Rat and mouse articles · Updated
Noises in the ceiling or walls at night: what's making them
Heavy running or rolling sounds overhead after dark usually mean roof rats in the attic. Light, quick scratching in a wall near the kitchen or garage usually means mice. Noise mostly in the early morning and daytime points to squirrels.
It's 1 a.m., the house is quiet, and something is running across the ceiling. In Plano, that's most often a roof rat. But the kind of sound, the time and where it's coming from all narrow it down, and getting it right means calling the right kind of help.
Heavy running, thumping or rolling overhead
This is the classic roof rat sound. People describe it as footsteps, scampering, something being dragged or a nut rolling across the floor above. Roof rats are most active after dark, often in the first few hours of the night and again before dawn. They nest in the attic and go out at night to feed, so you may hear them leave and come back.
The rolling sound is often a pecan or acorn being moved to a stash. If you find nut shells in the attic, that's a strong roof rat sign. See roof rat control.
Light scratching or scurrying in the walls
Mice are lighter and quicker. The sound is a faint scratch or patter that moves along a wall, often near the kitchen, behind the stove, beside the garage or below a bonus room. You may hear gnawing, a soft, steady scraping. The mice in walls article explains how to find where they're getting in.
Something in the attic or the garage?
Want a local rodent technician to look at it? Same-day appointments are often available. (972) 325-9652
Noise in the daytime
If the noise is loudest early in the morning and in the afternoon, and quiet at night, think squirrels. They're active in daylight and sound heavier than rats, with bursts of running and chewing. Squirrels need a wildlife company, not a rodent provider focused on rats and mice.
Other sounds that fool people
Not every noise is an animal. Here are a few common mix-ups:
- Ticking or popping as the attic heats and cools: the house itself, especially on hot afternoons
- Dripping or tapping: AC condensate lines, ice maker lines or rain
- Flapping: a loose vent flap or a bird in a vent
- Buzzing: wasps or bees in a wall void
- A single loud thump: settling, or something falling in storage
Noise in the walls vs. the ceiling
Where the sound comes from narrows it down too. Noise directly overhead in a one-story house is in the attic. Noise in a wall usually means mice using the wall cavity between the garage, the kitchen and the attic. Noise in the ceiling between the first and second floor of a two-story often follows plumbing or duct runs, and it's usually mice. Noise behind a knee wall beside an upstairs game room is in the small attic pocket there, and it can be either.
Pin it down
Keep notes for a few nights: time, location and type of sound. Then look. Open the attic hatch with a flashlight and check the insulation near it for droppings and tunnels. Check under the kitchen sink and in the garage along the walls. Roof rat droppings are about half an inch; mouse droppings are about a quarter inch or less. The attic signs article has a full checklist.
Noise over the garage
Noise over the garage ceiling is common in Plano houses. The garage attic often connects to the main attic, and the garage is where rodents get in from the alley. Mice climb the garage wall cavities, and roof rats come in over the garage roof. If you hear something over the garage, check the top of the garage cabinets and the water heater for droppings, then look in the garage attic.
Record it
Set a phone to record audio in the room overnight, or note the times when you wake up to the sound. A few nights of times and locations help a technician a lot. If the sound starts right after dark and again before dawn, it fits rats leaving to feed and coming back. A steady patter all night near the kitchen fits mice.
Why it's louder in winter
Two reasons. Cold fronts push more rodents indoors from October on, and the house is quieter with the AC off. Plano attics stay warm enough through most winters for roof rats to keep breeding, so a few rats in November can be a lot more by February.
What not to do
Don't bang on the ceiling and hope. Don't toss poison into the attic; a rat that dies over the bedroom is worse than a live one. Don't seal the gaps while rats are still inside, or they'll chew a new way out. And don't assume the noise will stop on its own once the weather warms up; roof rats in a Plano attic can stay all year.
If the noise is regular and you've found droppings, call. A rodent inspection confirms what it is and how it gets in.
Something in the attic or the garage?
Ready to have the gaps found and closed? Call and describe what you're hearing or finding. (972) 325-9652
Common questions
Why do I only hear it at night?
Rats and mice are mostly active after dark, and the house is quiet enough to hear them.
Can one rat make that much noise?
A single roof rat can sound surprisingly loud on attic decking. Regular noise usually means more than one.
The noise stopped. Are they gone?
Maybe, but rats move between nest spots and neighboring houses. If the gap is still open, they'll be back.
Is it safe to sleep with rodents in the attic?
The noise is the main problem day to day. The bigger risks are chewed wiring and droppings in the insulation, so deal with it soon.
What does a rat sound like compared with a mouse?
Rats sound heavier: thumps, running and rolling. Mice sound light and quick, more like faint scratching or pattering.