Mystery pests

[jpdw]

We think we have some uninvited guests of some sort but can't quite figure out what.

We've a standard loft conversion at the top of our standard vitorian terrace. So pretty much no loft, just a foot square triangle that boxes in the bracket holding the old chimney pot above (the rest of the chimney breast gone).

From this little area we've started to notice a scratching or buzzing or rustling kind of noise - through the layers of plasterboard & skim the sounds is deadend a bit so could be either of these 3. The sound seems confined to this area, not all across the rest of the loft conversion's ceiling (which is about 6 inches of void stuffed with the usual insulation material and a bunch of downlights). So we figure that 'whatever it is' has come down the disused & capped off chimney.



Using a webcam on a stick we've tried to have a look and can only see a few small dark areas which could either be holes or simply missing pointing (the webcams not that good and we dont have a ladder to get up there ourselves).

The pictures show the few small dark gaps/holes:

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• jpdw
• 17 Jun 2010
• 1

(ours is the short capped pot on the left)

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• jpdw
• 17 Jun 2010
• 1

Untitled

• jpdw
• 17 Jun 2010
• 1

Untitled

• jpdw
• 17 Jun 2010
• 1

(our is the one on the right of the pair in the foreground in this one)


The lack of a large enough hole means we dont think it's pigeons; And 2 floors I would think that rules out foxes too. Leaving mice, rates & insects. Can/do mice and rats climb vertically up 3 storeys (read) or 2 storeys (front)????

Any suggestions what this could be?

I'm intending ringing the LA Pest Control tomorrow but hoping I can sound a bit less clueless by then !!!

 

[tapir]

It could quite easily be rats or mice. If it is rodents, they'll have to come out for food at some point, so perhaps set a couple of traps nearby, and see what you catch?

 

[foxhole]

Could be a wasps or bees, have you noticed a lot in the garden? Rats have no trouble climbing the waste pipe to nest in lofts and the insulation keeps them nice and cosy.

 

[jpdw]

It could quite easily be rats or mice. If it is rodents, they'll have to come out for food at some point, so perhaps set a couple of traps nearby, and see what you catch?

Putting traps nearby would be a problem - the only way we can see that anything could get in or out of the area in qustion is via the chimney pot about 2ft above where we hear the noise. The chimney put is above the flat roof on our 2nd floor loft conversion, so without a really tall ladder we can't get to put a trap up there.

 

[jpdw]

Could be a wasps or bees, have you noticed a lot in the garden? Rats have no trouble climbing the waste pipe to nest in lofts and the insulation keeps them nice and cosy.

The more I stick my ear against the 'inside' of the area that the noise comes the more I think maybe what I can hear is a combination of *some* buzzing but mostly the scraping could be wings / insect legs etc,...

Local council are only interested if its confirmed as mice or rats. And then it seems they only put poison down and only at or near ground level, so certainly no getting them up on the roof. So we'll be calling a pest control mob in the next few days.

One thing we are certain of --- hoping it will just 'go away' is not going to work! And any damage the critters are doing will just get worse with time.

 

[joinerjohn]

If it's wasps, then they will do hardly any damage. Unless you get up on the roof and get stung, fall off and break your leg/arm etc.
If it is wasps. please don't be tempted to pull your plasterboard down to have a look.

 

[California]

First thing to do id bang on the wall in the ares you are hearing the sound. If it's mice/rats they will stop making noise but if it. bees / wasp then it will continue. Is the noise all day or evening/morning? How lous are the noises you are hearing?

There are several ways to work with this. The main thing is exclusion but not the first step as you do NOT want to trap the problem in the walls.

If you are dealing with bees then call a bee keeper, if wasp them get a pest control operator out. They may place a 7/32 hole in the wall area and inject Drione ( a dessicant) to treat the problem without disturbing the colony too much by dehydration of the pest, those with silica work best but I'm not aware of the trade name here i the UK or a Pyrethrin for a quick knock down. There usually is no need to open the wall in the case of it being wasp BUT bees are another matter. The hive needs to be removed as rotting honey would be a bad thing.

 

[California]

It could quite easily be rats or mice. If it is rodents, they'll have to come out for food at some point, so perhaps set a couple of traps nearby, and see what you catch?

Putting traps nearby would be a problem - the only way we can see that anything could get in or out of the area in qustion is via the chimney pot about 2ft above where we hear the noise. The chimney put is above the flat roof on our 2nd floor loft conversion, so without a really tall ladder we can't get to put a trap up there.

Traps- Don't worry about placing traps at the roof level unless there are no wires from telephone poles etc connecting to the house. Rodents will use those routes. have a look around rafters, fencing , stove pipes and any other point where something would have to work it's way around. You will notice what is called 'swing marks' . These are dirt/scum trails where the rodents dirty body have rubbed repeatedly going to and from . Place traps near these areas for a better kill ratio. Rats often only travel 40 odd feet from home when there is a good food supply and nesting so you do have some room to work with.

Do you have a dog?
Do you have a garden or bearing fruit trees?