Animal living in the ceiling

The last couple of mornings I’ve been hearing what I’m pretty sure is some sort of animal in the crawl space between the ceiling and the roof. It’s not a bird because I hear four feet and it runs back and forth. I want to cut open a part of the ceiling to see where it’s nesting but more importantly I want to find out where the entry point is. Any tips on how to find the entry point without tearing up the entire ceiling?

7andfive

in About Brooklyn 11 years and 10 months ago

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bedstuybrownstone | 11 years and 10 months ago

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I had the same thing happen. I am assuming my unwanted pet got in through the chimney (maybe?) what I did is put an ammonia-soaked rag inside the crawl space ( I read that critters hate the smell and it stings their eyes) and the animal left very shortly afterwards. I never did cover the opening and it never came back

snowman2 | 11 years and 10 months ago

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nikkidoglover is a shill for ezbz

brokelin | 11 years and 10 months ago

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If you can hear 4 feet, it isn’t a mouse, and likely not even a small rat. Probably a larger animal, squirrel or raccoon. I tend to be a do it yourselfer for many things, but for catching this animal, I’d call the pest control folks, so they can control what damage it does if it gets into the house while trying to catch it, likely better than I could. Then you can decide what to do about the repairs to keep them out, after getting some suggestions from them about how entry was achieved.

dylan621 | 11 years and 10 months ago

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We had a bird get in through a hole between the cornice and the facade and I was afraid that if he couldn’t find his way out he would die in there which aside from being bad for the bird might cause an unpleasant odor after a while and/or attract bugs. So we had a pest control guy come in make some holes in the walls and rescued the bird. It’s not that big a deal to patch up holes in a drywall ceiling so I would try to get the thing out of there before it causes real trouble.

7andfive | 11 years and 10 months ago

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I would be content with it staying there but I just renovated the space. And we replaced a support beam that had been chewed through by some sort of animal. My contractor said he sealed the holes but apparently the thing found it’s way back. I just don’t want a support beam destroyed by this thing.

windsorknot | 11 years and 10 months ago

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I too hear this. Usually in the winder months. I think its a mouse, so I’m content to let it come in and get warm rather than rip open my ceiling. Unless you are physically able to gain access to the space, I can’t think of a way you would be able to determine how it’s getting in. Could it be fining a way in at ground level and climbing it’s way up through your walls? Maybe one of our resident exterminators can offer some insight.