Help! Strange noises in the ceiling/wall are driving me mad

[annie3465]

Hi
I hope someone can help. For the last few days I have had strange noises coming from the wall possible the ceiling. They are not very loud. The only way I can describe them is it sounds gentle rain on glass/small mouse running. The noise is more noticable at night, but I think it is going on all the time. When I bang the wall the noise doesn't stop, so I think it might not be mice/rats/birds, but I'm not sure.

There is no evidence of birds/wasps/bees or water etc from the outside of my house. I have been in the loft and can see nothing and I can't hear anything either. I'm getting worried that I might have death watch beetle or some other type of infestation. Also I can't see any water pipes in that area of the loft.

My house was built about 1995 and is a standard/normal semi. I have been told that the house would have had cavity wall insulation put in as standard when it was bulit, so not sure if I have any cavities in the wall.

I would be grateful for any ideas of what it could be, as I feel like I am going mad.

 

[JohnD]

Sounds like mice to me

start by buying a large pack of mouse poison. the Rentokil stuff comes in a plastic bottle like washing up liquid (the small packs work out much more expensive)

Find or buy some small dishes (I use red plastic flower-pot saucers in the smallest possible size)

place them next to the wall in your kitchen, and near the front and back doors, and especially under the kitchen units. You need lots, at intervals of no more than 6 ft, as mice run along, nibble, run along a bit further, then nibble somewhere else. Fill them all up to the same level so you will know if any gets eaten. Check them daily and top up any that are started. When they stop going down, your mice are dead. Leav the bait under the kitchen units and at teh back of cupboards ready for the next attack.

Empty out all your kitchen cupboards. Examine carefully all packs of dry goods like cornflakes and flour. You will have to throw away any that have been attacked as they will be soiled. Put the new stuff in biscuit tins or similar.

Look for a point of entry - very often a hole in the wall e.g. round a pipe, might be a broken airbrick, a badly fitting door. in my house they get into the garage when the door is open, then climb up the plumbing duct into the house. If you don't block the point of entry you will never be free of them; they have no bladder and constantly dribble urine so a mouse can always follow the trail.

If you have hampsters, guinea pigs etc, keep them penned up until the infestation is gone.