Strange noise from loft..

Diphthong · 2003-12-05T16:14:20+00:00

it sounds as if someone is sprinkling rice for a second or two onto the top ofthe ceiling boards. Happens just for a second or two and then nothing else forhours or more. Is this typical of mice?I have noticed it several times in the small hours recently. One time at about3am there was quite a fluttering sound, like wings going beserk, which lasted awhile but it really wasn't the time to get the step ladder out and wake thewhole household! Sceptical friends have suggest birds perched on the guttercan sound as if they're in the loft, or may have dropped small items that rollthe roof.I can't see anything knawed in the loft, or any droppings.One side of the house is fairly rough natural stone, easily climbed by crittersI'm sure, and at the top there are plenty of gaps which the builders tried toplug with some sort of metal mesh (though not very well) after we complainedabout the starling we once chased out of the place.Obviously I'd like to seal things up good and proper while still allowingventilation. Any suggestions? The smallest mesh I can find is 6mm squares,and another usenet posting suggests some small fiends can still get throughsomething even as fine as that!If I can find a smaller mesh, would that keep out most wee beasties? Isthat yellow-y spray foam stuff suitable for pluggin any other small holes,do rodents feed upon it happily, is it a toxic nightmare to spray it in aconfined space on all fours?The other noise we're getting sounds like something falling down inside thecavity wall... which leads to another question... the top of the cavity wallis open in the loft, so if anything can get into the cavity via the recentconservatory work it can in theory get into the loft. Am I OK to cover thetop of the cavity wall, or does it need to 'breathe'?I just want a quiet loft devoid of all lifeforms from mould upwards in size!HELP!thanks.

Dec 05, 2003 22 Replies

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The Natural Philosopher 22 years ago

So give them freshly slaughtered corpses. And save you them and the mouse all that extra effort.

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The Natural Philosopher 22 years ago

Its the things that do damage that are the pain.

I had some serious mice in the last house...a 3/4 full bag of dried dog food vanished down to a few crumps *overnight*. I THOUHT it was rats, but on setting traps, we caught half a dozen enormous sleek fat mice.

Ive seen then sherd square meters of carpet, destroy car woring looms and underbonnet isnulation making nets in the air filters of laid up cars.

I like animals. I like the butterflies hat winter over. I like the bess that come in. I kill the wasp, and teh mice, because one stings and teh other is a dsease carrioer and dmagaes my stuff.

Rats are attacked on sight, I am afraid, as are pigeons and rabbits. And Muntjac deer too.

They are all utterly destructive and/or carry serious dieases I don't want.

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Dave Liquorice 22 years ago

Some of those don't take carrion...

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