7 Signs You Have Animals in Your Attic (and What to Do Next)
By Permian Basin Pest Control · Updated 2026-09-17
Most Texas homeowners find out about attic wildlife the same way: a scratching or thumping sound above the bedroom around dusk or dawn. By then the animal has usually been living there for weeks. Here are the seven signs our wildlife removal technicians look for, and what each one usually means.
1. Scratching, scurrying or thumping
Light, fast scratching at night usually means rats or mice. Heavier thumping and walking at dusk points to a raccoon. Activity at sunrise and sunset with chattering is classic squirrel behavior.
2. Droppings in the attic or on insulation
Rodent droppings are small and pointed; raccoon droppings are dog-like and often piled in one latrine area; bat guano is crumbly and collects below roosting spots. Never sweep droppings dry — raccoon roundworm and histoplasmosis spores become airborne.
3. Stained ceilings or a lingering odor
Urine soaks through insulation and drywall. A strong ammonia smell often means bats or a large rodent population. A rotten smell means something has died — call for dead animal removal.
4. Chewed wires, ductwork or wood
Squirrels and rats must gnaw to keep their teeth short. Chewed wiring is a fire hazard and one of the main reasons attic wildlife is not a "wait and see" problem.
5. Torn soffits, bent vents or holes in fascia
Walk the perimeter and look up. Raccoons rip soffit panels and roof vents; squirrels chew baseball-sized holes in fascia boards; bats need only a 3/8-inch gap.
6. Compressed or tunneled insulation
Trails and tunnels in blown insulation mean rodents. Large flattened areas mean a raccoon den — and in spring, likely babies.
7. Animals on the roof at dusk
If you regularly see a raccoon or squirrel on the roofline, assume it has a way in.
What to do next
Do not seal the hole yourself — trapping an animal (or its babies) inside makes things far worse. Call Permian Basin Pest Control at (833) 659-0727 for humane animal in attic removal. We remove the animals, sanitize the attic, and repair the entry points with materials they cannot chew through.