If you’re hearing scratching noises coming from your walls, there is a very good chance that there is wildlife living in your home. This realization can be a scary one, and it’s sometimes hard to know what to do next. However, if you are hearing strange noises, there are some tangible steps you can take to address the problem. Here’s our guide for what you should do if you’re hearing a scratching noise in walls.

Try and Determine the Animal

homeowner listening to scratching noises through wall ventDepending on the sort of scratching noises you’re hearing, you might be able to figure out what kind of wildlife is living in your home. Different animals will make different scratching noises, and having a better understanding of what you’re dealing with is always a good idea.

If the scratching noises seem to occur around the same times every day, especially in the early morning and in the evening, then there’s a good chance that the sounds you’re hearing are squirrels living in your home. Squirrels operate on a strict schedule. They also behave quite erratically, so you may notice that the scratching noises you’re hearing while occurring around the same time most days, can also be unpredictable.

Mice living in your walls will be fairly quiet, so you’re more likely to hear them at night, or during the day in a quiet room. Unlike squirrels, mice tend to be isolated to one area, so you may hear them in one part of your house but not the other. The easiest way to determine if the sounds you’re hearing belong to mice and not squirrels is to tap the wall where you’re hearing the sound; if it’s a squirrel, it will immediately take off, but if it’s a mouse, the mouse will keep still for a moment before moving. If you are dealing with a mice removal situation it’s best to contact a wildlife prevention company immediately.

Finally, there is a small chance that the sound might be coming from bats. Bats will generally keep to the uppermost part of your home, making it harder to hear them moving around. However, when a bat falls down the walls, they’ll make a scratching noise that sounds like something trying to move up and down. If you’re hearing this sound, it means the bat is stuck and distressed, and it’s important to have them removed as soon as possible.

Consider Whom To Call

wildlife technician inspecting a house Many people instinctually get in contact with an organization like the SPCA or the Humane Society when they realize they have wildlife living in their home. However, if you’re hearing scratching noises in the walls, that’s an indication that you have animals that are actually living in your house, not animals that have temporarily made an appearance. The SPCA is not equipped to find hidden animals. When there is wildlife hidden in your home, you need to call a wildlife removal team, who specializes in the safe and humane removal of animals. Contacting wildlife removal experts is also important because you’ll want to determine how they got there, and make sure they can’t come back. Wildlife removal experts inspect your house for entry points, and then they take care of them, making sure the problem is truly dealt with.

Call Experts Immediately

If you hear scratching noises in your walls, you shouldn’t hesitate to call the experts. You might think that if you wait a few days, the animals will leave on their own, but that won’t happen. Homes are optimal places for animal dens; they’re warm, dry and safe. Once animals have entered your home, they plan to stay. While you wait, however, they are free to do untold damage to your home, and the longer you wait, the more expensive the repairs will be. Many animals breed fairly rapidly as well. If you don’t take action immediately, the problem will continue to grow. As soon as you hear scratching noises in your walls, even if you aren’t able to determine what animal is making it, you should get in contact with a wildlife removal service.

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