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Pest control timelines depend on what services are being provided, size and type of infestation, and size of your home. Some inspections can take an hour or more, while preventative treatments only take 30 minutes to complete. Basic spaying for a problem like roaches or termites can take about an hour for small homes, but much longer for large properties and infestations. Consult your pest control pro for a time estimate based on your situation.

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.

When woodpeckers start banging on your walls or roof, they are probably looking for insects to eat, storing nuts for winter, drilling a hole to make a nest, or communicating with other birds to establish territory or find a mate.

The size of the hole can help determine the reason for the pecking. Small irregular holes are a result of insect hunts. Acorn holes are more consistently sized and often fitted with a nut in the middle. Nest holes are large and have rounded edges. If the bird is pecking to mark its territory or attract a mate, it may leave dents rather than holes, and the noise will stop when the mating season starts in spring.

Certain strong smells may help repel bats, though this is not a foolproof method and is best used in conjunction with other deterrence strategies. Scents like peppermint oil, eucalyptus, cinnamon, cloves, and mint are often suggested as natural remedies. To create a spray, you can mix two cups of warm water with half a cup of sugar and a few drops of your preferred essential oil. Apply this mixture using a spray bottle to possible entry points and throughout the affected area, such as an attic. While this home remedy is popular, evidence supporting its effectiveness is limited.