What's this noise????

Tipsntreats

My son has been complaining about a tapping noise, coming from within on of his bedroom walls. He googled it, and said that it might be a death watch beetle!!! I have recently watched, the Enfield Haunting, as well as currently watchingThe living and the dead. So, with my stupid immediate thoughts, I gave him a very wide eyed look, but said nothing. He recorded the noise on his phone, There was a lot of white noise, and then I heared the tapping. It usually starts in the early hours of the morning between 1am and 2am he said. So, armed with Ockham's razor, I tried to find a logical explanation. The down stairs frost free fridge freezer? No that makes a whirring noise. It cannot be the water pipes as no-one is running water at that time. So what is it?
He says that the tapping goes on for a minute or so, stops then starts again. I told him to come and wake me, when it starts. But, in the early hours, I am not at my best, and I lost patience when I couldn't be bothered to wait, until the tapping came back last night. This tapping is every night, according to him. So at a loss to know what to do, I am asking for some sensible ideas please. We cannot open the said wall to see, as it is a rented very old property.
HELP TT

moneyistooshorttomention

Could it be noise from the loft?

There is probably a logical explanation somewhere. I certainly wondered how come I could sometimes hear what sounded like people moving round in my current house - when I knew that wasnt possible and I couldnt be hearing "next door" (as its detached).

Turns out there are some rather noisy seagulls round here and they sometimes sit up on the roof and I think they must occasionally bang at my chimneys.

Artytarty

A bird sitting on the gutter pecking through debris for insects.we get that.

ariarnia

sometimes houses make noises when they settle for the night

its perfectly normal and more common in summer as the materials that make the house swell in the heat and the tapping or creaking or groaning is the bits cooling and settling back into their places

just because no one is using the water doesnt mean the pipes dont tap as again as they cool overnight air can be moving around the pipes

or it could be something living in the walls but if it is its not likely o be harmful if you dont find any trace in the house such as droppings or ant soil piles

just remind your son about the noises he makes when getting ready to go to sleep its just the house doing the same thing

thriftwizard

Night-time tapping in our house has been caused by mice trying to move bits of old biscuit; you'd think it was a small elephant tap-dancing behind the skirting board, as everything sounds much louder when the surroundings are quiet, but a torch snapped on revealed the ghastly truth!

My DSs & OH stopped accusing me of nagging them about eating food outside the kitchen after that. For a while...

Tipsntreats

Well,the tapping according to D, my son, happens in all seasons. No, it is not a mouse,remember that from years ago quite different. Birds, no, had them before, starlings got into the loft. It is just this one wall. Keep you thinking caps on please.
TT

Callie22

Could it just be the water pipes cooling down and contracting overnight? Or perhaps you've got some air in the system somewhere?

Tipsntreats

Well, we have just had a new combi boiler fitted. The whole system was flushed through, so absolutely no air. As the water is now heated on demand, and we don't wash at 2am, I doubt that is it.
Thanx Callie22. D does have sink in his room, so I will be asking him about the use of water.

martinthebandit

Your house isn't built over an old Indian burial ground is it?

basil92

Had similar in a piece of furniture..sounded like something eating away at it. Had heard it for years. Eventually when piles of sawdust and holes in the furniture appeared, I realised it was infested with something (bug/beetle?) so I took it outside, smashed it up and binned it...

The noise was very different to the normal creaks of a house or mice but it took a long time to decipher where it was coming from as it was an intermittent gnawing noise! I thought I was imagining it at first!!

If the house is rented I suggest you inform your landlord and ask them to have a look/listen!

Tipsntreats

Oh my what did expect, talking to you martintheba. No the house is not built on a bural ground. Built in 1910, previously a pine wood.
Yes basil92, I wll tell our agent. I hope he doesn't think we are crazy.
TT