Professional Wildlife Inspection: What to Expect When You Hear Noises in Your Walls

Hearing strange sounds coming from inside your walls at night can be unnerving and keep you awake as your mind wanders to determine its cause. Most often, the likely culprit of disturbing interior noises is nuisance wildlife. While an inspection by wildlife removal experts will be able to locate and remove any invasive critters, it’s helpful for both you and the professionals to identify what’s going bump in the night. Here’s how to determine which species of wild animal is making noises in your walls to help speed up the wildlife removal process.

Completing an At-Home Wildlife Inspection: Common Noises Inside Your Walls

Before your wildlife removal expert arrives, you may be able to triage the problem yourself. Below are some of the most common noises you may hear and which animal may be causing it.

• Scratching or Scurrying: Scratching, scurrying or pattering noises most likely come from rodents, including mice, rats and squirrels. Squirrels are more active during the day, while you’re likely to hear rats and mice at night. When you hear rodents moving, they’re most likely building their nest, which is their first step towards an infestation.
• Thumping: Slow thumping noises usually indicate a larger animal has made their way inside. Slow movements or shuffling sounds at night are common signs of a raccoon problem. Raccoons are usually an exterior issue, but they may decide to stay in your attic or basement during nesting season. In their search for food, the critters can easily get stuck inside walls and panic.
• Chirps and Squeaks: High-pitched chirps or squeaks are usually signs of bats, especially if you hear additional fluttering sounds at dawn and dusk. Bats will nest in large groups, so you may hear an increase of noise as they enter and leave your property to hunt. Another animal that could be behind squeaky noises are baby squirrels. As they get used to their surroundings, they’ll make chirping noises to alert their mother.
• Fluttering and Scratching: If it’s not accompanied by a squeaking noise, fluttering and scratching sounds are indicative of birds roosting in your attic, vent or chimney space. Like bats, birds can be dangerous and hard to remove if they decide to nest, especially if they lay eggs in your attic.

It’s natural to want to act as soon as you hear these noises, but it is important to not try and capture the animal on your own. While most types of wildlife are scared of humans, they can still bite, scratch or attack if they feel cornered. They may also retreat further into your property, making them more difficult to remove. If you’re hearing noises in your walls, rely on the experts at Critter Control® of Pittsburgh for safe and effective wildlife removal services.

Professional Wildlife Removal Services in Greater Pittsburgh

At Critter Control® of Pittsburgh, our licensed and trained technicians use safe and effective removal methods to quickly, humanely and permanently remove nuisance wildlife from your home. To schedule your comprehensive inspection and receive a free wildlife removal estimate, call us at 412-767-4067.