Animals in the attic

What animal is living in my attic?

There are several types of animals that can invade attics in Connecticut. Some of the most common attic invaders include:

If you suspect that there may be an animal living in your attic, it’s essential to address the issue as soon as possible. Not only can animals cause damage to your home, but they can also pose serious health risks to you and your family.

In Connecticut, some of the most common animals that can invade attics include raccoons, gray squirrels, flying squirrels, bats, and mice. These animals can easily gain access to your attic through small openings or gaps in your roof or walls.

Raccoons are nocturnal animals that can climb trees and gain access to your attic through vents, chimneys, or other openings. Once inside, they can cause damage to insulation, wires, and other materials. They are also known carriers of diseases that can be transmitted to humans and pets.

Gray squirrels and flying squirrels are skilled climbers and can easily gain access to your attic through small openings or gaps. Once inside, they can cause damage by chewing through wires and insulation. Flying squirrels, in particular, can roost in large numbers and leave droppings that can pose a health risk.

Bats are small, nocturnal animals that can enter your attic through small openings or gaps. They can roost in large numbers and leave droppings that can pose a significant health risk to you and your family. In Connecticut, bats are also known carriers of rabies, a potentially fatal disease.

Mice and rats are small rodents that can easily squeeze through small openings and gain access to your attic. They can cause damage by chewing through wires and insulation and can also carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans and pets.

Birds can also gain access to your attic through openings such as vents, damaged roofs, or chimneys. Once inside, they can create nests and leave droppings that can cause health problems. In addition to causing damage to your home, bird droppings can also pose a serious health risk to you and your family.

If you suspect that you have an animal infestation in your attic, it is important to contact a licensed wildlife control professional who can safely and humanely remove the animals. Wildlife removal professionals can also help seal up any openings or gaps in your home to prevent future infestations.

In addition to the sounds that these animals make, other signs of an animal infestation in your attic can include droppings, damage to insulation or wiring, and the presence of nesting materials. If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to address the issue as soon as possible to prevent further damage and protect your health and safety.

In conclusion, animals in the attic can pose a serious threat to your health and your home. If you suspect that there may be an animal infestation in your attic in Connecticut, it’s essential to contact a licensed wildlife control professional who can safely and humanely remove the animals and help prevent future infestations.

Raccoons

If you have a raccoon in the attic they can be rather loud. When a raccoon is walking around in the attic you may here creaking boards. Raccoons can run in the 20lbs range. Many people say it sounds like a person is walking around in the attic. Late winter into early spring is the time when Raccoons break into attics looking for a place to have their litter.

• Raccoons can sound like a person in the attic
• March is when raccoons in Connecticut have their young
• The young may sound like a bird. You will hear them cry when the mother raccoon leaves at night or when she returns in the morning.
• Listen to where she goes at night and where she comes from in the early AM this helps us determin her entry point.
• If you hear the young make a note of what area. this helps us when we extract the young after catching the adult.
• If you venture into the attic be careful raccoons may defend their young. Look for droppings usually in the same area will look like dog droppings.

Squirrels

If you have squirrels in the attic you will usually hear them early morning and late afternoon into evening. Gray squirrels sound like a horse galloping when they run (usually in the soffits). Watch for squirrels climbing on your house and roof. They will sometimes sun themselves in the AM.

• Gray Squirrels sound horse like when they run.
• Early Morning and late afternoon are the most active times for gray squirrels
• Listen for frantic digging in one spot. when a female squirrel is about to give birth they will spend time frantically prepairing the nesting site. Occasionally she will dig a hole through the sheat rock. A telltail that a gray squirrel dug a hole through the cieling is she will plug the hole with insulation.
• watch for squirrel activity on your roof and climbing onto your home.
• Gray squirrel droppings are about half the size of a pea and egg shaped

Flying Squirrels

Connecticut’s is home to Southern Flying squirrels, These are nocturnal creatures, and usually a fall and winter pest in our attics. When you have flying squirrels in the attic during winter it is typically 10-40 squirrels not one or two. You will hear them at night between 9PM to around 4AM. Flying squirrels store lots of food in their dens. you will hear them hoping from entry point to their food stash, and between their latrine and their sleeping area.

• Flying squirrels hop when they run. The skin flap is made for gliding not running.
• You may hear them glide into the side of the house or roof. Listen for a thump then hopping take note to what direction they take.
• listen out for where they are sleeping. In the morning you can do a bang test to see if what you are hearing is flying squirrels.
• When you bang on the spot in the AM if you hear running 9/10 its flying squirrels. Mice freeze, squirrels run, and bats ignore you completly when doing this bang test.
• Some nights it will sound like a party is going on others it will be silent. Take note of weather patterns they will tend to come in for cold and snowy weather.
• Flying squirrel droppings look similar to mice except the amounts are greater. The urin will look dark from the sap that flying squirrels drink.
• If you have attic screans check to see if a hole is chewed in them Flyers love to chew through these vents.
• Flying squirrels store lots of food in their den sites (your home)

Bats

Bats will get under insulation, you may hear them crawling in winter time when they are hibernating. They will move to the perfect temperature to hibernate. If you hear movement one day and then hear it again weeks later it could be bats. If you bang on the area you are hearing them bats will typically ignore you.

• The best way to determine if bats are the problem is by the droppings. If you see droppings that look larger than a mouse take something and crush one. If it turns to dust you have bats 100%. Only bat droppings turn to dust like this, but you can take a flashlight and see the bug parts (they will be shiny).
• Bats will squeak like mice, actually if someone says they heard squeaks most the time it is a bat problem.
• During late spring through summer you may hear bats leaving in the evening as the sun goes down they may jockey for position near the exit. On hot days you can sometimes hear them fighting each other in annoyance.
• If you hear this take a walk outside bats will drop out their entry point and swoop away commonly doing a lap around the house.

Mice

Mice are very common attic animal in Connecticut attics. Most people who call me with mice say it sounds bigger defiantly not a mouse. Deer / White Footed mice are loud, they will pin an acorn on the sheetrock under the insulation and gnaw on it. This will create a speaker like effect making them sound much larger.

• Deer mice are much louder than you would believe.
• If you look into the attic you will usually see holes in batton insulation, or holes and trails in blown in insulation.
• Most people know what mouse droppings look like, it is uncommon for me not to find mouse droppings in Connecticuts attics.

The least common animal I have ever found in an attic was a dead mole. I wish I could explain how a mole got into an attic, but some mysteries can never be solved.

If you suspect that there is an opossum in your attic in Connecticut, it’s important to take action as soon as possible to prevent any damage to your property and to address any potential health risks.

Here are some steps you can take:

1. Identify the animal: First, confirm that the animal in your attic is indeed an opossum. Opossums are nocturnal and can be identified by their long, pointed faces, grayish-white fur, and long, hairless tails.
2. Remove food sources: Opossums are attracted to food, so it’s important to remove any food sources from your attic, such as pet food or birdseed.
3. Seal entry points: Opossums can gain access to your attic through gaps and holes in your roof or walls. Seal any potential entry points to prevent further access.
4. Use humane trapping methods: Live trapping is a humane and effective method of removing opossums from your attic. Contact a licensed wildlife control professional to safely and humanely trap and relocate the animal.
5. Clean and disinfect: After the opossum has been removed, it’s important to clean and disinfect the area to remove any potential health risks, such as feces or urine.

It’s important to note that opossums can carry diseases and should only be handled by licensed professionals.