If you’ve ever heard odd chewing noises coming from your walls or attic at night, you may be wondering what animal could possibly be gnawing away at the wood in your home. Rest assured, nocturnal wood-chewing is actually quite common, and is the handiwork of a few likely culprits.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: the most common animals that chew on wood at night are rodents like rats, mice, squirrels, and chipmunks. Woodpeckers and porcupines also chew on wood, but they’re less likely to do so at night inside your home.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover which animals are most likely to chew on wood in your home at night, what attracts them to wood, the signs of wood-chewing pests, and how to get rid of them humanely and safely.
Common Nocturnal Wood-Chewing Pests
Mice and Rats
Rodents like mice and rats are notorious for chewing on wood and other materials at night. They use their sharp teeth to gnaw on things to wear them down. This allows them to nest and find food. Attics, basements, garages, and other areas can provide nice shelter and access to wood structures for these sneaky creatures.
Squirrels
While squirrels are cute to watch during the day, at night they can cause trouble by chewing on wood siding, furniture, utility poles, and more. Tree squirrels like eastern gray squirrels build nests out of leaves in tree hollows but will chew to enlarge the space.
Flying squirrels occupy attics and other sheltered locations. Getting rid of attractive food sources may help deter these agile rodents.
Chipmunks
The adorable chipmunks are in fact voracious chewers of wood, wiring, and plants. They tunnel to make underground chambers near structures with entrances hidden under rocks, brush, or woodpiles. Chipmunks gather food in their cheek pouches to store for winter.
Sealing any external holes in homes can prevent them from getting inside and destroying insulation or wood structures when they gnaw.
Woodpeckers
Several woodpecker species like Northern flickers drill into wood looking for ants, termites, beetles and other insects to eat, causing damage. They peck wood siding with rapid hammering blows searching for larvae and eggs.
Woodpeckers also hollow out tree holes for nesting which they may return to year after year. Installing metal sheathing or mesh in problem areas may deter them from chewing wood.
Porcupines
The herbivorous North American porcupine relies on wood forests across Canada, Alaska and the northern and western United States for feeding and shelter. Porcupines chew the inner bark and upper branches in tree canopies at night seeking sustenance. Their sharp teeth give them an advantage.
While porcupines do not destroy entire trees, over years their chewing leads to dead branches and tops. Providing alternative sources of sodium like salt blocks may help divert porcupines from chewing structures.
As we have seen, a variety of rodents, birds and mammals can damage wood buildings, furniture and trees at night because of their desire to chew on things as part of their innate behavior. Identifying the pest, sealing off entry points, removing food attractions, and covering vulnerable areas are key to stopping nocturnal chewing issues.
With vigilant monitoring and preventive measures, these annoying and destructive behaviors can be significantly reduced both inside and outside the home.
For more pest control tips, check out:
Why Animals Chew on Wood
Nesting and Taking Shelter
Many animals like beavers, mice, and rabbits chew on wood when building their homes and nests. Beavers are famous for chewing down entire trees to construct their lodges. They use their strong incisor teeth to strip bark and cut logs into smaller pieces for building dams.
Smaller animals like field mice and voles gnaw on wood and twigs to create cozy nests for raising young. Even domesticated rabbits enjoy chewing on untreated wood blocks or sticks as enrichment and to file down their constantly growing teeth.
Having suitable materials for nesting and taking shelter is an important reason why a variety of wild species are motivated to chew wood.
Marking Territory
Some animals chew on wood as a way to mark an area as their own. Beaver teeth leave distinctive gnaw marks on trees and fallen logs near their pond habitat. Ungulates like deer and moose also rub their antlers on trees, stripping away bark in the process.
These behaviors visibly signal territorial boundaries to rivals. Certain mammals like foxes and coyotes even deposit scents from facial glands when chewing on wood, further indicating their presence. For many animals, leaving evidence of chewing basically stakes a claim saying “this spot is occupied.”
It’s an effective and energy-efficient way to define one’s personal space without direct confrontation.
Sharpening Teeth and Tusk
Gnawing on wood allows animals like rodents and pigs to keep their teeth worn down. Continual growth means their incisors would quickly become overgrown without this abrasive activity. Hard woods give beavers strong chisel-like tools for felling trees, while chewing grittier materials helps keep tiny mouse teeth from painfully overgrowing.
Pigs too will rub their tusks on tree bark, probably to sharpen the ivory edges. Even herbivorous animals need their specialized teeth and tusks in good working condition for survival. Apparently wood offers just the right texture for filing them down.
So in a way, chewing wood seems to provide some species a bit of preventive dental care!
Obtaining Food
Finally, many creatures actually eat parts of trees for the nutritional value. Bark, sap, roots and other woody growths offer sustenance to various animals. Deer strip bark to munch the nutrient-rich inner layers. Sapsuckers drill into bark then lap up oozing tree sap.
Tiny bark beetles bore elaborate networks while dining on the inner phloem and xylem. Squirrels, porcupines and bears gnaw into tree limbs to reach edible fruits and Pine nuts. Woodpeckers use their chisel bills to dig out wood-boring insect larvae.
So while chewing wood helps meet other needs, obtaining food is likely the primary reason plant-eaters invest time consuming trees and woody vegetation.
Signs of Wood-Chewing Pests
Gnaw Marks and Holes
One of the most obvious signs of wood-chewing pests is visible gnaw marks and holes in wooden structures, furniture, flooring, doors, frames, and baseboards. These damaging etchings come in various sizes depending on the culprit.
For example, termites and carpenter ants tend to bore narrow tunnels, while rodents like rats and mice leave behind larger ragged holes by gnawing and nibbling.
Wood Shavings and Pellets
In addition to gnaw marks, wood-boring pests often generate wood shavings, sawdust, or tiny pellets as they munch through their wooden meals. You may discover little heaps of these wood particles along baseboards, floor crevices, countertops, shelves, or furniture.
The texture and shape of the shavings can provide clues on the type of pest. For instance, powderpost beetles produce a very fine sawdust, whereas carpenter bees make larger splintery shards.
Sounds of Chewing
Believe it or not, some wood-chewing bugs make quite a racket while dining on wood inside homes and structures. For example, deathwatch and furniture beetles make a subtle ticking sound that’s often most noticeable at night.
Carpenter ants don’t eat wood, but excavate it to make room for nests, resulting in a crackling or rustling noise. And squirrels or rats vigorously gnawing and scraping in attics or walls can be very audible.
Droppings
Discovering leftover frass (bug poop) or rodent droppings around a wood infestation site offers more definitive proof of the exact pest. The size, shape, texture, color, and location of the droppings provide vital clues for identification.
For instance, termite and carpenter ant droppings resemble coffee grounds, while mice produce oblong blackish pellets. As gross as it sounds, inspecting the droppings is key physical evidence!
Getting Rid of Wood-Chewing Pests
Seal Up Entry Points
The first step to getting rid of wood-chewing pests is to seal up any entry points to your home where they may be gaining access. Carefully examine the exterior of your home, looking for cracks, holes, gaps, loose siding, areas where utilities enter the home, and any other openings.
Use caulk, weatherstripping, copper mesh, hardware cloth, or other durable sealants to close these access points. Pay special attention around doors, windows, foundations, attics, and crawl spaces. Sealing entry points helps block new pests from getting in and traps existing ones inside where other control methods can be used.
Use Humane Traps
Humane traps like live traps or glue boards can be effective for capturing wood-chewing pests alive so they can be relocated. Place traps along baseboards, in corners, or near known pest activity. Check traps frequently and release non-target animals.
For captured rodents, release them at least 10 miles from your home so they don’t find their way back. Always wear thick gloves when handling live animals. Humane trapping takes patience but avoids killing the pests. However, they may find their way back unless relocated far away.
Apply Animal Repellents
Natural or chemical repellents can be applied to discourage wood-chewing pests. Peppermint oil, garlic, cayenne pepper, and ammonia are examples of natural repellents that emit strong odors to irritate pests and drive them away.
Commercial repellents often contain castor oil, capsaicin, or sulfuryl fluoride. Apply repellents directly to infested wood or around possible entry points. Repellents work best for temporary relief but may need to be reapplied frequently.
They won’t eliminate an existing infestation already inside the home.
Use Lights, Sounds, and Smells
Deterrents like lights, sounds, and smells may help discourage wood-chewing pests without harming them. Flashing lights or regular light exposure can disturb nocturnal creatures. Ultrasonic devices emit high-frequency sounds only heard by certain animals.
Strong smells from ammonia, moth balls, or predator urine make an area less attractive. Combine multiple deterrents for best results. Position them along baseboards, attics, crawl spaces, or where activity is noticed.
Like repellents, deterrents may only drive pests away temporarily until their source is eliminated.
When to Call a Professional
If you are hearing noises in your home at night that sound like chewing or gnawing on wood, there are a few steps you can take before calling in the professionals:
Identify the Source
Try to locate where exactly the noise is coming from. Go room by room and listen carefully to pinpoint the area. Attics, basements, garages, and areas near external walls or vents are common places for animals to try and enter the home.
Inspect for Entry Points and Damage
Check windows, doors, foundation cracks, holes in external walls, gaps around pipes or wires, etc. for possible access points. Also check inside and outside walls, support beams, framing, attic rafters, baseboards, and even furniture for any chewing damage or wood debris.
Attempt Removal Methods
If you locate an entry point, try simple DIY exclusion methods first like sealing holes or gaps with steel wool, copper mesh, wood lath materials or caulk. You can also set humane traps inside to catch animals that have already gained access.
When to Call An Expert
If DIY methods don’t work and you continue hearing chewing noises, it’s best to call a professional wildlife control expert or exterminator. Professionals have the knowledge and tools to safely and effectively:
- Identify the exact animal species causing damage
- Find all structural entry points
- Remove current animals from the home
- Seal entry points and prevent future access
- Treat droppings and pathogens left behind
- Assess structural damage and make repairs
Calling a pro as soon as an issue is discovered can prevent further damage. Advanced infestations of certain wildlife like squirrels, rats, bats or raccoons may also pose health risks to inhabitants if urine, feces or pathogens accumulate.
Conclusion
If you hear odd sounds coming from inside your walls at night, there’s a good chance you have a wood-chewing pest problem. Rodents like mice, rats, squirrels and chipmunks are the most likely culprits, along with woodpeckers and porcupines in some cases.
These animals chew on wood when building nests, marking territory, sharpening teeth, or finding food. Telltale signs of their presence include gnaw marks, wood shavings, noises, and droppings. Thankfully, there are humane and effective solutions for getting rid of wood-chewing pests, from sealing up entry points, to trapping and repellents.
But if the problem persists, don’t hesitate to call a wildlife control professional for help evicting your uninvited nighttime guests.
