Houses built on a concrete slab have no under-floor space, so the quiet voids are the walls, the ceiling and the attic. Sound in those spaces travels along studs and ducts, which means the spot where you hear scratching may sit a long way from where the animal actually is.
How to listen usefully.
Pick a quiet time, turn off the television and the air handler if you can, and stand still in the room with the sound. Note whether it comes from above, from a wall or from near the floor. Then move to the next room and compare.
- Write down the date and the time of each noise.
- Record whether it is scratching, rolling, thumping or gnawing.
- Note whether it moves along a wall or stays in one place.
- Check whether it follows rain, wind or the air conditioner cycle.
- Make a short recording with your phone.
A week of notes beats one memory of a loud night. It also saves time on the first call.
What the sounds can suggest.
| Sound. | Possible cause. | Worth noting. |
|---|---|---|
| Light scratching in a wall. | A mouse or a young rat. | Which wall, which room. |
| Heavy steps overhead at dusk. | A roof rat in the attic. | Time and whether it runs along one line. |
| Rolling, like a marble. | Something being moved through a space. | Whether it repeats. |
| Ticking or popping. | Ducts or pipes changing temperature. | Does it follow the thermostat. |
| Tapping on a roof. | A branch or frond in the wind. | Does it match gusts. |
None of this replaces an inspection, and one sound proves very little. The pattern is what counts.
How rodents reach a slab house.
With no crawl space, animals tend to arrive from above or from the sides. A limb touching the roof, a gap at a soffit, a loose vent cover, or an opening where a pipe, wire or air conditioner line enters the wall are all candidates. Once inside a wall, they travel along the framing.
Noises that are not rodents.
Plenty of house sounds mimic scratching. Ducts expand as the air conditioner cycles. Water pipes tick and knock. A bird can nest in a vent, and a lizard or squirrel on the roof sounds like a heavier step than it is. A technician can tell the difference by checking the roofline and the attic.
A rodent on the loose at midnight deserves a person, not a voicemail box.
Reach us on (888) 686-4821Safety while you investigate.
Stay out of the attic if you can, because dust in insulation is something you do not want to breathe. If you must look, wear gloves and a mask and keep it brief. Read the safety box below before cleaning anything.
What happens next.
Bring your notes to the call. The visit usually starts outside and at the roofline, then moves to the attic and utility areas. Our inspection page lists what is checked and what you receive in writing.
What to tell the dispatcher.
Lead with the room, then the time and then the type of sound. Mention whether you have seen pellets, chewed items or a smell. If you have a recording, say so. The person on the line will use that information to plan the first stop, and to decide whether a roofline check should come before the attic.
Describe the ceiling type as well, and tell us how easily the attic hatch can be reached. A hatch tucked in a closet behind boxes costs more time than one in a hallway, and a cleared path shortens the visit.
Do not tap the walls hard or poke holes to chase a sound. You are more likely to frighten an animal into a different spot than to catch it, and drywall damage adds a repair you did not need.
Before you call: a careful way to treat pellets and nests.
Short version of the public health advice, with the original pages linked after it.
- Aged pellets disintegrate when brushed, which is why a light mist of disinfectant comes before any towel or hand.
- After weeks closed, a room needs a half hour of through-draft before any work begins.
- Keep gloves on for the whole job, peel them off carefully and wash your hands afterward.
- Disinfect first and collect second. The soak keeps dust from lifting while you wipe.
- Bag everything you pick up before carrying it anywhere, and knot the top tightly.
- If you feel off later, tell a doctor about the cleanup and let them judge what matters.
Read the agency pages yourself.
These pages are the origin of the steps we recommend before you call.
- CDC guide to cleaning up after rodents: Reasons the CDC steers people away from brooms and vacuums, and the moist technique it prefers.
- EPA page on rodenticide product limits: Federal rules for household rodent bait, among them the bait station requirement.