Noise from the attic.

[graciegirl]

Early this morning, about five, I was about half asleep and heard a bonking noise in the attic. Not a scuffling but as if a large box was picked up and moved and set down again...two or three times in succession.

Now I have some major hearing issues so to hear anything means the noise was significant. Sweetie was sleeping peacefully and I hated to wake him.

Than later, about 7:30, All three of us were awake and watching Television in the Master bedroom and the sound came again. Helene got up and stuck her head out the Lanai door looking for something and Henry turned down the TV. I said, "Was that Thunder?" He said "no". We all listened again.We heard it three more times. When I had heard it earlier I thought maybe one of the cats had been closed in the closet, it sounded like a loud rattling of the pocket door.

We mulled over what kind of creature in the attic could be making such a sound. Certainly not a bird or a conventional mouse.

Does anyone have any ideas?

(P.S. I don't believe in ghosts.)

[villages07]

Bats in your Belfry???

I don't recall your landscaping....but, we have queen palms in front and sometimes the fronds will "scrape" the roof in the wind. Are any tree branches touching the roof?

[graciegirl]

Well, 07, bats in my belfry,that I am sure of. :mornincoffee:But Sweetie and Helene are pretty well adjusted and stable. We have NO large trees close to the house.

[sandybill2]

Had friends in the Villages who had Raccoons in their attic---they had pried their way in. They had to hire professional help to trap them and then repair their entryway. Think there were others in their neighborhood who had the same problem. Raccoons sound pretty scary to me now after reading about their attack on a lady here in Florida. Please be careful.

[BarryB]

Happy Halloween

[homeball]

I don't think rats are the issue unless they're on steroids.

-Dave-

[Julie]

Had friends in the Villages who had Raccoons in their attic---they had pried their way in. They had to hire professional help to trap them and then repair their entryway. Think there were others in their neighborhood who had the same problem. Raccoons sound pretty scary to me now after reading about their attack on a lady here in Florida. Please be careful.

Yes, raccoons get my vote as well. Do you have any way of safely accessing your attic to confirm what may be up there? Have you looked around your house for possible evidence of something entering your attic?

Such a mystery, make sure to let us know what you find up there.

[PR1234]

Julia:22yikes::22yikes::22yikes:

[Bettiboop]

Other than a "critter" of some sort, the other thing that comes to my mind when you describe the noise is something to do with the water pipes. The reason I say that is...once I lived in a house where noises like this started occuring, and it was finally traced to the water lines. (loud thumps, short bursts of vibratory sounds similar to a jack hammer, etc.) I think they called it "water hammer" or something like that. It just happened occasionally. Was especially unnerving when it happened in middle of night! Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. :D

Keep us posted! :mornincoffee:

[KathieI]

Julia:22yikes::22yikes::22yikes:

I wouldn't be surprised because Donna's in town and Julia is searching for her :22yikes:

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago, GG, I heard someone walking on my roof in the middle of the night. First I thought, EARTHQUAKE!!.... then I realized I'm in Central FL now, so that's not an issue. But I have seen some evidence of possum poop around my house and I wouldn't be surprised is they can access the rooftops....

I like the Julia story better though as I could use some company sometimes.... better than nothing!

[Julie]

GG, I remembered a story from the news which occurred a year or so ago regarding some people hearing noises in their attic. When they went to investigate they found a man living in their attic wearing their clothes. :shocked:

Let's just hope he hasn't relocated to TV. :D

Here's a link to an online article about the incident: http://www.wjactv.com/news/18374571/detail.html

[SteveFromNY]

I don't think rats are the issue unless they're on steroids.

-Dave-

If you look into it, there are 2 kinds of rats in the US, the Norwegian rat, which is the predominant one. It's fat and typically lives in sewers and eats garbage and and is your stereotypical rat. There is another breed, which lives in the southern parts of the country near the coasts. They are all thru FLorida. One of its names is Roof Rat. They are slight built, and basically have the eating and nesting habits of squirrels. They also have the agility of a squirrell.
If I were you Gracie, and you suspect something is in your attic, I'd get a pro in to see if anything is there.

[graciegirl]

I just talked on the phone with a very helpful man who coincidentally lives in the same model we do, The Gardenia. He told us the point of entry for his visitor.

He said that he too had heard similar noises especially in the early morning hours and it was an opossum. I turned the phone over to Sweetie then, just as he was telling me that he used strobe lights and a boom box to send this creature packing.

I am going to look up the habits of the opossum and the roof rat. Yikes.

[bestmickey]

GG, I remembered a story from the news which occurred a year or so ago regarding some people hearing noises in their attic. When they went to investigate they found a man living in their attic wearing their clothes. :shocked:

Let's just hope he hasn't relocated to TV. :D

Here's a link to an online article about the incident: http://www.wjactv.com/news/18374571/detail.html


This kid is way too young for The Villages. :laugh: Gracie, if it is a man in your attic and he's single, let KathieI know so he can join the singles crew. :girlneener:

[Julie]

I just talked on the phone with a very helpful man who coincidentally lives in the same model we do, The Gardenia. He told us the point of entry for his visitor.

He said that he too had heard similar noises especially in the early morning hours and it was an opossum. I turned the phone over to Sweetie then, just as he was telling me that he used strobe lights and a boom box to send this creature packing.

I am going to look up the habits of the opossum and the roof rat. Yikes.

Looks like Kathie wins the prize! :eclipsee_gold_cup:

http://www.krittercards.com/images/opossum1.jpg

[joannej]

My elderly mother-in-law had a squirrel in her attic. He built a huge nest, which my husband was able to get rid of (after the squirrel left). Looked like the squirrel used some things in the attic to build it's nest too! I would hire a professional to look into the matter!

[graciegirl]

Joanne. That is a good idea indeed.

Everyone read this! Then tell me of a good pest removal person!
http://www.wildlife.pro/attic-possum.html

[swrinfla]

GG:

All these guys are being helpful to you, and I'd get someone in to look, too.

But, I couldn't resist telling you and everyone else that, had the noises been in my Gardenia, I'd have definitely blamed them on my New Kitten. At nearly nine months, she's into absolutely everything and is finding new and innovative ways to destroy herself and Her Master even as I write! And she loves to "rattle the cage" in the wee dark hours!

SWR
:beer3:

[islandgal]

GG -

Do you have Massey Pest Control? If so, you might give them a call.
They came to my rescue when my bird feeder was attracting rats. :22yikes::22yikes::22yikes:

[KathieI]

This kid is way too young for The Villages. :laugh: Gracie, if it is a man in your attic and he's single, let KathieI know so he can join the singles crew. :girlneener:

Mickey, LMAO!! Am I getting a reputation here?? Yes, the younger the better... coool.. :1rotfl:

Looks like Kathie wins the prize! :eclipsee_gold_cup:

http://www.krittercards.com/images/opossum1.jpg

Julie, there is no animal I hate more than possums... They were all over LA that's why I recognized the poop...LOL...... EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

[graciegirl]

Thank you one and all. Very good suggestion indeed Islandgal. We will certainly do it first thing in the morning.

I do want to say that we have walked the perimeter of the house which is white and nothing LOOKED disturbed under the eaves. We are VERY careful not to leave anything in the garage that could attract bugs or critters. We also have all staples, flour, sugar and cereal in plastic containers, and I am a decent housekeeper.

But...we did bring a birdfeeder with us and set it up on Saturday...however the folks next door have a LOT of them.

Did the rats get in your attic, Island?

[graciegirl]

Mickey, LMAO!! Am I getting a reputation here?? Yes, the younger the better... coool.. :1rotfl:



Julie, there is no animal I hate more than possums... They were all over LA that's why I recognized the poop...LOL...... EWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

Boy Howdy! We have two threads goin' on here. One about Cougars and one about Possums!!

ANd Kathie...WHERE did you find the Possum poop? And Kathie...I am JUST KIDDIN' you a little!

[islandgal]

Thank you one and all. Very good suggestion indeed Islandgal. We will certainly do it first thing in the morning.

I do want to say that we have walked the perimeter of the house which is white and nothing LOOKED disturbed under the eaves. We are VERY careful not to leave anything in the garage that could attract bugs or critters. We also have all staples, flour, sugar and cereal in plastic containers, and I am a decent housekeeper.

But...we did bring a birdfeeder with us and set it up on Saturday...however the folks next door have a LOT of them.

Did the rats get in your attic, Island?

GG -
No - they were just near the bird feeder at the back of the my courtyard - Massey placed a discreet enclosed trap near the feeder and they disappeared in about 6 weeks. Still have the bird feeder and no problems since that time. Fortunately I only saw one at a distance and immediately called Massey.
Will be anxious to know if your problem is solved.

[Ohiogirl]

I vote for either of the two possibilities mentioned before - racoons or waterpipes. If you've been gone and your water has been turned off, maybe there are air bubbles, or whatever sometimes makes those noises? Any plumbers in the audience? Usually, though, I only hear them after I have been using the sink or something. Doesn't sound like you were doing that.

Also, I used to live in an older condo, and my next door neighbors (on both sides) had racoons in their attics. Don't know how I got so lucky as to avoid it.

I heard the racoon once when I was visiting. Sounded exactly like your dog, scratching behind his ear (thumping his (elbow? knee?) on the ceiling. What do you call that joint on an animal?

Personally, I'd almost be afraid to check via the attic stairs. Might have a heart attack, fall off the stairs, and it would be all over. Seems like you should be able to see some outside evidence with a careful look.

Last December, my girlfriend and I were in my villa for a short visit, had left front and garage door open while unloading the car, and while we were at the table eating dinner, saw a mouse run from the MBR to the lanai door (which was closed) and back into the bedroom. That was bad enough. Ended well enough (for us, not for the mouse), but eek!

[otherbruddaDarrell]

Make sure you don't put a boom box and strobe lights up there to scare them away.
You might end up with the teenagers from the square!
OOPs....thats the other thread

[pcri2009]

We have the same noise. Found out it was the palm tree frons thumping on the roof. But it does sound as if someone is dropping a box in the attic. we only hear it when there is a wind.

[Talk Host]

For nearly a year after we moved into our new house, we heard thumping in the attic. It was most distressing. Finally, I happened to be in the back of the house one day and the breeze was blowing. I looked up at the roof and I saw one of the metal caps on the attic vents dancing in the wind. When it got done dancing, it "thumped" back down.

I called the Villages warranty office which dispatched the roof vent crew and they found that of the four screws that were suppose to hold this cap in place, there was only one. They screwed it and the no more thumping.:D

Dancing with the vent~~~:1rotfl:

[Bettiboop]

Make sure you don't put a boom box and strobe lights up there to scare them away.
You might end up with the teenagers from the square!
OOPs....thats the other thread

LMAO...:1rotfl:

[graciegirl]

For nearly a year after we moved into our new house, we heard thumping in the attic. It was most distressing. Finally, I happened to be in the back of the house one day and the breeze was blowing. I looked up at the roof and I saw one of the metal caps on the attic vents dancing in the wind. When it got done dancing, it "thumped" back down.

I called the Villages warranty office which dispatched the roof vent crew and they found that of the four screws that were suppose to hold this cap in place, there was only one. They screwed it and the no more thumping.:D

Dancing with the vent~~~:1rotfl:

Well now, Boy Howdy...I am at a loss for words.:024:

[GatbTester]

Just might be squirrels that have gotten into your attic.

[Tweety Bird]

When you live in Fl,we do have rats which are good at climbing up and over things to get in your attic?????? Mary

Is there gun control? :shrug:

[graciegirl]

Hadley is a little over a year old and I have just begun to see geckos,no frogs, only Mourning doves in the bird department. Someone reported seeing a snake down the street.The wildlife is just not completly back yet. Never have seen a squirrel around here.

I thought I would make Sweetie climb up to the attic and take an open can of cat food,sprinkle some flour on the floor around it to see if it picks up any tracks, close the trap door and check tomorrow and see what we have. He can take a picture of the tracks, if any.

Then we will have some information for Massey.

Poor Sweetie. He'll do it if I ask.

He said he thought that it sounded like it was inside metal, and he has a theory that it is in the venting somehow, since there is an opening at the vent chimney, we can't see if it is screened there. I can't argue with him because we left so early Friday I left behind my good hearers, and brought my not so hot hearing aids. So if you run into me, shout. We will go back for the holidays so I should be up and running in January. For now, I just keep asking everyone to repeat stuff. But I did hear the thumps!!!

[KathieI]

Hadley is a little over a year old and I have just begun to see geckos,no frogs, only Mourning doves in the bird department. Someone reported seeing a snake down the street.The wildlife is just not completly back yet. Never have seen a squirrel around here.

GG, this is because you live in 'UPPER HADLEY'... LOL. We have tons of geckos and frogs down here in Lower Hadley and snakes too. But your right about no squirrels. I wish we had them, my Lucy would be soooo happy...

[MelZ]

GG, this is because you live in 'UPPER HADLEY'... LOL. We have tons of geckos and frogs down here in Lower Hadley and snakes too. But your right about no squirrels. I wish we had them, my Lucy would be soooo happy...


sorry to steal the thread but i need to know which is the better side of the tracks........Upper Hadley or Lower Hadley?

Gracie:

If you think it's an animal put a havaheart trap in the attic baited with peanut butter.

[otherbruddaDarrell]

Hi Gracie:D
I have too many tree rats up here in rio-Grande!
The tree in the cyv behind me has a den with some young ones that are just driving Angel and Bambi nuts!
Had one drop in to our courtyard a few days ago and they almost got it.
Now the dogs just whine and whine and leave nose prints on the sliders because they want to hunt for em.
The squirrels now just come over to tease and torment the dogs:1rotfl:

[champion6]

I thought I would make Sweetie climb up to the attic and take an open can of cat food,sprinkle some flour on the floor around it to see if it picks up any tracks, close the trap door and check tomorrow and see what we have. He can take a picture of the tracks, if any.

Then we will have some information for Massey.

Poor Sweetie. He'll do it if I ask.

He said he thought that it sounded like it was inside metal, and he has a theory that it is in the venting somehow, since there is an opening at the vent chimney, we can't see if it is screened there.GG, what's the latest on the noise from the attic?

[graciegirl]

Well. We put a plate close to the attic stairs with some cheese, peanut butter, some cat food and a piece of lunch meat and sprinkled flour all around it. It has been there for several days and no action.

I think that Village 07 is right, I must have bats in my belfry.

[Talk Host]

Well. We put a plate close to the attic stairs with some cheese, peanut butter, some cat food and a piece of lunch meat and sprinkled flour all around it. It has been there for several days and no action.

I think that Village 07 is right, I must have bats in my belfry.

Did you check the air vent covers???? I'm serious about our situation with thumping. That was the problem.

JLK

[Julie]

Well. We put a plate close to the attic stairs with some cheese, peanut butter, some cat food and a piece of lunch meat and sprinkled flour all around it. It has been there for several days and no action.

I think that Village 07 is right, I must have bats in my belfry.

Cheese, peanut butter and lunchmeat? All I need to do is bring my own crackers and a cat. Oh, and I'll also remember to bring a little hand vac (wouldn't want to leave any evidence...).

I'm sorry GG, I just couldn't resist. :jester:

[islandgal]

GG -

Did you call Massey?

[graciegirl]

GG -

Did you call Massey?

I wonder now if the thumps and noise I heard was the bombing in the Ocala Forest by the Navy................

[bestmickey]

Perhaps it was KathieI and "the gang". Maybe they were practicing indoor dancing, to avoid the curfew. :girlneener: :popcorn:

[uujudy]

GracieGirl, we heard some crashing from the attic area (except there is no attic over that part of the house), and it turned out to be the sandhill cranes on the roof. Maybe the cranes landed on your house? :shrug:

[tony]

Is your roof made out of sand?

[uujudy]

Hahahaha! :1rotfl:
It must look like it from a crane's viewpoint.

[Larryandlinda]

Early this morning, about five, I was about half asleep and heard a bonking noise in the attic. Not a scuffling but as if a large box was picked up and moved and set down again...two or three times in succession.

Now I have some major hearing issues so to hear anything means the noise was significant. Sweetie was sleeping peacefully and I hated to wake him.

Than later, about 7:30, All three of us were awake and watching Television in the Master bedroom and the sound came again. Helene got up and stuck her head out the Lanai door looking for something and Henry turned down the TV. I said, "Was that Thunder?" He said "no". We all listened again.We heard it three more times. When I had heard it earlier I thought maybe one of the cats had been closed in the closet, it sounded like a loud rattling of the pocket door.

We mulled over what kind of creature in the attic could be making such a sound. Certainly not a bird or a conventional mouse.

Does anyone have any ideas?

(P.S. I don't believe in ghosts.)
Since 'nachtmusik' is now pending a ban....
was it a
Rock Band Bass Drum doing morning sound checks at Havana?
L&L

[Frangyomory]

We lived in Woodbridge, VA near the water treatment plant and I heard noise like furniture was being moved in the attic. Sorry to say it was RATS and I had to get exterminators out. It was a mess. Thank God we were renting and we could move away. Don't know what the landlord did, but I am guessing he rented it again and the tenants had the same problem we had. Yes, it does sound LOUD and you are not imagining it.

[Talk Host]

We lived in Woodbridge, VA near the water treatment plant and I heard noise like furniture was being moved in the attic. Sorry to say it was RATS and I had to get exterminators out. It was a mess. Thank God we were renting and we could move away. Don't know what the landlord did, but I am guessing he rented it again and the tenants had the same problem we had. Yes, it does sound LOUD and you are not imagining it.

Rat furniture????? Did you actually see this furniture? It must be really small, unless they were giant rats. I always thought they lived in nests.
Oh, maybe it was RATTAN furniture.

[graciegirl]

Well, I am convinced it is no living creature, because all of the diverse "goodies" we put up there to entice them to leave their little footprints in the flour did not bring any takers.

I have never believed in ghosts so it has to be the air vent or the cranes or the bombing.

I am not an old fogy so no one would be doing sound checks on me.:loco:

[SUNNYMARYANN]

squirrels?

[lifeistogood]

Just had an inspection done of the house I am going to buy in The Villages. Lucky I had a contractor who was willing to crawl the length of the attic to inspect. To our surprise he said there were several nest where racoons were living in the attic. After talking to the other neighbors there is an on-going problem in the neighborhood with critters. It will have to be resolved before I sign on dotted line! Might want to check yours as they go through the vents on top and you have to seal off with 1/4 inch galvanized wire under and over. Good luck on noise.

[graciegirl]

Just had an inspection done of the house I am going to buy in The Villages. Lucky I had a contractor who was willing to crawl the length of the attic to inspect. To our surprise he said there were several nest where racoons were living in the attic. After talking to the other neighbors there is an on-going problem in the neighborhood with critters. It will have to be resolved before I sign on dotted line! Might want to check yours as they go through the vents on top and you have to seal off with 1/4 inch galvanized wire under and over. Good luck on noise.

Hi there new person. Where is this house? This is a very old thread as I started it SEVERAL YEARS AGO. It did turn out to be sandhill cranes. They are indeed BIG BIRDS.

Anyway...new person. Tell us at least whether this village was north of 441/27 or north of 466...or just where. When you sound an alarm, we seniors want to know where the problem is.

[goodgrief]

My immediate thought was racoon as well..sounds like something larger than your garden variety palm rat. But there are those huge fox squirrels down here that are runnign around the new areas..those things are pretty big. I would call someone in to check it out unless you guys are brave enough and armed enough to investigate thyself.

Good luck...let us know what you got....

[pooh]

Hi there new person. Where is this house? This is a very old thread as I started it SEVERAL YEARS AGO. It did turn out to be sandhill cranes. They are indeed BIG BIRDS.

Anyway...new person. Tell us at least whether this village was north of 441/27 or north of 466...or just where. When you sound an alarm, we seniors want to know where the problem is.
I can imagine those huge birds coming in for a landing with a loud bang on your roof. There's a house at the end of our street that seemed to be a viewing area for the cranes, they would sit up there, view the pond/water/marshland behind that particular house, and before leaving, would evacuate their bowels leaving large white streaks on the roof.

Heck, when the squirrels land on my roof from the palm trees, they are far from quiet. I recognize that birds aren't particularly heavy creatures, but they are indeed large and weigh more than Buckey (I've named the beast...:D)

[tommy steam]

I just talked on the phone with a very helpful man who coincidentally lives in the same model we do, The Gardenia. He told us the point of entry for his visitor.

He said that he too had heard similar noises especially in the early morning hours and it was an opossum. I turned the phone over to Sweetie then, just as he was telling me that he used strobe lights and a boom box to send this creature packing.

I am going to look up the habits of the opossum and the roof rat. Yikes.

Where did the critter enter his attic? Was thinking about getting the same model home.:yuck:

[graciegirl]

Where did the critter enter his attic? Was thinking about getting the same model home.:yuck:


Maybe some folks have had racoons but it wasn't us. This thread is three years old and just regenerated by a new poster; lifeistogood..who needs to come back and tell us what village is crittery.

[Gunner46]

I heard the same noise a year or so ago. I thought Santa and his reindeer were landing on my roof. Here it was about fifty or more white Ibise birds landing on my roof. The flew off the roof into my yard. I couldn't believe they could make so much noise.

[jnieman]

We also experience rattling of our pocket doors when someone opens the front door or door to the garage. The suction seems to make it happen. Hope you figure it out.

[Joaniesmom]

Personally I think it's frogs.

[KayakerNC]

Noise?
What noise? I don't want to hear no stinkin' noise!

http://hansenastro.com/lalalala.gif

[Bogie Shooter]

I guess this noise thing will be rehashed again with another 60 posts.............

[uujudy]

I guess this noise thing will be rehashed again with another 60 posts.............

Hmm. Sounds like a challenge to me! :girlneener:

[BarryRX]

Linda Blair?