Oh god I have some animals in my roof

Schumi · 12-23-2013, 04:55 PM

OK, I was hoping this would just go away but it seems like it's not. A week or two ago, I was up around 3 AM reading a book, when I kept hearing some weird scampering sound... like little feet in the ceiling above my living room. I eventually traced it to a section of roof in my apartment where there is some large, open area- the house is a two story with vaulted first floor ceiling and all kinds of odd angles adjoining to create the upstairs. I'm pretty sure there is some open areas in between the first floor roof and an upstairs section that are inaccessible from either in or outside the house.

So the little scampering feet sounded like bats, or birds, or maybe large mice (how they would get up there I do't know) but I eventually forgot about it.

Now there is something, or multiple things, in that section of roof and they are making tons of noise. Sounds like birds; I think they got in there and now can't figure out how to get back out. They are making all sorts of sounds.. these sickly, screeching, sounds. They are probably dying of starvation.

The thing is, I haven't figured out how they got in there and there is no access for me to open up and let them out. I'm pretty sure, soon, I'm going to have a bunch of dead baby birds in my roof and I'm not looking forward to that smell or what other kinds of animals that attracts.

I just need to make them shut up. It's driving me insane. There is screeching, and then some sort of rolling sound, like they got some damn marbles up there and they are rolling them down the sheetrock slants of my vaulted ceiling. And there is some off jumping and pounding every now and then too. Like I have little midget people trapped up there. It's terrifying sounding. My girlfriend is out of the country until Friday which is good, or she would be losing her s*%#@ right now.

What a wonderful Christmas this is going to be. Me, home alone, listening to dying animals in my ceiling.

strupgolf · 12-23-2013, 05:01 PM

Those are elfs, getting things ready for old St Nick.

motion · 12-23-2013, 05:06 PM

Oh man, I feel sorry for you. Total nightmare. Hire a pest company on monthly contract and make them go up in your attic and set traps and retrieve the dead critters. I went through this for 10+ years.

Embraer · Embraer's Garage

landlord should be responsible for this

mreid · 12-23-2013, 05:23 PM

Did you see the movie 'The Exorcist'? It was a true story.

GWN7 · 12-23-2013, 05:25 PM

Don't worry, when they are ready they will break thru the drywall and invade the open space.

Jeff Higgins · 12-23-2013, 05:31 PM

Schumi · 12-23-2013, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff higgins

MADRE DE DIOS.

I have that kind of roofing.

onewhippedpuppy · 12-23-2013, 07:49 PM

Way to encourage him Jeff!

Jeff Higgins · 12-23-2013, 07:58 PM

My work here is finished...

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

I had a few weeks of hearing noises like those also and finally went out and bought some big rat traps. Ending catching 7 rats in two days. Called in an exterminator and he went up on the roof and found a few small holes behind the gutters where they were getting in.

HardDrive · 12-23-2013, 08:42 PM

I hate to say it, but I would say its rats. They are usually getting on the roof from vegetation. Rats will climb surprisingly large trees to get into an attic space.

look 171 · 12-23-2013, 08:53 PM

find the hole, put a cat in there.

RWebb · RWebb's Garage

lie in bed real quiet so you can localize the sound, then lay into the ceiling with your StreetSweeper

I guarantee that even if you don't kill them all, you will teach them a good lesson

Schumi · 12-23-2013, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

find the hole, put a cat in there.:d

CAT IN THE WALL, EH?

hah.

Heel n Toe · 09:52 PM

If I were you, I would get a pro on it ASAP.

Are you renting? If you are, apply as much pressure as you can.

Do y'all have squirrels there? They use a space like that for mating. They pee all over everything and the smell draws more. It's like a party space with neon advertising.

Rats may do the same thing... I don't know. You may walk all around your place and not see any holes in the soffit, etc. They may be coming up from beneath, going up through the walls.

Get a pro on it. It may take a couple of weeks or longer to get it done.

One way to pressure a landlord may be to tell him that rodents often chew the insulation from wiring and could cause a fire.

We have a lot of people here who own/manage rental property. Anyone have any ideas on how to pressure a landlord on this?

Tishabet · 12-23-2013, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Embraer

landlord should be responsible for this

Big +1

As others have said, most likely rats based on your locale. Preferred approach for them is to seal off their entry, then trap them... But that is your landlord's problem, not yours.

911_Dude · 12-24-2013, 03:04 AM

I had raccoons getting in my attic. They make a ton of noise, usually an hour or so after sunset when they wake up, and in the early morning when they come back in to go to sleep. They apparently have nothing better to do than to figure out how to get into "impossible" places. My guests were shimmying up a gutter down pipe and doing some amazing acrobatics to get from the pipe to the roof. From there they found a small nook where two roof gables intersect. There was a small triangle opening the carpenters must of been too lazy to seal off. The coons found it. It took me quite a bit of searching to figure out how they were doing all this.

First I tried making the gutter climb-proof with some sheet metal work. Failed. I still dont know how they were climbing the pipe past my blocker. Then I went to the roof and covered the opening with sheet metal nailed to the roof. Failed! Since the critters sleep during the day, I inadvertently sealed
one of the beasts into the attic. My GF was freaking out. I said I would give him two days and then I would open the hole up and let him out. Sort of to teach him a lesson. He would never come back, right. The attic is right over my TV room.

That night the coon woke up and I could hear him pulling at the metal. I was thinking " Ha! How do you like that Bastardo!". After an hour or two, it sounded like he was literally putting his shoulder into it, beating the blocker down.

The next day I checked the roof access area and the beast had indeed broken out of his inadvertent jail. He ripped and chewed the sheet metal off the nails! Amazing. I made another piece and nailed it again. We are well into winter now, and for a few nights the group of coons would return and I could hear them trying to get in. Ha! Finally, I claim victory! They must not be as motivated to get in as that one was to get out.

They are a pain in the arse.

kiwiokie · 12-24-2013, 06:01 AM

I had good success with one of these. Basically a baby tazer in a tunnel. I added 8 D size batteries in series and killed 3 squirrels that were calling my attic home.

Rat Zapper Brand Electronic Rat Trap | Rat Zappers Reviews

recycled sixtie · recycled sixtie's Garage

Mike/Schumi,
If you are renting this place I would pressure the landlord to remedy this situation ie. get the exterminator in. If he does nothing then this is breach of contract as the place is not fit to live in. His/her reaction to your request will tell you what kind of landlords they are.

We have rented out our condo and we go out of our way to make sure they are happy. If that was our condo we would have the exterminators pronto.

Be assertive especially if you are paying rent....

G.