What just woke you up at 3 am? Was it a bird? A possum? A rat? No matter what it was, that scratching noise in your roof was both annoying and worrying – but you’re not alone. Hearing scurrying and scratching in roof spaces is common the world over, but especially here in Australia.
Why am I hearing noises in my roof at night?
First things first: why do you only hear scratching sounds at night? The answer is surprisingly simple. First, your home is a hive of activity in the day, so you simply don’t hear those critters quite so easily. And second, the culprits may either be nocturnal or they just feel emboldened when everything goes dark and quiet.
Either way, strange noises in roof spaces is not something to panic about – but it’s not something to ignore, either. That scratching in the roof may seem fairly harmless, but don’t forget that pests carry diseases, they chew through your wires and insulation, and … they just plain stink!
So what sort of creepy, crawly, furry or feathery pests are we talking about, exactly?
1. Birds
Unfortunately for us, birds seem to love calling our safe, protected and comfy roof spaces home. And even if you love watching your feathered friends fly about outside, there’s no doubt about it: at least 60 known diseases are spread via bird droppings. They also attract and spread fleas and mites … yech!
2. Possums
Just about all of us find possums cute and iconically Australian, but you don’t want a family of them to move in above your bedroom. They’re known as the pest that keeps us the most wide-awake at night – and that possum in roof sound may not just be an annoying scratching, but a loud screeching, grunting, growling and hissing! Possums also smell – but not as bad as when their corpse starts rotting, so it’s definitely time to have a possum ethically removed long before then.
3. Rodents
Possums may be cute, but rodents definitely aren’t – especially when you have rats or mice in your roof! If the scratching noise in your roof is accompanied by the rapid pitter-patter of feet, or a distinctive squeaking or nibbling, you probably have a rat or mouse problem – and up to 10% of all house fires are caused by one of these dirty, disease-carrying pests chewing through a wire. So if bacteria, parasites and an influx of insects attracted by droppings sound like bad news, call your trusted rodent pest controller today and evict your rat tenants immediately!
4. Another pest
The chances are high that, if you do hear noises in your roof space, one of the three culprits listed above is to blame. But believe it or not, you might also be hearing the tapping and buzzing of a nest of wasps – and that’s definitely not good news for your beloved family.
What to do with scratching noise in roof?
But no matter what’s going on above your heads while you’re trying to peacefully sleep at night, don’t just ignore it. Roof-dwelling pests have been known to munch through wood and walls and even your plumbing and other services, which could cost you a lot of money and inconvenience to put right. Yep: ignoring the pests in your roof can come back to bite you – so call in the pros today!
Attend to these scratching noises in the roof as early as possible to avoid further damage and safety risk. For best results, bring in the professional pest controllers near you; these experts will provide a thorough house inspection (like checking for signs of termite activity) and risk assessment at your home, thus saving you from trouble.