Hey everyone,
I’m losing sleep over this and really hoping someone here has been through something similar. For the past month, I’ve been hearing scratching, scampering, and occasional thuds coming from inside my walls and ceiling. At first, I thought it was just seasonal noise, but it’s gotten way worse — especially at night.
Here’s what I’ve tried so far:
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Sealing a few visible gaps outside
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Setting out basic traps in the attic
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Cleaning up any possible food sources
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Checking vents and crawl spaces
Nothing has changed. Whatever is up there is still running around like it owns the place. I’m starting to think they’ve built tunnels inside the walls or found some hidden entry point I can’t see.
Before I tear my house apart, I’d love advice from anyone who’s dealt with this:
• How do I figure out where they’re getting in?
• Is there a reliable way to pinpoint nesting spots inside walls?
• What actually worked for you when everything else failed?
Thanks — I’m desperate for some quiet nights again.
The first thing I’d do is look around the roofline with a flashlight at dusk. That’s when they’re most active, and you can sometimes spot them slipping in or out.
You’d be surprised how small of a gap they can squeeze through. I found an entry point behind my gutter that looked too tiny for anything bigger than a bug.
If you’re hearing them in the ceiling, check around soffits and the attic corners. That’s where mine hid last winter, took forever to figure out.
Try tapping lightly on the wall where you hear noise. Sometimes you can get them to move, and it helps narrow down where they’re nesting. Creepy, but it works.
@AtticExplorer Nailed it, those gaps can be ridiculously small. I’d also check any spot where two materials meet, like siding and brick.
Thermal cameras work wonders if you can borrow one. They pick up warm spots behind walls, which helps you figure out if something’s nesting there.
I dealt with this two years ago. The thing that finally helped was inspecting the attic right after sunset. That’s when I caught them moving along a beam.
@QuietHomeQuest I did the same tapping test. Freaked me out, but it showed exactly which stud cavity they were in. That helped a ton.
Don’t underestimate the power of sealing EVERYTHING. I used steel mesh on every crack I could find, even ones that seemed irrelevant. That cut down the activity fast.
If all else fails, ask a friend to help you do a top-down inspection. One person outside, one in the attic, and communicate by phone. You’d be shocked how much easier it is with two sets of eyes.
I also found an entry point behind my gutter that looked too tiny for anything bigger than a bug.