They either migrate away for the winter or sleep torpor like hibernation and are only active during the summer.
Animals in attic during winter.
Once opossums get into an attic they leave a huge mess with their dog sized turds and they also frequently die in attics.
This is a good place to start because most of the time that sound is going to be one of these two critters.
Raccoons usually have young in spring but it varies depending on climate.
If you hear noises during the daytime it is probably a squirrel since they are only active during the day.
The stench has to be smelled to be believed.
Rats and mice can also enter year round but they are far more likely to go into a building for warmth during the cold winter months.
Raccoons can enter your attic through loose shingles and or openings the roof and eaves.
There are several reasons why someone might find squirrels in the attic or in crawl spaces during winter months including mating seasons increased numbers of predators decreased habitat in which to build dens or even just the cold temperatures.
This matters a lot because most animals inside an attic are there to build a nest and raise baby animals.
Raccoons are capable of ripping shingles off and chewing holes in buildings.
Regardless of how new your home is or how clean you keep it animals can still find ways to enter your home in the winter.
Most customers that have fox squirrels or grey squirrels in their attic will hear movement in and out most of the dayas fall nears.
How animal pests get into homes.
The animals that are most likely to be living in your attic are squirrels and raccoons.
Squirrels are diurnal they re active during the day.
Bats are the opposite.
Most often if you have squirrels in your ceiling it s a mother who needs a safe place to give birth and raise her babies.
They chew their way in and then keep chewing once they get in making a lot of damage along the way.
These squirrels are most generally bringing nuts into the attic to store for the long winter.
Squirrels give birth twice a year in late summer and late winter and the babies take only about 8 weeks to be full grown.
By turning on bright lights and a radio you can make your attic an unpleasant environment to encourage raccoons to leave on their own.
I ve seen up to six adult opossums living together in one attic during winter.
These are some of the most common animals that a homeowner is likely to encounter in the home during the winter months.
Common animal entry points.
The two most common kinds of animals that will enter your attic are raccoons and squirrels.
If you hear noises in your attic at night there is probably a raccoon or a flying squirrel there since they are nocturnal.