Critter trapped in the walls

[AncientHouse]

Hi there,

Since it's starting to get cold we went around the exterior of the house and spray foamed any holes. On the 2nd floor there was a fair sized hole that we filled. Unfortunately, we must have trapped something inside. Now on the 2nd floor in between the floor and the 1st floor ceiling there is a scratching at night. It's always in the same place (near the linen closet). It's been over a week. I would have thought it was too long for it to be trapped and still live. We have bats in the eaves and outer part of the attic but this noise is different. More of a scratching and much louder that it wakes you from a deep sleep.

Any ideas or has anyone else trapped a critter in. We figure it is probably a squirrel or a mouse because sometimes we'll hear it run but it always ends up at the same place scratching.

[img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[egon]

Chances are when the scratching stops you will have an obnoxious odour permeate one or more rooms!

Egon

[AncientHouse]

That's what I'm afraid of. There is actually an opening on the other side of the attic where the bats get out but it would have to find it's way there. The only other way would be to cut a part of the drywall in my kitchen ceiling but I don't think my husband likes the idea of having to patch it especially because the critter will probably run to another area. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[NSbound]

I had a similar situation and it ended up being squirrels. I called in a critter removal specialist and he re-opened the hole we surmised they were using and installed a "one-way" doorway-gate thing. It was made out of a wire mesh that would allow the squirrel to squeeze out but going in, it would poke him and he wouldn't go in. A few days later we re-sealed the hole and he was gone! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Finally, was able to sleep through without the middle-of-the-night scratching!! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[AncientHouse]

I put spray foam inside the opening. Would I use a drill to make the hole again through the foam or scrap it? I've always put foam in, haven't had to remove it. But I would definitely rather have it leave instead of have it die. It took long enough to get on the roof to seal now having to undo. Darn critters [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[MarineJAG]

Since it's now the cold season... he (it) may not want to leave if you re-open the hole... in fact he may invite his friends!

[egon]

Think I'd open the access hole till the scratching stops.

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[rozett]

We have a 200 year-old house and we have this problem every winter. I'm sure these critters have been coming into the house for many generations. I have caught them a few times. I occasionally catch a mouse, but it's been mostly Eastern Flying Squirrels. I catch them in a wire trap and take them about a mile away and let them go.