Scratching sound from loft

robj20

robj20

robj20

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Past few months different people have heard scratching sounds from what sounds like in the loft. Soon as you make any noise it stops.

I've not that long ago fitted PIR insulation and board the loft and sealed smaller bits with expanding foam.
I've been up multiple times and see no sign at all of anything, no droppings, no nesting material, no debris of any kind. I've had birds in a soffit before and it was very obvious you could see them going in and out, nesting material and when you were near you could hear them moving the noise didn't just vanish.
Could it simply be birds on the roof echoing through and just sounding like it's in the loft.

It's only above the landing as well not above any rooms, so it's right at the gable end.
 
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Terminal_Boy said:
Is there a chimney above that area? You’d be surprised how sound carries down even a bricked up chimney.
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No it's in the middle.

It's only ever right above the top of the landing at the gable end side. I think as soon as we make noise they fly off.
 
robj20 said:
Nope nothing like that, only thing is a bathroom extractor but the wind flap is working fine so nothing should get it that way, I'd also imagine if something was on there the noise would be more obvious in the bathroom.
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I asked as our old London house had a length of old TV coax dangling from the chimney which flapped around in the wind and yo couldn’t see it from the street nor the rear garden.
 
Murphy said:
My bet would go on it being mice, or rats.
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What makes you think that, I can't think of anywhere else I could look for them.

Immediately above the plasterboard there is 140mm of PIR insulation, on top of that is chipboard flooring.
Around the edges of the loft between the brick wall and the first joist is expanding foam (it was too narrow to bother with PIR)
There is zero evidence of anything being chewed or disturbed, no droppings. The sound is only ever a scratching sound, never what I'd describe as scurrying.

What else could I look for?
 
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robj20 said:
What makes you think that...
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That the noise stops the moment you make any noise, most other critters scarper when they get spooked, mice/rats respond by freezing. Where they could be is anyone guess as they can get into the tiniest of gaps and will dig into things like expanding foam.

You could try to narrow down where they are by listening to where the noise is coming from but it's a right PITA because if you make noise they'll stop moving and quieten down for what seems like ages when you're trying to listen for something.

Do you have any pets? Because if not I'd just buy some mice/rat poison (paste bait works better than grain IMO) and place/drop a few around the loft in dark/covered places.
 
Murphy said:
That the noise stops the moment you make any noise, most other critters scarper when they get spooked, mice/rats respond by freezing. Where they could be is anyone guess as they can get into the tiniest of gaps and will dig into things like expanding foam.

You could try to narrow down where they are by listening to where the noise is coming from but it's a right PITA because if you make noise they'll stop moving and quieten down for what seems like ages when you're trying to listen for something.

Do you have any pets? Because if not I'd just buy some mice/rat poison (paste bait works better than grain IMO) and place/drop a few around the loft in dark/covered places.
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Got a cat.
I may get a couple of mouse traps, they're cheap enough.
 
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