Unexplained Droppings or Noises in Ely: Which Pest Could Be Responsible?

Terraced and semi-detached houses are common across Ely, from the older streets near the cathedral to Victorian rows nearer the river. They share walls and often share a roof void, so a sound can come from a property you have never been inside. The hard part is rarely hearing the problem. It is working out where it starts.

Is It Yours or Next Door's?

A few simple observations help.

• Is the noise strongest on one side of the house, especially the party wall?
• Do you have droppings, or just the sound? Droppings in your own rooms mean the animal is in your building at least some of the time
• Does it continue after you have cleared food away, suggesting a nest rather than a visitor?
• Can the neighbours hear it too? A friendly knock on the door often answers more than an afternoon of listening

Droppings in Old Houses

In older properties there are many gaps. Floors have been lifted and relaid, chimney breasts have been capped, pipes have been added over the years and not all gaps around them have been closed. Mice are the usual finding when droppings are small and rice-sized. Larger, blunt-ended ones suggest a rat, and rats near a river or a drain often reach a house by an underground route.

Rule Out the Non-Pest Causes

Old timber ticks, creaks and settles. Old pipes knock. Wind on a loose tile can sound like scratching. These are all real and all common, and they are one reason a proper look is worth more than a guess.

What We Do on the Day

1. Ask what you have heard, when, and where.
2. Check the roof space, the floors and the likely entry points.
3. Look at the evidence, including droppings, gnawing, smears and nesting material.
4. Identify the cause, or tell you plainly that it is not a pest.
5. Give you a written report and, if treatment is needed, a fixed price.

A pest inspection in Ely costs a fixed £120 with no call-out fee. You can read how the price is made up in our inspection cost guide.

Roofs and Chimneys in Older Ely Houses

Many Ely terraces have chimney stacks, party-wall gaps and slate or tiled roofs that have been repaired over generations. A bird nesting in a disused flue can sound very like something scratching in a wall, and a rodent behind a fireplace can look like a bird problem. In an Ely house of that age, the chimney is always on our checklist, along with the loft and the party wall.

If you are not sure whether the problem is yours at all, ring 01223 902388 or WhatsApp us and describe what you hear.