Pest Control
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Noises in the loft are one of the most common reasons people call us, especially once the weather turns cold. A loft is warm, dry, full of nesting material and rarely visited. Several different animals take advantage of that, and the right response depends entirely on which one you have.
The usual suspects
- Mice. Light, quick scratching and scurrying, mostly after dark, often in short bursts. Droppings are small, dark and rod-shaped, about 3 to 6mm long, scattered along joists and by the hatch. See mice in the loft.
- Rats. Heavier, slower movement at night, sometimes with gnawing. Droppings are much bigger, roughly 10 to 15mm, and blunter at the ends. See rats in your loft.
- Grey squirrels. Loud running, thumping and scratching, mainly in daylight and especially early morning and late afternoon. Insulation is often torn up into a nest. See grey squirrels in the loft.
- Birds. Scratching, flapping and calling from first light, in the eaves, roof or chimney, and chirping when chicks are being fed in spring and early summer. Starlings, jackdaws and pigeons are the usual ones. You may find nesting material and white-streaked droppings.
- Bats. Faint squeaking or rustling near the roof line around dusk, mostly from spring to late summer. Droppings collect below the roost and crumble to powder. See bat or mouse droppings.
Not every noise is an animal. Creaks as the house warms and cools, pipes and wind are far more common, and our guide to common noises in the home covers those. A steady buzzing in summer is more likely to be a wasp nest.
Why identification comes first
Each of these needs a different approach, and some cannot be treated at all.
- Rats and mice can be treated, but poison in a loft can leave animals dying out of reach, and the wrong bait in the wrong place is a risk to pets and other wildlife.
- It is illegal to release a grey squirrel once caught, so trapping one comes with legal responsibilities.
- Wild birds, their active nests and eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. An active nest cannot be disturbed, and proofing waits until the young have left or the nesting season is over.
- All UK bats and their roosts are protected. A roost cannot be disturbed or blocked, and the advice is to contact the Bat Conservation Trust or Natural England.
Laying poison or blocking a gap before you know what is up there can harm a protected species and put you on the wrong side of the law.
What you can safely do
- Note the timing. Keep a rough log of when you hear it and where. It narrows things down quickly.
- Look, carefully. If the loft is safe to get into, check for droppings, nesting material, gnawing and daylight showing through at the eaves. A clear photo of droppings with a coin for scale is very useful.
- Do not handle droppings with bare hands. Wear gloves, avoid raising dust and never sweep or vacuum droppings dry.
- Do not block holes yet. Sealing a gap with an animal or a nest inside makes things worse.
After the pest has gone
Clearing the animal is not the end of the job. Droppings, urine and old nests foul the insulation and can attract insects of their own, and gnawed cables need checking by an electrician. Badly fouled insulation may need removing and replacing. Then the way in needs closing, or the next animal will find the same gap. Our guide to cleaning up after rodents explains how to do it safely.
When to call us
Call us if the noise keeps happening, if you have found droppings or damage, or if you cannot safely get into the loft. Tell us when you hear it and what it sounds like, which usually narrows it down before we visit. We identify what is there, deal with it in the way the law allows, clean up where needed and proof the roof. See rats or mice in the loft, or call 01926 632 929.
Rats or mice in the loft? → Grey squirrels in the loft → Bird control →