When we get to bed after a full day we hope to get a good solid period of sleep. We do as much to make this possible by spending money on fantastic mattresses, black out curtains and making the room as comfortable as we can. The last thing you need in the early hours of the morning is to hear scratching, gnawing or other sounds directly above your head. Noises in the roof can destroy a good nights sleep.
The roof space is a common place to find unwanted animals. Its a large open void filled with warm insulation. It is dark and safe, away from predators. Noises in the roof are most commonly one of the rodent species. The 3 main suspects of the rodents are mice, rats and squirrels.
Mice will often come in through air bricks or gaps around pipes and doors. They quickly will establish where a source of food is, often the kitchen or sometimes down the back of the sofa, and then try and locate a safe place to nest nearby. Sometimes it will be under the 1st floor above the kitchen. Often also it can be in the roof. They access these areas easily following where pipes and cables run throughout the house. A mouse maybe small but its still enough to keep you awake at night with its scrabbling around. The picture below shows Mouse bait positioned under floorboards above the kitchen. Mice have consumed half of the bait. More information about mice here.
Rats are a much bigger rodent. They will come through gaps around pipes and any other available holes. They need a larger hole to get through than mice. Normally a 10cm diameter hole is required to let them through. They will also commonly come through where there is a fault in the drains from underneath the house. They will often find there way to the roof space by climbing up the wall cavities. Often in a row of houses they can travel between multiple houses in one block whilst keeping to the roof spaces. The photo below shows a rat entry hole. Its through a broken airbrick in this example. Good proofing of holes is very important to keep these animals out. More information about rats here.
Squirrels rarely come through holes on ground level but very commonly come through holes that they will make themselves by chewing through part of the wood of the roof to gain access. They can be particularly destructive and can shred your insulation and heavily gnaw wooden joists. They are extremely clever and should never be fed in the garden as this will encourage them to view your home as their home. They can be troublesome to remove and should never be allowed to get established particularly in the breeding season. More information on squirrels here.
Other potential unwanted guests in a house are the bird species. Pigeons are common if there is a large hole. They are easy to get rid of and block out. They are a pest species so the birds, eggs and nests can be removed at anytime. Other bird species are often protected so removal once they’re in is not always allowed. So best method is to block off holes once any chicks have fledged. This picture below shows a customers house where they thought they rodents but on inspection it was starlings. Luckily it was before breeding season so they could be blocked out of the house.
If you have any noises in the roof in Liverpool or Wirral please call us to arrange a treatment. 0800 206 1905
