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

Bigger houses have more places to hide a problem. A loft conversion, a half-used roof space, a cupboard under the eaves and a double garage all sit beyond the rooms you use every day. Often the first sign is a bedroom ceiling that scratches at night, or a few droppings in a built-in wardrobe.

Four Likely Suspects

Mice

Small, quick and quiet. Light scratching at night, rice-grain droppings along edges and tiny gnaw marks on packaging. They can get through gaps of around 5mm, so tiny entry points do not rule them out.

Rats

Heavier, with larger blunt droppings, gnawing on timber or pipework and sometimes greasy rub marks along regular routes. A rat in a loft usually arrived by some other route first, such as a drain, a wall cavity or a climb up a pipe.

Squirrels

Mostly daytime noise, with bounding and rolling sounds. They are the main suspect when something is making a racket at 10 in the morning. Droppings are less often noticed than the damage, which can include chewed insulation, wiring and timber.

Birds

Short scrabbling in the eaves at first light, nest material falling down and droppings on window sills or the wall beneath a gap. It is a different job from rodents and needs a different approach.

What You Should and Should Not Do

• Do take photographs of droppings, damage and any visible entry points
• Do keep a note of the times of night or day when you hear it
• Do not push insulation or foam into holes to see if it moves, because that can trap an animal inside
• Do not put out poison in a roof space before knowing what is up there

Booking a Look

A pest inspection in Great Shelford is a fixed £120, with no call-out fee. We go into the roof space and eaves, check extensions and garages, identify what is responsible and report in writing. If you need proofing afterwards, rat and mouse proofing is priced at £180 for up to an hour, and we confirm it first. More on the inspection service is on its main page.

Extensions, Garages and Roof Conversions in Great Shelford

Larger Great Shelford houses have often been extended over time, and the joins between old and new building work are a regular route for small animals. A new kitchen extension, a converted loft and a detached garage all create voids, and nobody tends to check them. If your noise is heard in a bedroom and the droppings are in a garage, those two facts together tell us a lot about the likely path.

Call 01223 902388 or WhatsApp us a photo of what you have found, and we will advise on the next sensible step.