Help! what is living in the wall space/roof of extension?

[insanityscratching]

Heard something scuttling and gnawing last night above our head, have checked everywhere and it hasn't got in the house (yet) but can't work out where it's got in or how to get rid of it (not heard it now for hours). Could it be a squirrel? It sounds bigger than a mouse and I can't bear the thought of a rat. Will get someone out later if I can or Monday if not, will they get rid of it easily as I have a huge mouse phobia?

My guess is birds or mice.

i would say mouse, active at night

Call your council. Ours has a mouse man who comes out free of charge once to set traps and again to empty them and give advice.

We had a rat once and it sounded just as you described...

A friend of mine had squirrels in her attic.

They got in by shinning up the drain pipe and squeezing through a tiny gap underneath the gutter.

They were bloody loud though so I would say you're more likely to have mice.

It sounded much too heavy for a mouse though (really heavy in comparison to a mouse I thought pigeon size) and it doesn't seem to move much and I thought mice did lots of running about? Not heard anything anywhere since yesterday at about 8pm ( almost expecting an encore about then) but will call out the council on Monday anyway. Wondering if it's now in neighbour's wall space as it's nearly 24 hours since I heard anything.

I vote for squirrels - we had them in our loft once. I was very sad about it but we had to call in Rentokill. Councils will also help.

I thought squirrels because we often have them in the back garden and they run round our fence and over the roof where the noise was. I'll be really sad if they have to be killed because they are pretty entertaining whilst outside tormenting next door's cat and raiding their bird table.

Squirrels? They are incredibly loud.

I'd be a little cautious about poisoning them, as a friend tried that with deeply, deeply unfortunate consequences that I shall not go into unless begged.

You could try working out where they're getting in and block it up for starters.

Could be starlings? I had starlings in the roof in my first house - got in through a hole in the fascia board. When checking out the loft one got into the house...think Hitchcock,...hated the buggers ever since shudders

Are you in the South East? Could be Glis Glis - they're noisy little blighters and can be very destructive

Oh yes, could be glis glis if you are around Tring.
Otherwise I vote for a squirrel.

Are you in Scotland? Could be a haggis in hibernation.

Mice can make a huge amount of noise, we had them in the loft at a rented house when I was a student. It often sounded like they were dropping rocks on the bedroom ceiling. Heaven only knows what they were doing up there.

We have had rats in our roof and they were noisy. Rentokill got rid of them.

We had starlings in ours. Sounded terrible. We imagined all sorts of animals. Sounded like an infestation! Was awful. Just to let you know Starlings are a protected species when nesting, so you might not want to identify them when you call in pest control. Ours had entered through a gap in our eves boarding.

OP - me too.

Mine were definitely scuttling up and down, and sounded too heavy for mice, but I then discovered a pile of shredded foil where the Christmas Stocking Chocolate was stored, so I think it must have been mice, just magnified through the ceiling.

Rats generally stay at ground level.

We had squirrels that used to run across our flat roof in our old house, sounds like a herd of buffalo when it's really quiet, scared the crap out of me the first time.
Last we had was mice in the bedroom wall at the hose we are in now, Dh went I the attic and put mouse traps, all went quiet after about a week, come to think of it, he never went back up to collect the traps, and it has been very hot (40) a few times since. They are probably mummified by now

All was quiet until 4am when we had more noise in the exact same spot.Whatever it is hasn't got in yet and doesn't seem to move from that one spot. Will get pest control in first thing tomorrow though.
I had never heard of glis we're not in Tring though so hopefully not them, wish it was a haggis it could be ritually slaughtered for Hogmanay, Sending dh up onto the roof to have a look today.

Update....DH and I were woken at 5am this morning by a loud rustling coming from the bin in our bedroom. I switched on the light just in time to see a mouse leap out and run under the door. So, having eaten all the Christmas chocolate, the little blighters have moved out of the loft and into the house.

Anyone know a good pest controller??

Check your council website. Our local council has a contract with a pest control firm which offers reduced rates to residents in our district (less than half price, I think).

We didn't end up using them though as we got rid of the bugger ourselves, and have had no sign of any other mice since.

Any idea where they are getting in? Try looking for any entry points, they can get through holes the size of a pencil and stuff them with wire wool. Peanut butter in wooden traps works well. Try local council website for pest controller. Good luck!