Few things keep a homeowner up like a noise in the ceiling at two in the morning. Something is up there. The question is what, because a mouse, a roof rat, a squirrel, a raccoon, and a colony of bats all call for different solutions.
The good news is that you can usually narrow it down before anyone climbs into the attic. The two best clues are when you hear it and what it sounds like.
Start With the Time of Day
| When you hear it | What it sounds like | Most likely |
|---|---|---|
| Late night into early morning | Light, fast scratching and scurrying | Rats or mice |
| Dawn and dusk | Quick running, rolling or chewing sounds | Squirrels |
| Night, often heavy | Thumping, walking, chittering or growling | Raccoons |
| Dusk, as they leave | Squeaking, fluttering, scratching near the roofline | Bats |
Rats and Mice
Rats and mice are most active at night. Mice sound light and quick. Roof rats are louder and often run along the same paths over and over, near the edges of the attic and along wires and pipes. Look for droppings, gnawed insulation, and greasy rub marks. Our guide on rats vs mice walks through the differences, and our roof rats in the attic article explains why Central Texas attics are such a target.
Squirrels
Squirrels keep a daytime schedule. If the noise happens in the early morning and again near sunset, a squirrel is a strong suspect. You may hear them running, scratching, or rolling acorns and pecans. Outside, look for chewed fascia, soffits, or gable vents, and tree limbs touching the roof.
Raccoons
Raccoons are heavy, and they sound like it. Thumping, walking, and sometimes growling or chittering at night usually means a raccoon, and in spring it is often a mother with young. Look for torn shingles, soffits, or vent covers along the roofline. Raccoons are strong and can carry disease, so do not try to remove one yourself. See our raccoon removal page for more.
Bats
Bats are quiet during the day and leave at dusk. You may hear squeaking or fluttering near the roofline in the evening and find droppings piled below a gap on the outside of the house. Bats are protected in Texas, so they need to be excluded with one-way devices rather than killed.
What Not to Do
- Do not seal an opening until you know nothing is still inside, especially in spring when young may be present
- Do not handle animals or clean up droppings without protection
- Do not rely on mothballs or ultrasonic devices to drive animals out
What to Do Next
The fix is almost always the same two steps: remove the animal humanely, then seal the entry points so the next one cannot get in. Rats and mice are covered by our rodent control and exclusion services, and raccoons, squirrels, bats, and other animals by our wildlife removal and exclusion services.
Hearing something overhead? Call 830-777-CAMO (2266) and we will figure out what it is and how it is getting in.
