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It can be difficult to know what type of animal is in your attic until you see it. But several clues can help you narrow down the suspects:

• Sounds: Smaller animals like rats and mice make scurrying and tapping/gnawing sounds. Larger animals like raccoons and opossums make louder clambering noises. Also, note when animals are noisy: Squirrels are active during the day, while rats are busiest at night.

• Droppings: Rats and mice leave small, rice-shaped droppings (the rat’s version is significantly larger). Bigger droppings belong to larger critters like raccoons. As long as you’re not squeamish, an image search can help you identify what you’re seeing in your attic.

When in doubt, take photos of damage or other evidence and show them to an experienced pest control pro.

Yellow jackets are a type of wasp in the Vespula and Dolichovespula genera. Hornets are another type of wasp in the Vespa genus. Hornets and yellow jackets are closely related and are both known for being large and aggressive. They are often confused with one another, too. For example, the bald-faced hornet is actually a yellow jacket, and the European hornet, a true hornet, looks much like a yellow jacket.

Raccoons should be removed in most cases, especially when they’ve made their way indoors. Even if they seem harmless, raccoons are wild animals that can damage your property and potentially harm you, your family, and your pets. As soon as you notice signs of raccoons on your property, address the situation by securing your garbage and consulting a pro.

Several bugs can look like ticks but aren’t, including beetles, bed bugs, spider beetles, and weevils. Aside from different types of beetles, the most common confusion is between ticks versus bed bugs. In any case, since a tick is an eight-legged arachnid, you can quickly differentiate by the number of legs, as all insects have six legs.