Noises in my loft

[Shewie]

I've been noticing a light scrapey tapping noise in our loft this week, the nearest thing I can describe it as would be a bowl of rice krispies just after you've poured the milk on.

I can't really tell if it moving about or not as I've been sticking my ipod on to drown it out at bed time.

Do we think it could be birds or mice ?

Not been up for a look yet and to tell you the truth I'd have to make a bit of a mess of the cladding up there to get access to where I think they are. I might send the cat up though

If it is birds can I just leave them to it and they'll eventually clear off ?

 

[DanDan The man called Dan]

If it was burds I would have thought you'd hear more than scratching like cheeping or chirping etc...you'll have to get up and have a nose around, look for droppings if there no bird poo up there time to get the poison or humane traps out.

 

[calibanzwei]

I can just imagine your cat's face as you push him into the loft

 

[SimonM]

Whatever it is mate, I would consider getting rid of it.

Birds droppings decomposing and falling through little gaps at night with all sorts of nasties!

Mice & rats constantly urinate and carry umpteen nasties that I wouldn't want near my family.

Just my thoughts...

Simon

 

[Asa Samuel]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2122343/Man-found-illegal-immigrants-living-in-loft.html

 

[Shewie]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2122343/Man-found-illegal-immigrants-living-in-loft.html

Yeah thanks for that Asa

Mine's a detached though, so unless our lass has smuggled the milkman up there

12 bore and face mask when I get home me thinks.

 

[SimonM]

Yeah thanks for that Asa

Mine's a detached though, so unless our lass has smuggled the milkman up there

12 bore and face mask when I get home me thinks.

Followed by a visit to B & Q to buy plasterboard.....

 

[Shewie]

Followed by a visit to B & Q to buy plasterboard.....

She always wanted a loft conversion anyway

 

[xylaria]

It might be bats. I had them in student house I lived in years ago. They make a weird light scratching noise late in the day just before they fly out for the eveing.

Don't send your cat up if it is. They are the only british mammel that carries rabies. You can get them moved by experts. Sit out side this evening to see if can spot any coming in and out. If you go into your loft wear an FFP3 mask, any type of animal poo breathed in is really bad.

 

[sandbender]

Maybe you have bats living up there.

Edited to add, xylaria beat me to it.

 

[andybysea]

Rich,
it sound like rats or mice, we had both at our last house(on farm land) a rat flooded the kitchen by chewing through the washing machine water pipe, made a hole in the plasterboard above the cooker,mice chewed into cereal boxes etc and its always at night when they come out,we also had them in the loft space, look for droppings, mice are about size of grain of rice,rats are rice crispy to raisin size if youve got either call out a exterminator, i did use traps from b&q and caught alot of mice, but rats are quite cunning and clever only got rid through poison by a pro.Also if its found youve got either once youve got rid check for a point in which they are entering(this can be very small indeed for a mouse) and fill it up, mine was a gap in the pointing in the brick work only just over a inch in size but enough, rats can apparently get up drain pipes then into loft spaces, via the eves.

 

[Shewie]

It might be bats. I had them in student house I lived in years ago. They make a weird light scratching noise late in the day just before they fly out for the eveing.

Don't send your cat up if it is. They are the only british mammel that carries rabies. You can get them moved by experts. Sit out side this evening to see if can spot any coming in and out. If you go into your loft wear an FFP3 mask, any type of animal poo breathed in is really bad.

Maybe you have bats living up there.

Editied to add, whoops xylaria beat me to it.

That would make sense, Carol's noticed it more when she's going to bed.

I'll do a vigil tonight and see if I can spot anything.

We do have bats doing the rounds up and down our street eating the moths etc attracted by the garden lights.

 

[EdS]

you've got mice.

If you want any traps or bait - wax blocks are best. I'll "raid" the store at wrork. One advantage of been in a section with pest control.

 

[Shewie]

you've got mice.

If you want any traps or bait - wax blocks are best. I'll "raid" the store at wrork. One advantage of been in a section with pest control.

Cheers Ed

How long would I leave them up there, and how do I find the corpses afterwards ? Access is a real nightmare in our loft and I'd be afraid of sticking my foot through the ceiling in a lot of places.

 

[xylaria]

Stuff about bats

 

[andybysea]

If they are not living in your loft just visiting each night they will leave and die in there home, if they are living up there look for burrows in the insulation, depends how many there is and how many you kill/find as to wether you'll notice a smell. check round the perimiter of the loft (more so for a rat) for marks on the walls,droppings,as they tend to walk around rather than across a space.traps catch mice quite easy plus easy to recover.

 

[EdS]

Cheers Ed

How long would I leave them up there, and how do I find the corpses afterwards ? Access is a real nightmare in our loft and I'd be afraid of sticking my foot through the ceiling in a lot of places.

With poisoned seed - you put in a tray, near the the hatch is fine. Refill once per week until no further takes. Finding the dead ones is the problem. With the block -same thing just replace when gone.

Traps might be your best bet if it is only a few mice. Bait with chocloate.

If anyone else wants some mice we got plently to share - cute little things as well. plus we've got a friendly rat (lives in the field and wood)

 

[Asa Samuel]

Yeah thanks for that Asa

Mine's a detached though, so unless our lass has smuggled the milkman up there

12 bore and face mask when I get home me thinks.

No no, don't do that! I'll just keep the noise down tonight, ok? :theyareon

 

[durulz]

Probably birds.
We had a couple of starlings get into the loft a year or so ago. All we did was leave the loft hatch open. After a day or so they found their way out and into the spare bedroom. Then we closed the loft hatch, opened the window and after an hour or so they soon found their way out to the open.

 

[listenclear]

Hi, slight possiblility it could be wasps.
I remember years ago hearing a noise just like rice crispies covered with milk coming from the loft and it turned out to be wasps making a nest. The noise was them chewing wood to make it into the paper they make their nest from.
Just a thought because of your description of the noise - probably wrong though...