Signs of Rodents in Your Plano Attic — What to Look For

Listen after dark

Rodents are most active at night, so the attic gives them away when the house goes quiet. Light, fast scratching usually points to mice. Heavier scurrying, thumps, or the sound of something rolling overhead points to roof rats. If the noise moves along the roofline, that is often a rat following its runway.

Look for droppings and grease marks

Droppings are the clearest sign. Mouse droppings are small, dark, and pointed, about the size of a grain of rice. Rat droppings are larger and blunt. Along walls and beams you may also see dark grease marks where oily fur rubs the same path again and again.

Check insulation and stored items

Rodents tunnel through blown-in insulation and pull paper, fabric, and insulation into nests. Matted trails, hollowed-out spots, and shredded material all point to active nesting. Stored boxes that have been chewed open are another giveaway.

Trust your nose

A musky or ammonia smell building in the attic often means a nest or soiled insulation. The smell gets stronger in Plano's summer heat, which is a good reason to act before it spreads.

Common questions