Scratching noise from behind plasterboard wall.

[Tominator]

Hi All

I live in a fairly new house (about 11 years old). Over the last few weeks I have begun to hear a strange noise in the bedroom. Initially I had thought that it was something mechanical, like a watch going past the hour, however it has now become much more frequent.

The noise occurs both day and night but far more at night. I have traced it to behind plasterboard wall above the window.

The noise itself sounds like a very regular scratching noise, normally in groups of 4 scratches but sometimes more. Bizarrely, it seems that if I scratch the wall it the same manner the noise seems to be made in reply!!!

I would appreciate any suggestions as to what this could be and how to treat it as its beginning to drive me mad!!!!!

Many thanks!!!!!

[Beekeeper]

Hi Tominator,
Firstly welcome to WAB and now regarding your problem, the construction of a plaster board wall consists of usually a 4x2 timber running the full length of the wall at top and bottom, with other vertical timbers spaced evenly along the length of the wall, so in effect the space between each timber is fully enclosed with no access whatsovever once the plaster board is nailed or screwed to it, also the walls are generally full of insulation as sound proofing, particularly where bathrooms are concerned.

As it is a fairly new house i would doubt rats or even mice, not that even a rat could manage to chew its way through the timbers to gain access so i am guessing something else.

I would suggest it is probably central heating pipes moving around due to expansion when hot and then contracting when cold, have you recently turned the central heating on and did the noise start after that?

It is suprising the range of noises which can be made by pipes, the other suggestion is that due to pipes heating up it could be slight movement in the floor directly above, even wood moves when subjected to heat or cold.

Ian

[shenk1]

When we moved in 7 years ago this was a brand new house and almost from day one we used to hear tiny little footsteps above us in the living room.Shortly after the same noises could be heard from the loft and you could hear it going from one end to the other.We found mice droppings up there so we knew what it was. What made it funnier was the fact it is a 3 storey house so it had one hell of a climb up via, we asumed, pipes and cables.It was lovely to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet and it only stopped when our neighbour had a conservatory built and they found a nest and a little hole in the brickwork behind a canopy that the mouse had been using.We still have a resident mouse but it now lives in the garage.
P.S. We get lots of ticking pipes due to expansion with heat where plaster dots have been put over pipes.

[loripo]

There was a similar thread a couple of months ago, and that sound turned out to be a cricket!

[Tominator]

Hi everyone,

Many thanks for your replies.

After a sleepless night due to the mystery noise I am not convinced that its an insect of some sort rather than pipes etc. Strange as it sounds I literally had a dialogue with it last night. I hadn't heard the sound so scratched the wall 4 times in quick succession and it immediately replied with 6! I was able to provoke this response repeatedly.

The noise continued to be made throughout the night but to me lying in bed it seemed to move around. I'm sure its not a mouse etc because the sound is so uniform.

Could this be some kind of territorial behaviour from an insect?

Many thanks.

[loripo]

Does it sound anything like this?
YouTube - Cricket Sound

Although I wouldn't describe this as scratching really...

[Acutipuerilis]

This is interesting. I remember having a very similar thing when I was young, with sets of a few scratches that would be repeated, and being able to hold a "conversation" with them. I found they could move around very quickly, without hearing any scrabbling from one scratch site to the next, which made me rule out mice. I know what they sound like, and they wear boots!

The best I could come up with was a small bird. With many birds you can engage in repeated "conversations" even by mimicking the call (as long as it can't see you), and the scratches could be made by either claws or beak. I reckon there's a hole from the loft space going down into the walls.

On the other hand, my other half suggests a brownie, and to leave a bowl of milk out for it. It might do the washing up, if you're lucky.

Joe

[Tominator]

The bird theory could be correct as the sound does seem to move about very quickly without me actually hearing it change location.

I've got a feeling now that maybe it isn't in the wall and that its in the loft. I might have to brave adventuring up there but I've been avoiding it because I'm not great with bugs!!!!

I've tried to record the noise but my mic won't pick it up. The best way to describe it is if you were to use your nail and make four short sharp scratches in the space of about 2 seconds.

My only other guess was cockroaches?

[Teal]

Hi Tominator,
Your description, especially the 'reply' to you scratching the wall sounds very much like the mating response of some insects, notably the death watch beetle. I remember doing the same thing as a child in Ely Cathedral which at the time was infested with the little blighters.

Did a quick Wiki on death watch beetle which quotes "To attract mates, these woodborers create a tapping or ticking sound that can be heard in old building rafters during quiet summer nights. They are therefore associated with quiet, sleepless nights ..........." The summer of course might be due to central heating these days.

I believe there are other insects which behave in the same way.

[Gelfling]

I'm having the same problem and after listening to the sounds of the death watch beetle I'm pretty sure that they are to blame.