Has been happening for a couple of months now. There is some sort of tap on the ceiling of our bedroom directly above our bed. I have timed it and it is every 4 seconds. It is not loud and if the TV is at a normal volume one really does not hear it unless listening for it.
Thing is it only happens at night. Of course the kids are asleep so there is no going up in the attic to try to figure it out.
I have tried to recreate everything we do at bed time during the day to try to get the tap to start no dice.
It is in the vaulted ceiling portion and there is no duct work or anything over top. Just the ceiling fan wiring.
It’s only annoying if you focus on it or the TV is off and you are trying to fall asleep. We both are folks that fall asleep with the TV on so not a huge deal. Just weird.

Mice gnawing at a spot in the ceiling. House I grew up had a noise at night in the ceiling but coming from the attic. Had no idea what the heck it was until a field mouse eventually gnawed a hole right through the ceiling. Took a while too. Didn't happen overnight. Not sure why the mouse was drawn to that one particular spot. Maybe it had been marked by another mouse or something. Dunno

Yep. Mice.

I had a similar issue shortly after purchasing my previous house, with unexplained tapping in the ceiling above the master bedroom at night.

Shortly afterwards, I discovered signs of mice in the garage and pantry, and the noises in the ceiling became distinctly more like gnawing.

Poison in the attic and traps in the garage took care of it.

I’d say to check any electronics in the room. Once I had convinced myself there was something gnawing inside the wall in my bedroom as a teenager. It was rhythmic like you described, every few seconds.

Come to find out, it was an AM/FM radio that was turned all the way down but there was a static pulse every few seconds. Spent days (nights) trying to figure it out.

Is your address 112 Ocean Avenue?

I think it's 1428 Elm Street.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
I think it's 1428 Elm Street.

Wrong kind of noise.

You know, if he's actually on Isla Nublar, we're both wrong.

Is the ceiling fan on or off?

Years ago we had mice in the attic, eventually heard them. They got up under the corner cover of vinyl siding. Plugging the gap & a poison program was the solution.

If it is mice the noise will vary some, not an exact cadence. If it could be mice, I’d investigate & eradicate as needed.

A couple of months and you haven't gone up there to look ? Do you know any real men that can investigate it for you ?

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
A couple of months and you haven't gone up there to look ? Do you know any real men that can investigate it for you ?

I have been up there multiple times but I can’t get the sound to happen during the day.
It only happens at night and of course the kids are in bed so going up in the attic is not an option currently.

I was up there this morning can’t see anything that would be making the noise in the area.

So .38Supersig may be on to something.
If I could recreate the tapping during the day may be able to figure it out.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more.”


Could be a raven!

^^^^^^^^

Have a recorder? Preferably sound activated? Put it where the sound is coming from. See what happens

Camera?

Ghosts perhaps?

Or maybe a Raven?

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Camera?

If it was, it would make a clicking sound, not tapping.



<just kidding>

Google Deathwatch Beetle. I've heard this while sleeping in an old house, sounds like what you describe

Have you looked "up" when in the attic? I had a similar scenario years back - droppings everywhere. I put down traps and bait with no success. Then one day I found a dropping that looked larger than a mouse dropping that was literally on the trap. I looked up - and hello BATS.

No signs of critters or bats.