something in my wall

I am sitting at the computer this morning on my favorite DIY site when I hear something in my wall next to me.
I live in TX and it has been cold the last few days and the wall is a outside wall. It sounds like a mouse scratching or something on the inside drywall. I want to get it before it chews a hole in my drywall.
My plan is to drill a small hole and squirt something into it what else can I do?
Or should I leave it cause if I kill it it might smell later on?

 

If it is mice keep in mind that their gestation period is three weeks the female can get pregnant right after giving birth and the age of sexual maturity is about six weeks.
Leaving it may not be an option.

If you are reletively certain that it is a mouse I would be inclined to poison it if I could not fnd an entry point or if trapping was not an option.

The stench is directly related to the amount of moisture in the body. I have found that mice do not tend to stink too badly.

I did a vet office once with a mouse population so bad that they were running through the ceilings and dropping down to eat the expensive dog food.
Against my better judgement and protest I was ordered to bait the ceilings

I was very surprised that dispite the advanced infestation there were almost no odor problems.

 

I think you gave me an idea. I see a wall outlet close to were I heard the noise, I am going to remove the cover and put some bait down the hole. I assume it is a mouse I have seen some in the gararge last year.
I do not hear it anymore so maybe he moved on or found a way out into the cold.
Thanks for the tip.

 

check around the roof or overhangs of the house for openings. It is probably a squirrel. Actually hearing a mouse is rare unless it is under some type of distress.

 

I will check soon it might be a squirrel we have lots around here the noise is gone now maybe the critter moved on.
To darn cold and wet to go outside today.

 

The rule of thumb down here at least is
If you hear it at night it's a rat/mouse
If you hear it in the day it's a squirrel.

I would rather have a hundred rats than one squirrel.
Squirrels are intentionally destructive and cause much damage especially to duct systems.

I have been told that the west area has bad mouse problem

Baiting should be a last option even for mice

Seal all holes larger than a dime and trap the attic with glue boards and peanut butter or Slim Jims, some guys are also very fond of Gummy Bears.

If you believe them to be coming from out side bait the outside using pet and kid proof bait boxes or put the bait in areas that are inexcessable to domestic pets and kids under 6

 

I hear it early in the morning and when I get home from work nothing,I just banged on the wall and do not hear anything. This morning I heard it again this time louder like a squirrel, I had to go to work in 5 min so I quickley removed the switch plate and shot some carpenter ant killer down the hole, Maybe it will get sick of the smell.

 

I actually tried that last week with a rat behind my shower wall
It worked for about a week or so, actually it worked longer than that I drove him out to an area that I could more easily trap him.

Years ago I had a mouse run under a safe in a hotel room.
I gave it a blast of a pyrethrin product called 3-6-10 and killed it

 

Here I sit again 3:30am in the morning like every morning drinking my coffee and checking stuff on the computer and the critter is still in the wall.
I am going to have to bring out some more potent stuff if I want to run it off or kill it without tearing a hole in the wall.
Funny thing is it is only active in the early morning. I tapped on the wall with the back of my mag light and it still seems solid. Maybe he is chewing under the baseboard trim. I hope there is not a nest in the wall that will cause more problems.
Was thinking maybe some acetone from work might do the trick.

 

Hi,

I am new to this site, but I see that there is a veteran on here that might know a whole lot more than me. I have been dealing with mice for the last several weeks. I have caught about 19 of them so far, but its like I cant keep up with them. It has though slowed down quite a bit, but I just caught a baby one tonight.
The question I have is that I hear them in the walls here and there and I am wondering what it is that they are doing in the walls...what is the scratching? Are they trying to get out? Are they scratching to break off the dry wall and eat it? Are they confused...what is the scratching?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks!!

 

I bought some Decon pellets removed the switch plate and poured the pellets down the inside of the wall took about two days but all is quiet so far.

 

The scratching is them just sitting down to dinner or sharpening their wood working tools.