Weird noises on roof

thebla

Ok so on Sunday morning I was awoken by some very strange, very loud noises on the roof of my house (I sleep on the top floor so my ceiling is the roof, so it was directly above me) I don't know how to describe the noises besides how I have to family: "like a very heavy animal having a seizure without vocalising it" - basically something was thrashing about up there, for about an hour. This included scratching, thumping, knocking,dragging, all sorts of noises. It was very loud, it was moving all around the roof and I didn't imagine it, because when my mam went out to see could she see onto the roof (she couldn't) she could hear it too from the back garden.

That day after about an hour (the hour that I was awake, dunno how long this was going on before it woke me), it stopped besides the odd thump or scratch, but this has continued and these varied noises are still happening, just not as loudly or for as long as the first time (though they're quite bad tonight). SO! There is something on my roof. Now. It could be anything. I'd like for it to be an angel, but it could be an alien. More likely though, it's an animal (with no vocal chords??)

My problem is, we can't see onto the roof to see what's going on, and we don't own a helicopter.. Does anyone know what the protocol would be with animal services or whatever to figure out what's going on up there, or anyone had a similar problem? This is bewildering me an awful lot, especially the thought of something suffering so near me without me doing anything about it
Let me know what I should do if you have any thoughts, thanks!

DrGreenthumb

Probably just Santa scoping the place out before hand

thebla

Yeah it's a funny joke that I realised and that others have made lol but seriously something's on my roof! baha so if anyone could actually help I'd really appreciate it, The jokes are funny but the noises aren't

DrGreenthumb

well if your attic isn't converted it could be a rat up there, or a birds nest
if its on the roof it's probable a bird (any pyscho ex's?) or it could be a cat, also could be a rat on the roof,

if it persists get the hose out next time and hose them down

thebla

oh it's three floors up though! I don't want to hose something down it could die then, and that's what I'm worried is happening in the first place! Plus I don't like the idea of a rat falling on my head really.. but yeah I was thinking cat.. but it's very odd that on the first day it wasn't making any noises, it sounded like whatever's up there was in pain, it really did make a lot of noise.. Plus would it stay there for three days? It's all very confusing.. Thanks though

DrGreenthumb

if you want the tree hugger approach and not want to harm it or disturb it then you'll have to put up with the noises,

if you want it sorted you'll have to do something about it, my guess is its probably a injured pigeon, if it is injured wait it out and it will die or get a ladder and have a look whats up there,

tk123

Put a camera/phone on a brush handle or something long and stick it out your window like a periscope.

baords dyslexic

We get rats in the roof space quite often and they can make a lot of noise, depends whats been left in the roof space, they'll roll stuff around (like rat poison blocks) and that can be really noisey when they try and move it over a beam, lots of srabbling then the noise of something dropping off the other side.

Never had one myself but know of people that have had grey squirrels in the roof and thats supposed to be very noisey, they also do a lot of damage to exposed cables and insulation.

thebla

That's really interesting! Crazy! This is actually ON my roof as opposed to in it though but it still could be something like that.. Periscope idea not a bad one..

Nollog

I heard similar noises the last place I lived, some birds got into the attic/rafters and were nesting.

It made Santa sound so much sweeter.

thebla

haha well I'm assuming it's not Santa and it's on the roof as opposed to in.. we don't have an attic like the ceiling above where I sleep is a roof on the other side

baords dyslexic

thebla wrote: »

haha well I'm assuming it's not Santa and it's on the roof as opposed to in.. we don't have an attic like the ceiling above where I sleep is a roof on the other side

Mice, rats, bats, bees, wasps, birds and squirels can all get into the space between the ceiling and the roof above it. We had bees in a similar space for years and it attracted mice who'd try and steal the honey but that was only a slight scrabbling noise you'd notice when it was quite.

Maybe you had a hawk catch something a bit too big and land with it on the roof and then finish killing it....slowly. My parents have seagulls nesting on the roof in the summer and they do make a load of noise but not this time of year.

More one for the Nature table forum I'd have thought?

thebla

well I don't know what it is I presumed it was an animal so I didn't know but I'll try there too. Called DSPCA earlier, no help at all. I've no way of finding out what it is so they can't do anything, fair enough I guess. Thanks here!

subway

definitely try the phone on a brush approach
its probably birds or cats tho, the sound is possibly just being amplified through the roof and so on.
we get birds in the eaves sometimes and they can be very very loud just scratching and walking around

thebla

yeah but I've slept in that room for years, I'm used to birds walking around up there that's no bother like, this is different to usual though. yeah camera on a stick might work, it'll take a lot of work though ha its at an odd angle to try get it out.. we'll see though thanks

subway

not much else you can really, possibly ask on the models forum, maybe someone with a helicopter might help you out?

you could always start a small fire on the roof, then the fire brigade would could come down and while they are putting it out ask them to have a quick look

Discodog

You need to determine whether it is in a roof space, like under the tiles, or on the outside of the roof. The first option could mean that any animal is trapped whereas if it is on the outside it may be coming & going.

There must be somewhere nearby that gives a view of your roof. If it is in the roof space then I would hire a camera with a flexible probe - you would get one from a tool hire shop. Then make a small hole in your ceiling & insert the probe.