As I'm sitting here at the computer tonight, I can hear something over my head, and it sounds like it's scratching or chewing on something with great determination.
This is the third night I've heard it. At first I figured it must be a raccoon trying to get in. So I went out tonight with some vinegar to spread around in an effort to deter it. However, immediately after I spread the vinegar around outside, I heard the scratching/chewing again. Then I stood outside, careful to be very quiet. And I could hear the same noise while standing outside the house and it sounded like the noise was coming from inside the house.
I don't think we really have an attic, at least not the kind you can stand up in and store stuff in. I do seem to recall seeing the inspector we had check out the house go up into our bedroom closet, into a small door in the ceiling of our very small closet. So I think we may have a very small space up there and something may be living up there and scratching or chewing on stuff. Or perhaps the noise is coming from inside the wall.
I am guessing my first step is to call some pest control folks to come out and take a look at the house. Is there anything that anyone would recommend that we do first, to investigate it ourselves?
Thanks.

 

Before you go the exterminator route, get a couple of boxes of naptha mothballs and scatter them in the attic space (standing up in the access hole). Squirrels, etc can't stand the smell and will vacate the attic space quickly. Then go on a search mission to locate the hole(s) where they gained access in the first place, and repair the holes.

 

As I stayed up last night, I started hearing the scratching in other parts of the room as well. I think that whatever we have is in our walls.
I'm starting to sense that this could become a nightmare; I'm having images of having to tear our walls open.
Any ideas for dealing with critters in our walls?

 

You do have a nightmare starting. You need to find where they are entering the house. They make special "gates" that you can install around the opening so hey can leave but not return. After they have all left, seal up the opening. I believe a dime sized opening is all they need. The longer they are there, the harder it will be to get rid of them. They can also do a lot of damage inside your walls.