Updated: Feb 20

Attics are an ideal spot for many animals to get into, as they are often warm, and humans rarely visit them. So, how can you know if there’s an animal in your attic? What animals live in attics? And how can you remove animals in the attic?

Many animals, including mice, squirrels, and raccoons, seek shelter in your attic to survive cold winters or raise their offspring. Each of these animals has a few unique characteristics that can help you identify and remove them.

With that in mind, let’s examine how you can figure out if there’s an animal in the attic, as well as identify its kind. Afterward, we’ll look closely at how to get animals out of the attic.

How Do I Know if Something Is Living in My Attic?

There are a few ways to identify if there’s an animal in your attic, including damage to the outer walls or the attic itself. But, arguably, the most important thing to look out for is the different sounds that animals produce.

Some animals, like rats, may scamper around very quickly, whereas others like to scratch the walls or the floor of the attic. Additionally, there are animals with distinct squeaking sounds that can help you identify them. Make sure to consider the time of day, as some animals are more active at night, whereas others prefer daylight.

What Animals Live in Attics

Several different kinds of animals can seek shelter in your attic. These include:

How Do Raccoons Get Into an Attic

Raccoons will commonly look to invade an attic to protect themselves from harsh weather or raise their family. These nocturnal animals often make lots of noises during the dark and can easily cause severe damage in your attic. Therefore, it’s essential to get rid of raccoons as soon as you hear weird noises from the attic.

How Do Squirrels Get Into an Attic

Contrary to raccoons, squirrels are more active during the day, and you’ll often hear them scampering around or chewing. They may also store their nuts in your attic or walls, so be on the lookout for them.

How Do Opossums Get Into an Attic

An opossum may often choose your attic to live in as it’s generally a warm and dry place. They can crawl into the attic through broken shingles or holes in the wall and be a nuisance to remove. They also make a lot of distinct sounds, so you can easily distinguish them from other animals.

How Do Rats Get Into an Attic

Rats are another common animal that you may find in your attic. They are some of the most annoying and difficult rodents to remove, and they usually require the intervention of professional pest control services. They can cause a lot of damage to your roof and leave tons of droppings.

How Do Mice Get Into an Attic

A question many people ask is how animals get in the attic. It usually takes a small hole in your walls or a slightly damaged shingle in your roof for an animal to use as an entry point. Mice, in particular, are able to find their way into your attic very easily, thanks to their small size.

They can crawl into tight spaces and even climb on vertical surfaces with ease. Plus, they’re known to chew through materials, such as wood, to create more entry points. Mice can also create tunnels in your insulation to allow them to move around more easily.

What Animal Is Most Likely in My Attic?

While different animals will have different signs to identify them, there are a few similar traits among many animals in attics.

• Chewing/Gnawing (raccoons, squirrels, mice, rats, opossums)
• Scratching (squirrels, raccoons, opossums, rats)
• Wing Fluttering (bats, birds)
• Droppings (opossums, squirrels, rats, mice, birds)
• Screeching/Chirping (squirrels, bats, birds)

How to Get Animals Out of Your Attic

Animals in your attic can be a pain to deal with, but there are a few ways you can try to get rid of them. You can remove smaller animals, like mice, rats, or squirrels, by baiting and trapping them. However, you should always be careful, as rodents carry diseases that can harm humans.

In general, you should avoid trying to remove larger animals like opossums and raccoons. They are more difficult to trap and handle and can easily become aggressive. In these cases, you should seek some dedicated service for the removal of animals in the attic.

We’ll Help You Remove Animals in Your Attic

If you want to get rid of pesky animals in your attic, then you need a professional removal service. At Green Rodent Restoration, our team of experts will trap and safely remove all animals in the attic quickly and safely. Additionally, we’ll take care of any repairs that may be necessary.

Get in touch with us for a free estimate, and we’ll make sure you won’t have to deal with animal infestations again.