.

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Oh boy, that's what I'm hoping! It got so bitter cold here suddenly; it was 10 degrees this morning and went down to 8. I can certainly understand why critters would want to take cover and I don't hear the noise now so what you said makes perfect sense.

Well, there was no noise whatsoever last night or this morning, so I'm thinking that it must have been birds. The guy will be coming on Monday to check my insulation so while he's in the attic, I'll tell him to have a look. Thanx for all your input, friends, and if there's any change, I'll let you know. :)

That's good timing with your insulation person coming! Hope it turns out that there are no occupants in the attic. We had a squirrel in our attic several years ago. My daughter heard a sound above her room in the ceiling. We contacted someone we found in the Yellow Pages who advertised that they get rid of critters. They nailed a trap onto our roof and came back to check it and, sure enough, there was a squirrel in the trap. They informed us that she was a pregnant female! :eek: She had been getting into the attic through the attic fan which hubby subsequently fixed by attaching screening from the inside.

About a week after the mama squirrel was removed, my daughter noticed a smell coming from the inside of her clothes closet. Hubby went into the attic through a little trap door and found a dead squirrel. Maybe the hubby of the one who was carted off? Anyway that was the end of our visitors in the attic. If you have an attic fan, it might be good to check and see that adequate screening is around it to prevent any kind of critter from entering. Good luck!

Several years ago my pest control guy covered all of the vents with wire mesh and sealed up any holes he could find in my attic. Squirrels had been getting in and chewing on my stored stuff. He knew what to do about bats, too. These are "who to call" in the future for most pests.