Critters - that's a Texas word, y'all....

A few nights ago, we started hearing critters of some sort in the walls; it started out with something scratching, now we hear them running back and forth, seemingly between the bedroom and bathroom. Tonight, we heard squealing like baby mice whimpering that sounded like it was coming from behind the peel-and-stick shower/tub; checked the trap-door behind the plumbing, and no signs there.

I can't find ANYwhere they can be getting in and out. There's obviously no food inside the walls, so they have to be coming and going from somewhere, but there is no opening for them to get in and out. Sffit vents are secure, no gaps other than <3/8" weep holes in the brick, no tunnels under the foundation, birdscreens are all secure on roof penetrations (fireplace/attic/ furnace/water heater etc vents)

No evidence of them getting in the house to eat - no chewed packaging/wrappers, droppings, etc.

Got up in the attic to look, and because of the roof slope I can't get all the way over to that wall. Regardless, there's still no evidence of critters there either...

I really don't want to set traps and risk killing the parents if there is a nest in the wall; not because I'm that soft-hearted, but becuase I don't want to have abandoned babies that die and start to smell. Anyone have any suggestions other than start tearing out drywall?

I can't offer any advice other than to get it fixed fast. We had a similar problem in a house we rented about 3 years ago (about this same time of year). Turned out to be a raccoon with a litter. she was getting in through a hole in the soffit (sp?) around where the outdoor AC unit went to the attic. Once winter settled in, she started burrowing into the attic insulation and chewing though the duct insulation. Freaking mess up there.

Yeah, if you can't find traces, call someone, they'll show up with the equipment they need to find 'em. You really don't want to mess around with this for any longer... it's a big health hazard on top of everything else.

micecan get ithru the weep holes. There is sace behind tebricks wth access to the attick to allow he air to flow behind the brick.

We had a mouse problem for the first time ever last month. Heard scratching/movement in the walls upstairs and we had droppings in a few places (under kitchen sink, pantry, etc). They look almost identical to roach droppings...like the size of a grain of rice. Nasty.

First we caught the mouse with a standard snap trap. Don't use poison unless you want to smell rotting death or see a delirious dying mouse wander out in front of you. Even though they say you never have just one, once we caught it all evidence immediately stopped. If you have a nest with babies in the wall...I dunno. Probably just going to have to let them die and dig them out then (think I'd hire someone for that, ick).

Anyway, once we caught it, we hired our usual pest company to come seal our house. Weep holes, tiny gaps in corners where the siding meets the your roof, AC lines, breezeway between our garage and house all got sealed up with either metal wire mesh or some expanding foam stuff. Think our pest guy said if you can poke the tip of your pinky finger through it's big enough for a mouse. It took them a good 4-5 hours to do the job.



[This message has been edited by SJEAg (edited 10/13/2010 9:06a).]

We had a squirrel in one of our walls last year. I finally got rid of it by shoving a cloth soaked in fox urine from Academy through the hole in the wall that he chewed. Same thing may work with mice. They may levae their babies though, who knows.

When I shoved that stank in there, I heard the squirrel take off at 100 mph out of the wall and across the roof.

Set traps of different sizes, mice, rat, live trap for squ/coons.

CHECK THEM DAILY

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micecan get ithru the weep holes. There is sace behind tebricks wth access to the attick to allow he air to flow behind the brick.

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spell check??

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shoving a cloth soaked in fox urine

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this worked on my Mom's house for squirrels, except we soaked a tennis ball

You need to look carefully outside. If you can stick your thumb in it, a mouse can probably get in. Look high and low outside.

Once you find it, and you will find it, plug it or cover it or whatever.

then go to lowed or home depot and get a box of snap traps....maybe not a box, but a lot of them, like 30. Put peanut butter on them and start setting them in the attic. Set them two at a time, side by side, and set them along every wall you can get easy access to.

They run along walls, not out in the open, and when they encounter a new trap, they will sometimes jump it or go around if they don't seat the peanut butter....thats why I put two side by side. They can jump the first one, but will land on the second one.

You will be able to see what they did based on how they are caught.

I always set out a **** load of them, because they will learn how they work and the more you can kill at once, early on, the better.

If they are in the attic long enough , they will burrow into the insulation (like the above poster stated) and run that maze instead of the walls. I thought I had squirrels running on the roof, but alas, I had a family of rats (mom,dad, 3 babies) in the attic.
Pest control set traps and they were gone in two days.
Entry spot--AC line into the soffit had a 1/2" gap.

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In regards to that point, if you find a spot that they are going in and out of, you may see that it is dark or black from the oils on their coat as they go in and out. Look for that.

we had a loose soffit board and squirrels entered through it...decided to "bump and grind" right above our son's bedroom and 12 yo boys just have to mention that at breakfast!!!!

a live trap with peanut butter and pecans caught us several squirrels and a couple of skunks that hubby would take to the country and release.

a few months later while doing remodel work in our bathroom a friendly squirrel looked over the open wall and gave his approval and chattered a bit then left

hubby decided, after my encouraging words, that he needed to find the port of entry and eliminate it...he did and we have no had anymore squirrel visitors!