How do I identify an animal in my attic?

Author: Makenzie Thompson  |  Last update: Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Signs of Animals in Your Attic
  1. Heavy thumping (like someone dragging suitcases around above you) may indicate raccoons.
  2. Skittering or scratching all day and night may indicate mice.
  3. A flurry of scratching only at dusk and dawn may indicate flying squirrels.

How do I tell what kind of animal is in my attic?

Identifying the types of noises and when you hear them can provide a significant clue to the species in your attic. Rats, mice, raccoons, and bats are nocturnal. So if you hear animals in the attic at night, those are the most likely culprits. Squirrels and birds usually are active during the day.

What to do if you suspect an animal in your attic?

Call your local animal control department. While they do not do wildlife, they may recommend some companies they work with. I had raccoons. I knew they were raccoons because I saw a paw in a light fixture trying to figure a way out of the attic. They set humane traps on my roof and drove by to check them daily.

What is the most common animal in the attic?

Rats and Mice are by far the most common attic invaders in California. They seek shelter in attics to escape predators and the elements. Signs: Torn insulation, frequent scampering noises, gnaw marks on wires or wooden beams, and small, pellet-shaped droppings.

What does an animal in the attic sound like?

Mice and rats have to constantly gnaw on things to keep their incisors from growing too long. This gnawing reverberates through wood and often sounds like heavy scratching, or maybe a small saw at work. Flapping. Birds and bats make flapping and fluttering noises which sound similar.

What Type of Wildlife do I Have in my Attic

What does a possum in the attic sound like?

Signs of Opossums in the Attic

Scratching, scampering, and rustling sounds coming from the attic, especially at night when they are awake and active. Strange noises in the attic also include their vocalizations, such as grunts, hisses, clicking, and screeches.

How to scare animals out of the attic?

By turning on bright lights and a radio, you can make your attic an unpleasant environment to encourage raccoons to leave on their own. To determine whether raccoons are using a suspected entry hole, stuff rags or bunched up paper in the holes and check to see if they've been disturbed.

How much does it cost to remove animals from attic?

Usually, a local animal removal service will charge a flat fee of $150 to $250 for basic trapping and removal. But it becomes more expensive when animals are in hard-to-reach places. These hard-to-reach spaces include: Attic removal costs: $200–$1,500.

What does an attic rat look like?

Color: They are brown with black mixed in, or sometimes gray to black on top with white and a gray or black underside. Characteristics: Roof rats have soft and smooth fur, a pointed muzzle with large eyes and large, almost naked ears that can be pulled over the eyes.

What does a bat sound like in the attic?

Bats in an attic can sound similar to mice. Since it's very difficult to hear their vocalizations, the sounds we can hear from bats result from their movements. As flying creatures, bats make fluttering noises. They also make scratching, and rustling noises when using their wings to climb and crawl.

Why is there a sound in my attic at 3am?

Noises in the attic are worrying and can be an indication that rodents or other wildlife may be living in your roof. Attics (lofts) are ideal environments for squirrels and rodents, who damage stored items by gnawing and possibly cause fire hazards by chewing electric cabling.

Is it okay to leave bats in the attic?

Bats pose very little direct danger to people, but it is not a good thing to have bats in the attic. One of the biggest bat problems is the collection of bat droppings, also called guano.

How to eliminate rodents in the attic?

Wire mesh to close entry points and rat traps/poison. Eliminate any possible food source. Be careful blocking one entry point and causing them to chew another opening for themselves. I'd also do a major yard cleanup and pick up anything lying around and trim hedges, weeds or anything else they could use for cover.

What to do if you hear an animal in your attic?

What to Do if There Is an Animal in Your Attic
  1. Call a wildlife control operator. ...
  2. Repair any damage to your home. ...
  3. Add exclusion devices to the entry point the animal used. ...
  4. Add exclusion devices to any other potential entry points.

How to tell if squirrels or rats are in the attic?

People often find squirrel feces in attics if the home is surrounded by trees. Rat droppings often appear along baseboards, in cupboards, behind refrigerators and other appliances, or under cabinets. Rat feces is typically concentrated in one area since rats tend to designate a specific area for defecation.

How do I know if I have raccoons in my attic?

Seeing urine and feces stains in your attic is a major sign you have raccoons. Raccoons leave droppings and urinate away from their nest, where it starts to build up. If they have lived in your attic long enough, you'll start seeing urine stains coming through your ceiling.

What is the most common rodent in the attic?

Squirrels, mice, and rats are the most common rodents that live in attics. The Norway rat and the roof rat are the most common rats. The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the most common squirrel species. The house mouse is the most common rodent.

Where do attic rats go during the day?

During the day, rats may be less active as they seek shelter and rest in their nests. However, they may still move around the attic occasionally, especially if they are disturbed or searching for food or water.

How do I know if it's a rat or mouse in my attic?

Rats make hissing, chattering, and squeaking noises, while mice are likelier to make high-pitched squeaks to communicate. One of the biggest telltale signs that you have rodents is the sound they make when Scurrying, scratching, gnawing, and rustling around in your attic or inside walls.

How do I scare animals out of my attic?

To start, it's all about disrupting the animals' comfort. That means taking away their quiet, cozy places. To do that, you can play loud music near the ceiling of your home to scare the animals out. Or, you can place a bright light in the attic as long as going up in the attic won't pose an immediate danger to you.

How do I know what animals are in my attic?

Check for droppings: Animal droppings can provide valuable clues about the type of their presence. For example, rat droppings are small and pointed, while squirrel droppings are larger and more rounded. Look for damage: Different animals may cause different types of damage in your loft.

Is it common to have animals in attic?

If you're hearing an animal in your attic, it's mostly likely to be one of the common attic pests: squirrels, mice, rats, bats, raccoons, or opossums. Depending on where you live, snakes and lizards are also common, but they tend to be quieter house guests.

What animal runs in attic at night?

Many of the species that you have in your attic are nocturnal and are more likely to be active at night. This includes raccoons, bats, mice, rats, and flying squirrels. Bats may be heard if they have to move from a daytime roosting area to an exit point.

Why do I hear scratching in my attic?

While there are a number of nuisance wildlife that may access your attic, scratching sounds almost always indicate rodents such as roof rats. Although rats prefer to live in trees, they can easily move from the trees in your yard to your roof and eventually into your home for food and shelter reasons.

What does a raccoon in the attic sound like?

If you're hearing thumping noises, it's one of the surefire signs you have a raccoon in the attic. No other urban pest is big enough to create stomping noises. Squirrels will scurry and bang around, but a raccoon literally will sound like a small person is in there.

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