Question
QUESTION: I heard a scratching or chewing sound in my (crawl space)attic late last night. When my husband banged the ceiling we heard like a shaker or fluttering sound.  We live in Lynn, Massachusetts. Do you know what type of animal would make that noise? And what is the most effective way to get rid of the pest? thanks Tracy

ANSWER: Noises

Sounds can be difficult to diagnose as different people "hear" differently. In light of those difficulties, here are some suggestions to help  you identify the culprit.

First, is there any pattern to the noise? Time of day, time of week? Does it occur at approximately the same time? or regular schedule? While animals can keep a regular schedule it changes in accordance to the weather and available sunlight. Mechanical situations do not.

Second, are there any pipes, vents, or other mechanical devices at that location? Older buildings have steam pipes which may groan as they expand and contract.

Third, if the noise continues for weeks, then the animal if in fact it is an animal is NOT trapped. The animal will have to get to the outside of the building (unless it is house mice and they don't make lots of noise). Carefully inspect the outside the building, top to bottom looking for holes 1/4 of an inch or larger.  To learn the fundamentals of structural inspection visit http://www.icwdm.org/Inspection/Course/default.asp

Rules of thumb for hole sizes  
golf ball size =rats, flying squirrels
Baseball  =gray squirrels
grapefruit=raccoon

Information on control, once the problem has been identified can be found at http://icwdm.org


We are always looking for images (if you can safely take them) of wildlife damage to help us in our educational mission. http://www.icwdm.org/Photos/shootingphotos.asp will give tips on taking ones useful for our needs.We prefer high resolution, (3 mg or higher). Send to [email protected]  or if your e-mail can抰 handle large files upload to http://members.icwdm.org   
Username use all caps.     ICWDM
Password (all lower case) guest

Please include permission to use the images and where and when the photos were taken. Month/year is fine as is county or city  and state.


Disclaimer: As with any activity, remember that animal damage control comes with its own risks and problems which can include but are not limited to legalities, health threats, and personal liabilities. Be sure to follow all state laws governing wildlife and make sure you have a thorough understanding on how to resolve the animal damage complaint. My advice is only as good as your understanding of me and my understanding of your situation. If you have any questions be sure to write back.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Our walls are thin and it's very evident that something is scratching or chewing. It's happened for the past 2 nights. Once at 4am and once this eve. at 9pm. I thought maybe the fluttering noise would give away what the animal may be. It was like a defensive noise or mating call type of noise.  Would a mouse make that noise? We have had mice in our basement.  We looked up in the attic and saw no evidence of a squirrel but it's all insulated crawl space up there and hard to see under the insulation. When my husband was up there the noise was still happening so we didn't scare what ever it is. Also I checked outside the house for holes etc, I saw nothing out of the ordinary. There are no pipes or vents in the corner area where it's chewing. Do you know of any animal that may make this fluttering noise?  Thanks Tracy

Answer
Again, I must decline from speculation here. All walls are thin if the animal is below the insulation and directly on the sheet rock. I was in a house and I thought the problem was squirrels only to find it to be mice.
This is why I can't be more specific. Noise is a poor indicator of what the problem is. For example, Say you have a pain in your knee. You don't want to visit the doctor so you call him on the phone. You say, well it hurts like this. Can you tell me what is wrong? Would you trust his diagnosis? Should you? The pain could be torn ligament, ordinary strain, arthritis, cancer, etc. etc. Noise is very similar. It only tells us that something is wrong.

Checking outside for holes, is a good start. But I don't get the impression that the suggestions for inspection detailed in the online course were followed. Visit the link, take the course (it's free) and then implement what you can. Otherwise, hire a pro. our site explains what to ask to find a real professional.
Inspection requires precise observational viewing, especially when dealing with small creatures like mice, bats, etc.