If you hear scratching in your walls at night, you most likely have rodents living inside your home. Rats create louder, heavier scratching sounds, while mice make softer, faster scratching noises. Additionally, both pests are nocturnal, which explains why the sounds wake you up in the middle of the night.
Lying awake listening to mysterious scratching sounds is frustrating and frightening. Moreover, knowing that rodents are living in your walls creates urgency to solve this problem quickly. In this guide, we’ll help you identify exactly what’s making those sounds and what you need to do about it.
How to Tell If It’s Rats or Mice in Your Walls
The type of scratching sound provides important clues about which rodent invaded your Riverside home. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right treatment approach.
Rat Sounds vs. Mouse Sounds
Rats make heavier, louder scratching noises because of their larger size. You’ll hear distinct thumping or dragging sounds as they move through walls. Furthermore, rats often create gnawing sounds that seem more aggressive and persistent than mouse activity.
In contrast, mice produce lighter, faster scratching sounds. Their movements sound quicker and more frantic than rats. Additionally, you might hear high-pitched squeaking from mice, while rats make deeper, guttural sounds.
When You Hear the Sounds
Both rats and mice are nocturnal creatures. They become most active between midnight and 5 AM when your house is quiet. Consequently, you’ll hear the loudest scratching sounds during these early morning hours.
However, if you hear scratching during the day, this signals a severe infestation. Rodents only move around in daylight when overcrowding forces them out of their nests. Therefore, daytime activity means you have a serious problem that requires immediate attention.
Location of the Sounds
Rats typically stay in lower areas of your home. You’ll hear them in ground-floor walls, crawl spaces, and basements. Moreover, they prefer living close to ground level where they can easily access food and water.
On the other hand, mice climb easily and often nest in upper walls, attics, and ceilings. If you hear scratching above your bedroom, you likely have mice rather than rats. Additionally, mice can squeeze through holes the size of a dime, allowing them to access more areas than rats.
What Scratching in Walls at Night Actually Means
The scratching sounds you hear represent rodents traveling through your walls to find food and water. They create highways inside your walls using insulation as nesting material. Furthermore, they gnaw on wood beams, electrical wires, and pipes as they expand their territory.
This activity poses serious risks to your home. According to the National Fire Protection Association, rodents cause thousands of house fires each year by chewing through electrical wiring. Additionally, their constant gnawing weakens structural components and creates expensive damage.
Signs Beyond the Scratching Sounds
Scratching noises rarely appear alone. Watch for these additional warning signs that confirm rodent activity:
- Droppings near baseboards, in cabinets, or along walls
- Greasy rub marks on walls where rodents travel repeatedly
- Chewed boxes, food packages, or electrical wires
- Nesting materials like shredded paper or insulation
- Strange odors from urine or dead rodents in walls
- Your pets acting strangely near certain walls or areas
Moreover, you might notice entry points around your home’s exterior. Look for holes near the foundation, gaps around pipes, or damaged vents. These openings show where rodents enter your walls from outside.
Why Rodents Choose Your Walls
Your walls provide perfect conditions for rodent nests. First, the space offers protection from predators and harsh weather. Then, insulation creates warm, comfortable nesting material that rodents shred and rearrange.
Additionally, walls give rodents easy access to your entire home. They travel through wall voids to reach kitchens, pantries, and bathrooms without exposure. Consequently, they can raid your food and water while staying completely hidden.
Riverside’s mild climate means rodents breed year-round, unlike colder regions where winter slows reproduction. Therefore, a small rodent problem quickly becomes a major infestation without intervention. In fact, mice can produce up to 10 litters per year, with each litter containing 5-6 babies.
Health Risks from Rodents in Your Walls
Rodents living in your walls create serious health hazards for your family. Their droppings and urine spread diseases like hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis. Furthermore, dust from dried droppings becomes airborne and enters your living spaces through vents and cracks.
Allergens from rodent waste trigger asthma and breathing problems, especially in children. Additionally, rodents carry fleas, mites, and ticks that can infest your home. These parasites spread additional diseases and create secondary pest problems.
What Not to Do When You Hear Scratching in Walls
Many homeowners make common mistakes that worsen their rodent problems. First, never ignore the sounds hoping they’ll go away. Rodents multiply rapidly, and waiting allows the infestation to grow exponentially.
Additionally, don’t rely solely on store-bought traps placed around your home. While traps catch some rodents, they don’t address the colony living inside your walls. Moreover, poisoning rodents can cause them to die in your walls, creating terrible odors that last for weeks.
Furthermore, avoid sealing holes while rodents still live inside. This traps them in your walls, forcing them to chew through other areas to escape. Instead, you must eliminate the rodents first, then seal entry points to prevent new ones from entering.
Professional Solutions for Scratching Sounds in Walls
Effective rodent control requires finding and eliminating the nest, not just catching visible rodents. Professional pest control technicians use specialized tools to locate rodent highways inside walls. Then, they create a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the entire infestation.
Southland Pest Control specializes in rodent control in Riverside that delivers lasting results. Our approach combines multiple strategies to eliminate rodents and prevent their return. Moreover, we use eco-friendly methods that keep your family and pets safe.
Our Rodent Control Process
Our technicians start with a thorough inspection of your home’s interior and exterior. We identify entry points, locate nesting areas, and assess the infestation’s severity. Next, we implement strategic trapping in key locations where rodents travel.
Additionally, we perform exclusion work to seal all entry points permanently. This includes installing mesh over vents, sealing gaps around pipes, and repairing damaged foundation areas. Furthermore, we remove contaminated insulation when necessary and sanitize affected areas.
Follow-up visits ensure complete elimination and monitor for new activity. We also provide detailed recommendations for keeping rodents away long-term. Since 2007, we’ve helped countless Riverside homeowners reclaim their homes from rodent invasions.
Immediate Steps You Can Take Tonight
While you wait for professional help, these actions reduce rodent activity in your home. First, remove all food sources by storing items in sealed containers and cleaning up crumbs immediately.
Next, eliminate water sources by fixing leaky pipes and removing standing water. Rodents need water daily, and removing access forces them to search elsewhere. Additionally, keep your kitchen immaculate and take trash out daily.
Document the scratching sounds by noting when and where you hear them. This information helps pest control professionals identify the most active areas. Moreover, check your home’s exterior for obvious entry points and note their locations.
How to Prevent Future Rodent Problems
Prevention starts with making your home less attractive to rodents. Trim tree branches that touch your roof or walls, as these create highways for rodents to access your home. Furthermore, keep firewood stored at least 20 feet from your house and off the ground.
Maintain your yard by removing debris piles, overgrown vegetation, and clutter where rodents hide. Additionally, store pet food in sealed containers and don’t leave food or water bowls out overnight. These simple steps eliminate attractions that draw rodents to your property.
Regular home maintenance helps too. Inspect your foundation for cracks and seal them immediately. Replace damaged weather stripping around doors and windows. Moreover, install door sweeps to eliminate gaps under exterior doors.
Stop Losing Sleep Over Scratching Sounds
Hearing scratching in your walls at night disrupts your sleep and creates constant worry. Whether you have rats or mice, the problem won’t resolve itself. In fact, rodent populations double every few months without professional intervention.
Professional rodent control eliminates the source of those disturbing sounds permanently. Instead of lying awake wondering what’s in your walls, you’ll enjoy peaceful nights knowing your home is rodent-free. Furthermore, you’ll protect your family’s health and prevent costly structural damage.
Don’t spend another night listening to rodents in your walls. Southland Pest Control offers same-day emergency service throughout Riverside and surrounding areas. Our experienced technicians will identify your rodent problem, eliminate the infestation, and seal entry points to prevent future invasions. Call us now at (951) 653-7964 or schedule your free inspection online. Sleep peacefully again knowing your home is protected by Riverside’s trusted rodent control experts.
